
Bertel Thorvaldsen
: Bertel (Albert, Alberto) Thorvaldsen
: 19.11.1770
: 24.03.1844
: dansk
Read about the artist in The Archives
: 19.11.1770
: 24.03.1844
: dansk
Read about the artist in The Archives
The Days of the Week Dancing, 1839-1844
Pencil on grey-yellowish paper. 74 x 127 mm
Inventory number: C1111
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Each of the seven dancing children represents a day. In his final years, Thorvaldsen was encouraged – amongst others by the Danish poet Adam Oehlenschläger – to focus on Nordic mythology, but in vain. “It is cold” Thorvaldsen is presumably to have argued, “so these heroes have had to dress warmly, and the naked is the most beautiful. It is the dress of Our Lord.” As with Cupid, the Roman name for the god of love, Thorvaldsen kept to the names of the weekdays from Roman gods: Sun, Luna, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn.