Inaugurated today by Italian Ambassador to the United States Mariangela Zappia, the National Gallery of Art’s new exhibition Canova: Sketching in Clay features works of Venetian sculptor and painter Antonio Canova as part of initiatives marking the 200^th anniversary of his death.

“The National Gallery’s extraordinary exhibitions on Italian masterpieces and their constant success with the public represent great opportunities to strengthen the link between our two countries by promoting Italy’s incomparable artistic heritage, which sees in Canova one of its highest and best known expressions even here in the United States,” stated Ambassador Zappia.