Astronomy and Astronomical Motifs

Exhibition in the Collection of Antiquities plus a Tour of the Museum.

From Antiquity to the present age, the sky, the cosmos, the planets and stars along with the Earth’s and mankind’s place in the universe have always been a source of fascination to both scientists and artists. Basing itself on selected objects from Bertel Thorvaldsen’s extensive collection of ancient artefacts, this small exhibition entitled Language of the Stars relates the significance and development of astronomy in ancient Mesopotamia, Etruria, Greece and Rome.

Astronomical motifs and references to the cosmos are also to be found in Bertel Thorvaldsen’s own work. So this special exhibition is accompanied by a small guide, Follow the Stars, which highlights some of the astronomical motifs found in Thorvaldsen’s work and in Thorvaldsens Museum in general.

The exhibition Language of the Stars is on the first floor of the museum. The guide Follow the Stars is available free of charge in the museum shop.

The themes of the tour and the exhibition form part of a collaborative venture relating to the exhibition Enigmas of the Sky – Art and Astronomy 1780-2010, which can be seen until February 26, 2012 in Fuglsang Art Museum and later in Funen Art Museum from March 16 to June 17, 2012.