| Thorvaldsens
Museum
The
Famous Sculptor
During a whole lifetime the great Danish sculptor Bertel
Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) had created more than 550
sculptures, reliefs and portrait busts and had
donated his impressive art collection to the Danish people
in 1830.
40
years in Rome
After spending nearly 40 years in Rome - Thorvaldsen left for Copenhagen
in 1838 strongly determined to build a museum in
his native city for all of his original models and extensive collections
of contemporary paintings and ancient artefacts.
| Portrait
of Sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen painted by Horace Vernet
in 1835. Thorvaldsen was an outstanding representative
of the Neoclassical period in sculpture. |
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| Photo
from 1856 of Thorvaldsens Museum near Frederiksholms
canal, with Nikolaj Church in the back, without its
present spire. The museum was inaugurated in 1848. |
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The
Museum Collection
The Thorvaldsens Museum was built between 1839
and 1848 and on 18 September 1848,
Thorvaldsens Museum opened as the first museum building in Denmark
for the public showing most of the monumental works of this great
Danish sculptor. Unfortunately – Thorvaldsen did not experience
the opening of his museum, as this happened four years after his
death. The Thorvaldsen Museum is today one of the most visited sites
in Copenhagen with an outstanding collection of his sculptures and
Danish art from the Golden Age 1800-1850.
| Equestrian
statue of the royal war hero Józef Poniatowski,
who was a Polish leader that became Marshal of France
- exhibited at Thorvaldsens Museum. |
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| Famous
sculpture by Thorvaldsen of the 3 Graces and Cupid from
1821 – also called the three goddesses of joy -
charm and beauty. |
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The Old Royal Coach house
Thorvaldsens Museum was established as a complete rebuilding of the
old Royal Coach House, which was placed where the
Museum now stands, close to Christiansborg Palace
in the centre of Copenhagen. The Museum was inside provided with two
floors and a basement with a series of small rooms, where each individual
sculpture was placed - so the visitors in peace could enjoy the art
collection.
| The
Great Hall with a exact copy of Pope Pius VII’s
sepulchral monument erected in pure marble in Saint Peter's
Basilica in the Vatican City of Rome. |
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| Models
of the sculptures of Apostles and baptismal
font similar to the ones in marble placed in the Cathedral
of Our Lady in Copenhagen. |
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Some
special assignments
When he visited Denmark in 1819, he was commissioned
to make a massive series of statues of Christ and
the 12 Apostles as well as a baptismal
font of Italian marble in connection with the decoration
of the interior of “Vor Frue Kirke”
(Copenhagen Cathedral - The Church of Our Lady) during the rebuilding
of the Cathedral from 1817 until the Cathedral
was completed in 1829. The font and the rest of
the marble works were produced in Rome and were not finished until
1838. The decoration of the Church was Bertel Thorvaldsen's
personal gift to Copenhagen Cathedral.
The
large monumental models of the sculptures of Christ and The Twelve
Apostles as well as the baptismal font are placed in the Christ
Hall at the museum.
| The
Altar figure of Christ and the baptismal font - shaped
like a guardian angel - of pure Italian marble at Copenhagen's
Cathedral by Thorvaldsen. |
|
| The
twelve apostles by Thorvaldsen are placed in the nave
and each statue represents a symbol that is associated
with each apostle. |
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Pope
Pius VII
Thorvaldsen also received a special commission doing him great honour
when he was invited to create a sepulchral monument in pure Italian
marble of Pope Pius VII (1742-1823) to be erected
in the Basilica of St Peter’s Cathedral in
Rome. The work of the monument was accomplished between 1823
and 1831.
The
Lion of Lucerne
Another remarkable assignment and project was the famous carving
of a dying lion out of the natural rock in 1819
- called "Lion of Lucerne" (Löwendenkmal)
and located in a small park just off Lowenplatz – Lucerne,
Switzerland. The monument carved in the rock portrays a dying lion
lying across the broken symbols of the French monarchy and commemorates
the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792
during the French Revolution.
| The
sepulchral monument in pure Italian marble of Pope Pius
VII by Thorvaldsen - placed in Saint Peter's Basilica
in the Vatican City of Rome. |
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The "Lion of Lucerne" from 1819 by Thorvaldsen
- commemorates
the
Swiss Guards who
were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. |
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Final
resting place
Bertel Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen on 19 November
1770 and died in Copenhagen on 24 March 1844.
His funeral took place in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady in
1844 - and he was finally buried in the inner courtyard of Thorvaldsens
Museum in September 1848.
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Guided
Tours
The
museum offers guided tours in English every Sunday
at 15.00 in July and August. Free, though with entrance charge to
the Museum. The tours provide a general introduction to Thorvaldsens
Museum and Thorvaldsen’s works.
Location
Thorvaldsens
Museum is centrally located – just beside Christiansborg
Palace and Christiansborg Chapel - The National Museum
and few blocks from Tivoli - Glyptotek and
the Central Station.
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Thorvaldsens
Museum
Address
Thorvaldsens Museum
Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2
1213 Copenhagen K
Busses:
15
- 26 - 29 - 40 - 1A - 2A - 65E.
Trains - Central Station
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