Bertel Thorvaldsen

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(b Copenhagen, 13 Nov 1768 or 19 Nov 1770; d Copenhagen, 24 March 1844). Danish sculptor and collector, active in Italy. He spent most of his working life in Rome, where, after the death of Antonio Canova in 1822, he became the foremost Neo-classical sculptor. Although the heroic quality of his early Roman work was later modified by certain naturalistic features, he never abandoned his fundamental, classicizing ideals. His pan-European reputation led to commissions from public and private patrons in many countries, and in order to supply these he ran a large and well-organized studio. His collection of contemporary paintings was probably the finest in 19th-century Rome and, together with many of his sculptures, is now housed in the Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen (opened 1848). (Unless otherwise stated, the models and versions of the works mentioned in this entry are there.) In the decades after his death, the taste for Neo-classicism, and thus his reputation, declined, and it was not until the mid-20th century that his art was re-evaluated.

See the Abbreviations for further details.

During the early 19th century, Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1848) was considered the greatest sculptor in Europe. A student of classical art, he incorporated the styles of ancient Greece and Rome into his own work. In doing so, he became one of the leaders of the Neoclassical movement, which spanned the 18th and 19th centuries.

Born in Denmark

Bertel Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 13, 1770. He was the son of Gottskalk Thorvaldsen, an Icelandic woodcarver, and Karen Dagnes (GrØnlund). His father was something of a failed artist and he drank heavily. However, Gottskalk's habits or lack of success did not have a negative impact on the young Bertel. Determined to avoid the fate of his father, Thorvaldsen decided that he would become a great sculptor.

Pursuing his ambition, Thorvaldsen gained entrance into the finest art schools of his time. His formal artistic training began at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School, where he studied freehand drawing. In 1796 he entered the Copenhagen Academy of Fine Arts, and a year later went to Rome, Italy, on a scholarship. The move would have enormous impact on his life, as Italy provided the kind of academic environment that spurred his growth as an artist. He soon began developing his own style, basing it on classical sculpture, which proved to be his greatest inspiration.

Influenced by Ancient Artists

Thorvaldsen remained in Rome until 1838, then returned to his homeland to teach for intermittent periods. Although he would never marry, while residing in Rome Thorvaldsen fathered two children with Anna Maria Magnani: a son, Carlo Alberto (1806-1811) and a daughter, Elisa (1813-1846). In his early years in that city, Thorvaldsen was able to study examples of classical art up close. Influenced by the ancient works as well as by the contemporary neoclassicists, he came to hold the ancient Greco-Roman sculptors in high regard, believing that they were the only sculptors who had achieved purity of formal beauty without respect to content. Like these artists he took many of his subjects from ancient literature and mythology; also like them he attempted to recreate the human form in sculpture with clear outlines, smooth surfaces, pleasing proportions, and idealized facial features. He believed that imitation of ancient classical works of art was the best way to become a great artist. The strategy worked for Thorvaldsen; he soon joined Italian sculptor Antonio Canova as of the major artists of the Neoclassical movement.

Neoclassical Movement

The Neoclassical art movement embraced the values of the art of ancient Greece and Rome, and its emergence was a reaction to the previous, more fanciful Rococo and Baroque styles. It was part of the larger, overall movement that revived neoclassical thought and included writing, painting, and philosophy. Influential German art historian Johann J. Winckelmann helped initiate the art movement when he identified the most important elements of classical works: the noble stillness and simplicity and the calm grandeur. Neoclassical sculptors were also inspired by the excavation of the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Rome, which began in 1748 and provided the world with the opportunity to rediscover classical works. Neoclassical artists sought to capture the quality of these works by copying the ancient artists' styles and subject matter. Like these artists, neoclassical-inspired sculptors strived for a purity of form, creating idealized figures in white marble that possessed a severity of structure and clear, hard contours.

The Neoclassical movement lasted from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century. At first, Canova was the leading neoclassical sculptor, but Thorvaldsen would eventually emerge as Canova's recognized peer. By 1808 the Danish sculptor began to receive recognition as a great artist, and after Canova's death he became recognized as the greatest living sculptor in Europe and the pre-eminent neoclassical artist.

Like other neoclassical artists, Thorvaldsen produced most of his works in white marble. These included relief sculptures, monuments, and portrait busts. His fidelity to the classical style was revealed in his early works, including his Jason (1802-1823), depicting the adventurous figure of Greek mythology who traveled the seas with his Argonauts, and Janus (1803), the Roman god of gates and doors who possessed two faces looking in either direction. These works provided Thorvaldsen's artistic breakthrough and brought him international fame. The choice of subjects for one of his best-known works, Hebe, especially reflects his intent. In mythology Hebe was an attendant to Venus, the goddess of beauty, and she served as the cup bearer for the gods. Because she possessed pure beauty as well as everlasting youth, she proved an appropriate subject for Thorvaldsen. His most famous works are allegorical reliefs and statues of classical subjects. Other famous works include Venus with the Apple (1806) and Amor and Psiquis in the Sky (1807).

