Renowned today as a seducer and an adventurer, Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) was known to his contemporaries as a charming and witty conversationalist, an expert on many topics, and an international man of letters.
“He was also a gambler, a spy, and one of history’s greatest travelers,” The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, writes of Casanova. From February 10 through May 28, the museum will be presenting approximately 90 incredible artworks during “Casanova: The Section of Europe.” Including paintings by Canaletto, Pietro Longhi, William Hogarth, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and François Boucher; sculptures by Jean-Antoine Houdon; works on paper by Giovanni Battista Piranesi; period furnishing, delicate porcelains, silver, and period costumes, the exhibition seeks to bring the world of Casanova to life.
“Of special note are three tableaux, illustrating, respectively, a visit to a convent in Venice, a morning toilette in Paris, and a dissipated night of cards in London — scenes composed of mannequins in 18th-century costumes amid period furniture,” the museum continues. “Thematic threads running through the exhibition include travel; courtship and seduction; theater and identity; and the pleasures of dining.”
To learn more, visit the Legion of Honor.
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