Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In 1819, at the height of his fame and power, Thorvaldsen returned to
Copenhagen. He was asked to decorate the most important parts of the re-
cently bombed, newly rebuilt Cathedral of Our Lady: the main altar and
nave. His
Risen Christ
on the altar (along with the 12 apostles lining the
nave) became his most famous and reproduced work—without even real-
izing it, most people imagine the caring features of Thorvaldsen's Christ
when picturing what Jesus looked like.
The prolific Thorvaldsen depicted a range of subjects. His grand
statues of historical figures (Copernicus in Warsaw, Maximilian I in Mu-
nich) were intended for public squares. Portrait busts of his contemporar-
ies were usually done in the style of Roman emperors. Thorvaldsen carved
the
Lion Monument
, depicting a weeping lion, into a cliff in Luzern,
Switzerland. He did religious statues, like the
Risen Christ
. Thorvaldsen's
mostaccessible worksarefromGreekmythology—
The Three Graces
,na-
ked
Jason with the Golden Fleece
, or Ganymede crouching down to feed
the eagle Jupiter.
Thoughmany ofhis statues are ofgleaming white marble, Thorvaldsen
was not a chiseler of stone. Like Rodin and Canova, Thorvaldsen left the
grunt work to others. He fashioned a life-sized model in plaster, which
could then be reproduced in marble or bronze by his assistants. Multiple
copies were often made, even in his lifetime.
Thorvaldsen epitomized the Neoclassical style. His statues assume per-
fectly balanced poses—maybe even a bit stiff, say critics. They don't flail
theirarmsdramaticallyoremotepassionately.Asyoulookintotheirfaces,
they seem lost in thought, as though contemplating deep spiritual truths.
In Copenhagen, catch Thorvaldsen's
Risen Christ
at the Cathedral of
Our Lady, his portrait bust at City Hall, and the full range of his long ca-
reer at the Thorvaldsen's Museum.
