Antonio Canova in his studio with Henry Tresham and a plaster model for <i>Cupid and Psyche</i>
1790
pastel
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
pastel
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Hugh Douglas Hamilton shows Antonio Canova in his studio. Pastel sticks—chalk mixed with gum—fill the air with soft dust. A half-finished plaster Cupid and Psyche stands between them, its curves catching the light. This isn’t a quick sketch. Pastels let Hamilton blend colors fast, but here he slows down. The studio looks real because Hamilton used a camera obscura, an early lens that helped artists trace light perfectly. See how the pastel dust clings to the paper. Want to try the same trick? Look up Hugh Douglas Hamilton.