Opened a Workshop

It was Thorvaldsen's fame and demand for his work that helped advance Neoclassicism as a movement. As demand increased from around the world, he fulfilled many international commissions for clients who specifically asked for a work of art that exemplified the Neoclassical style. Many of the commissioned artworks he created included busts and statues of famous Europeans.

Thorvaldsen's artistic output during his lifetime was huge. He produced 550 sculptures, reliefs, and portrait busts. In 1797, with demand growing and his workload increasing, he felt compelled to establish an efficient studio workshop which employed the services of his pupils and assistants.

During this period, he produced works for his home country, including the decorative scheme of marble statues and reliefs for the new Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen that features a striking Christ figure. Thorvaldsen himself created the figures of Christ and St. Paul; the rest were made by his assistants from Thorvaldsen's models. Thorvaldsen also created works for clients throughout Europe. These include historical portrait sculptures of Pope Pius VII and Conradin, last of the Hohenstaufen, as well as the design for the world-famous memorial sculpture Lion of Lucerne (1819-1821) erected in Switzerland. This much-celebrated allegorical sculpture was created on the wall of what had once been a mine. It commemorates the destruction of the Swiss Guard during the storming of the Tuileries in Paris in 1792, near the close of the French Revolution. The fallen Swiss are memorialized as a dying lion. The most remarkable element of the Lion of Lucerne is the sad expression on the lion's face; American writer Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), when visiting Europe and observing the sculpture, remarked that it was "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world." Thorvaldsen's students performed the actual carving of the stone.

Thorvaldsen was also greatly admired in Russia. For the Russian czar's court he created sculptures of Countess Elizabeth Ostermann-Tolstaya (1815) and Czar Alexander I (1820).

Thorvaldsen's artistic activities were not restricted to sculpture. He would also perform restorations, believing along with his contemporaries that restoration projects provided a rewarding creative process. One of his most famous projects involved restoring ancient Aeginetan marbles, a task he performed for Prince Louis of Bavaria.

By 1820 Thorvaldsen employed 40 assistants to help complete the commissions, and his workshop was a fascinating place, bustling with activity. When producing a sculpture, Thorvaldsen began with a plaster model. After the finished artwork was delivered to a client, this plastic model remained in the workshop. Thus, the facility was filled with many stunning figures, the number of which grew over the years. Eventually, the sculpture envisioned the creation of a museum where his work could be viewed by the public. This seed of an idea would eventually grow to fruition.

Returned to Denmark

Although Thorvaldsen spent most of his life in Rome where he lived from 1797 to 1838, he was also active in Copenhagen. He became professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1805 and directed the Academy from 1833 to 1844. He also served as a professor at Rome's St. Luca Academy in 1812, eventually becoming vice president (1826) and president (1827-1828) there.

When he returned permanently to Copenhagen to live in 1838, Thorvaldsen was welcomed home with great enthusiasm. By that time he was considered the greatest sculptor in Europe, and his countrymen regarded him as a national hero. In fact, his fame was so great that several of the era's most well-known painters chose him as a portrait subject, including Russian painter Orest Kiprensky, whose 1833 portrait of Thorvaldsen hangs in the museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. His renown spread across the sea as well, and many American sculptors traveled to Europe to study with Thorvaldsen.

Donated Works for Museum

Thorvaldsen's will bequeathed a large collection of his works - as well as collected works of other artists - to the city of Copenhagen. In 1839 the city began building a museum - appropriately designed in the neoclassical style - to house the aging sculptor's valuable collection.

Thorvaldsen had first broached the idea of the remarkable bestowment in 1827, in a letter to Danish Crown Prince Christian Frederik (eventually King Christian VIII). The idea was then taken to King Frederik VI, who was asked if Denmark would be willing to build a museum for the collections if Thorvaldsen decided to donate. The king took the idea to the people and, later, initiated a fundraising campaign. The idea moved forward in 1830, when Thorvaldsen drew up his first will, a document that bestowed parts of his collections to Denmark.

