Life, Longing & Landscape – Thorvaldsen’s Painting Collection
Opening 09.09.2026
Embark on a colourful journey through romantic ruins, breathtaking mountains and vibrant festivities in Thorvaldsens Museum’s new exhibition Life, Longing & Landscape – Thorvaldsen’s Painting Collection. Opening on 9 September in nine newly renovated galleries, the exhibition presents a selection of Thorvaldsen’s impressive private collection of more than 350 paintings, all of which were included in the first public presentation when the museum opened its doors in 1848.
The exhibition offers an insight into Thorvaldsen’s personal taste as a collector and the artistic currents that shaped his era. Several of the works are being shown for the first time in many years after spending time in the museum’s stores, partly because they fall outside the traditional narrative of the Danish Golden Age. They were created by both lesser-known Danish and international artists, including Dietrich Wilhelm Lindau, Károly Markó the Elder and Albert Küchler. Their subjects are often more dramatic, saturated with colour and narrative than the art we traditionally associate with the Golden Age, offering new perspectives on the period and its art-historical canon. At the same time, visitors can experience works by some of the 19th century’s most prominent artists, including C.W. Eckersberg, Constantin Hansen and Wilhelm Marstrand.
Across nine galleries, the paintings are presented through a series of themes exploring subjects such as vibrant everyday life, portrayed primarily in Italy; romantic depictions of ancient ruins; and dramatic landscapes and scenes of nature far removed from Denmark’s tranquil surroundings. The exhibition reveals how travel and extended stays in cities such as Rome and Munich profoundly influenced the Nordic artists’ view of the world. Here, they encountered new subjects, moods and artistic ideals, which they brought home and reinterpreted through the tastes, longings and imaginings of their time.
The exhibition is generously supported by the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation and forms part of the museum’s four-year strategy, Thorvaldsen: From Past to Present.
The exhibition offers an insight into Thorvaldsen’s personal taste as a collector and the artistic currents that shaped his era. Several of the works are being shown for the first time in many years after spending time in the museum’s stores, partly because they fall outside the traditional narrative of the Danish Golden Age. They were created by both lesser-known Danish and international artists, including Dietrich Wilhelm Lindau, Károly Markó the Elder and Albert Küchler. Their subjects are often more dramatic, saturated with colour and narrative than the art we traditionally associate with the Golden Age, offering new perspectives on the period and its art-historical canon. At the same time, visitors can experience works by some of the 19th century’s most prominent artists, including C.W. Eckersberg, Constantin Hansen and Wilhelm Marstrand.
Across nine galleries, the paintings are presented through a series of themes exploring subjects such as vibrant everyday life, portrayed primarily in Italy; romantic depictions of ancient ruins; and dramatic landscapes and scenes of nature far removed from Denmark’s tranquil surroundings. The exhibition reveals how travel and extended stays in cities such as Rome and Munich profoundly influenced the Nordic artists’ view of the world. Here, they encountered new subjects, moods and artistic ideals, which they brought home and reinterpreted through the tastes, longings and imaginings of their time.
The exhibition is generously supported by the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation and forms part of the museum’s four-year strategy, Thorvaldsen: From Past to Present.
