Master sculptor Fred X. Brownstein takes on the challenge of copying Antonio Canova’s sculpture Venus using Canova’s unique 200-year-old techniques. Brownstein trained in the Pasquini studio in Querceta, Italy, where he learned to sculpt by carefully observing Italian masters. He is one of the last people in the United States with marble carving skills of this caliber, keeping the practice alive and hoping to meet Canova’s standard. Will he make the cut? Canova’s clay, plaster, and marble sculptures, including Venus, were featured in the Canova: Sketching in Clay exhibition open June 11 – October 9, 2023 at the National Gallery of Art.