A national appeal for money was started in 1837, to raise money for the museum construction. The Danish people responded enthusiastically and their support funded the project. A year later, when Thorvaldsen returned to Copenhagen after living in Rome, King Frederik VI designated a site for the envisioned museum adjacent to the Christiansborg Palace. The Royal Coach House, which stood on the proposed site, was to be rebuilt to accommodate Thorvaldsen's collections. A building committee was appointed, which included four architects who designed the basic elements of the reconstruction, and work began in 1839. Architect Michael Gottlieb BindesbØll was appointed to lead the project, which took almost a decade to complete. The Thorvaldsen's Museum finally opened on September 18, 1848, the first museum to be built in Denmark.

The museum includes the original plaster models of Thorvaldsen's sculptures, the original design sketches, and many original pieces of his artwork, including his Self Portrait (1839). It also includes many priceless items that Thorvaldsen amassed over the years, including his extensive collection of paintings, drawings, engravings, antiques, and books.

Died in Birth City

Thorvaldsen passed away in Copenhagen on March 24, 1848, reportedly while attending the theater. He died only a week after his museum opened, at age 68. His funeral was held in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, and his coffin was eventually interred in the inner courtyard of the Thorvaldsen Museum.

During his lifetime, Thorvaldsen was a member of a large number of academies of fine arts, societies, and associations throughout Europe, Russia, and the United States. He became a member of the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1805 and the St. Luca Academy in 1808. He also was named a Citizen of Honor in Mainz in 1835, in Copenhagen in 1838, and in Stuttgart in 1841.

Books

Plon, Eugene, Thorvaldsen: His Life and Works, R. Bently & Son, 1874.

Thiel, Just Mathias, Thorvaldsen and His Works, J. G. Unnevehr, 1869.

Online

"Bertel Thorvaldsen, Danish Sculptor," http://arthistory1.school.dk/frame_Thorvaldsen.htm (December 27, 2002).

" 'Hebe' by Thorvaldseon," http://www.eleganza.com/detailed/hebe.html (February 10, 2003).

"Thorvaldsen - Life and Work," http://www.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk/shownewslist.asp?ID=17 (February 10, 2003).

Bertel Thorvaldsen
Portrait by Karl Begas, ca. 1820.
Birth name	Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen
Born	19 November 1770 (1770-11-19) Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	24 March 1844 (1844-03-25) Copenhagen, Denmark
Field	sculpting

Lion Monument, Lucerne.

Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in Warsaw

(Albert) Bertel Thorvaldsen (19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danish / Icelandic sculptor.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 References 4 External links

Biography

Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen in 1770 (according to some accounts, in 1768), the son of an Icelander who had settled in Denmark and there carried on the trade of a wood-carver. This account is disputed by some Icelanders, who claim Thorvaldsen was born in Iceland. Thorvaldsen had claimed descent from Snorri Thorfinnsson, the first European born in America^[1].

Young Thorvaldsen attended Copenhagen's Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi), winning all the prizes including the large Gold Medal. As a consequence, he was granted a Royal stipend, enabling him to complete his studies in Rome, where he arrived on 8 March 1797. Since the date of his birth had never been recorded, he celebrated this day as his "Roman birthday" for the rest of his life.

Thorvaldsen's first success was the model for a statue of Jason, which was highly praised by Antonio Canova, the most popular sculptor in the city. In 1803 he received the commission to execute it in marble from Thomas Hope, a wealthy English art-patron. From that time Thorvaldsen's success was assured, and he did not leave Italy for sixteen years.

In 1819 he visited his native Denmark. Here he was commissioned to make the colossal series of statues of Christ and the twelve Apostles for the rebuilding of Vor Frue Kirke (from 1922 known as the Copenhagen Cathedral) between 1817 and 1829, after its having been destroyed in the British bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807. These were executed after his return to Rome, and were not completed till 1838, when Thorvaldsen returned with his works to Denmark, being received as a hero.^[2]

He died suddenly in the Copenhagen Royal Theatre on 24 March 1844, having bequeathed a great part of his fortune for the building and endowment of a museum in Copenhagen, and left instructions to fill it with all his collection of works of art and the models for all his sculptures, a very large collection, exhibited to the greatest possible advantage. Thorvaldsen is buried in the courtyard of this museum, under a bed of roses, by his own special wish.

Works

Thorvaldsen was an outstanding representative of the Neoclassical period in sculpture. He was often compared to Antonio Canova, but in fact he embodied the style of classical Greek art more than the Italian artist. The poses and expressions of his figures are much more stiff and formal than those of Canova's.

Motifs for his works (reliefs, statues, and busts) were drawn mostly from Greek mythology, but he also created portraits of important personalities, as in his statue of Pope Pius VII. His works can be seen in many European countries, especially in the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen, where his tomb is in the inner courtyard. Thorvaldsen's Lion Monument (1819) is in Lucerne, Switzerland. This monument commemorates the sacrifice of more than six hundred Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries during the French Revolution. The monument portrays a dying lion lying across broken symbols of the French monarchy.

