BERTEL THORVALDSEN – THE MAN AND THE ART
In this exhibition, you will encounter Thorvaldsen both as a sculptor and as a person. We present artworks, sources, films, and interactive elements in a way that gives you a deeper and more sensory impression of one of Denmark’s greatest artists.
Thorvaldsen was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Studies in anatomy and clay modeling were important disciplines, and here you can get close to Thorvaldsen’s process—from plaster casts to the finished artwork in marble.
We follow Thorvaldsen on his great journey south. His diary testifies to the challenges he faced, as well as what fascinated him along the way. We accompany him to Palermo and Naples, where news from the archaeological excavations of Pompeii captivated archaeologists, architects, and artists from all over Europe.
After the first, sometimes rather lean years in the south, Thorvaldsen’s order book grew—at first steadily, then almost explosively. He expanded his workshop several times, and through a dense display of paintings, you also gain insight into what the cityscape of Rome looked like in Thorvaldsen’s time.
His fame culminated in the early 1820s. The exhibition concludes with a world map where, across continents, you can see how far his art has reached.
The exhibition is located in the museum’s basement level.
Note: During April and May, a number of minor changes will take place in this exhibition.
Thorvaldsen was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Studies in anatomy and clay modeling were important disciplines, and here you can get close to Thorvaldsen’s process—from plaster casts to the finished artwork in marble.
We follow Thorvaldsen on his great journey south. His diary testifies to the challenges he faced, as well as what fascinated him along the way. We accompany him to Palermo and Naples, where news from the archaeological excavations of Pompeii captivated archaeologists, architects, and artists from all over Europe.
After the first, sometimes rather lean years in the south, Thorvaldsen’s order book grew—at first steadily, then almost explosively. He expanded his workshop several times, and through a dense display of paintings, you also gain insight into what the cityscape of Rome looked like in Thorvaldsen’s time.
His fame culminated in the early 1820s. The exhibition concludes with a world map where, across continents, you can see how far his art has reached.
The exhibition is located in the museum’s basement level.
Note: During April and May, a number of minor changes will take place in this exhibition.
