ANTONIO CANOVA (完)

ANTONIO CANOVA (完)

When the Count and his friends came in to dinner, the first thing they saw was the yellow lion.

" What a beautiful work of art !  they cried.
" None but very great artist could ever carve such a figure; and how odd that he should choose to make it of butter ! "

And they asked the Count to tell them the name of the artist.

" Truly, my friends, " he said. " this is as much of a surprise to me as to you. "

And then he called to his head servant, and asked him where he had found so wonderful a statue.

It was carved only an hour ago by a little boy in the kitchen," said the servant.

This made Count's friends wonder still more.
The Count bade the servant call the boy into the room.

" My lad, " he said, " you have done a piece of work of which the greatest artists would be proud.
" What is your name, and who is your teacher ? "

" My name is Antonio Canova, " said the boy, " and I have had no teacher but my grandfather the stone-cutter.

By this time all the guests had crowded around Antonio.

There were famous artist among them, and they knew that tha lad was a genius.

They could not say enough in praise of his work.

When at last they sat down at the table, nothing would please them but that Antonio should have a seat with them.
And the dinner was made a feast in his honor.

The very next day the Count sent for Antonio to come and live with him.
The best artists in the land were employed to teach him the art in which he had shown so much skill.
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the art in which he had shown so much skill:
show skill in～　～に熟練を示す

Instead of carving butter, he chiseled marble. 

In a few years, Antonio Canova became known as one of the greatest sculptors in the world. 

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