Thorvaldsen produced some striking and affecting statues of historic figures, including two in Warsaw, Poland: an equestrian statue of Prince Józef Poniatowski that now stands before the Presidential Palace; and the seated Nicolaus Copernicus, before the Polish Academy of Sciences building—both located on Warsaw's Krakowskie Przedmieście. A replica of the Copernicus statue was cast in bronze and installed in 1973 on Chicago's lakefront along Solidarity Drive in the city's Museum Campus.^[3] A statue of Johannes Gutenberg by Thorvaldsen can be seen in Mainz, Germany.

Part of Thorvaldsen's work is informed by a pronounced homoerotic sensibility, traditionally encoded in European art in the myth of Zeus and Ganymede. Illustrative are his Eros, several versions of Ganymede, the Shepherd Boy with Dog, and his bas relief of Hylas and the Nymphs, depicting a shapely Hylas terrified of the nubile nymphs embracing him.

Christus, Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen.

Copy of Thorvaldsen's Christus at Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

Another copy of the Christus at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Outside Europe, Thorvaldsen is less well known.^[4] However, in 1896 an American textbook writer wrote that his statue of the resurrected Christ, commonly referred to as Thorvaldsen's Christus (created for Vor Frue Kirke), was "considered the most perfect statue of Christ in the world."^[2] The statue has appealed to the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a 3.4 m replica is on display at Temple Square in Salt Lake City^[5] and images of the statue are used in official church media, such as the Internet site LDS.org. The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland also houses a full-size replica of the statue within its iconic dome.^[6]

Thorvaldsen's Christus was recreated in Lego by parishioners of a Swedish Protestant church and unveiled on Easter Sunday 2009.^[7]

Thorvaldsen's primary mastery was his feel for the rhythm of lines and movements. Nearly all his sculptures can be viewed from whatever angle without compromise of their impact. In addition, he had the ability to work in monumental size. Thorvaldsen's classicism was strict; nevertheless his contemporaries saw his art as the ideal, although afterwards art took new directions. In short, he is the greatest of the neo-classicist sculptors — more strict a classicist than Sergel but far greater an artist than Canova.^{[citation needed]}

A bronze copy of Thorvaldsen's Self-Portrait stands in Central Park, New York, near the East 97 Street entrance.

References

1. ^ Paul Henri Mallet, Thomas Percy, I. A. Blackwell, Sir Walter Scott, Northern antiquities, Harvard University Press
2. ^ ^{a b} Dunton, Larkin (1896). The World and Its People. Silver, Burdett. p. 126. 
3. ^ Graf, John, Chicago's Parks Arcadia Publishing, 2000, p. 13-14., ISBN 0-7385-0716-4.
4. ^ (but see the important paper by Dimmick below).
5. ^ Florance S. Jacobsen. "Christus Statue". LightPlanet. http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/history/1945_present/christus_eom.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-11. 
6. ^ Lindsay Roylance. "A Provocative Icon". Dome. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/dome/0312/feature.cfm. Retrieved 2009-04-13. 
7. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090412/ap_on_fe_st/eu_sweden_lego_jesus_statue

• Lauretta Dimmick, "Mythic Proportion: Bertel Thorvaldsen's Influence in America", Thorvaldsen: l'ambiente, l'influsso, il mito, ed. P. Kragelund and M. Nykjær, Rome 1991 (Analecta Romana Instituti Danici, Supplementum 18.), pp. 169–191.
• Eugène Plon, Thorwaldsen, sa vie, etc. (Paris, 1880);
• Andersen, B. Thorwaldsen (Berlin, 1845)
• Killerup, Thorwaldsen's Arbeiten, etc. (Copenhagen, 1852)
• Thiele, Thorwaldsen's Leben (Leipzig, 1852–1856);
• Mordaunt Roger Barnard (trans) The life of Thorvaldsen: Collated from the Danish of Just Matthias Thiele, 1865 (Digitised [1])
• CA Rosenberg, Thorwaldsen ... mit 146 Abbildungen (1896, "Künstlermonographien," No. 16)
• S Trier, Thorvaldsen (1903);
• A Wilde, Erindringer om Jerichau og Thorvaldsen (1884)
• Malta 1796-1797: Thorvaldsen's Visit (Malta & Cop., 1996)
• This article incorporates text from the article "Thorwaldsen, Bertel" in the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bertel Thorvaldsen

• Thorvaldsen's Museum, Copenhagen
• Adonis (links to larger image in new window)
• Adonis (5 views)
• Ganymede and the Eagle, from the Androphile image collection
• Jason with the Golden Fleece (links to larger image)
• The Three Graces (relief)
• 23 works

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