Lomography

Thorvaldsen's Museum
written by eggzakly on May 12th, 2009 , 4 comments (6 votes)

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Bertel Thorvaldsen was one of the most famous artists of his time, and his sculptures are beautiful examples of the neo-classicist style. Born in 1770, he was a contemporary of Beethoven and Napoleon. He spent most of his life working in Rome, and his sculptures can be found all over Europe.

Before dying, he testified his statuary, models and art collection to the city of Copenhagen, and Thorvaldsen’s Museum opened in 1848, four years after his death. Thorvaldsen’s tomb is located in the inner courtyard of the museum.
Inside the museum you find both plaster models and the final marble sculptures, the motifs are Greek mythology, Christian religious statuary and lots and lots of portraits of historical figures. Among the most impressive are the enormous plaster models for the mausoleum of Pope Pius VII (the marble statue is located in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome), and two huge equestrian statues. The plaster models for some of his most famous statues are also here: the seated Nicolaus Copernicus (the original marble is in Warsaw, in front of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and a bronze copy in Chicago), and the statue of Christ from Vor Frue Kirke in Copenhagen, which has been copied extensively by churches all over the world.
Danish art and architecture students get free entry to the museum, so many go there to sketch.

If you’re doing the tourist thing, Thorvaldsen’s Museum is conveniently located, close to Christiansborg (the Danish parliament) and the National Museum. Useful info for Lomographers: Photography is allowed inside the museum, but no tripods, and no flash in rooms with sketches or paintings.

Thorvaldsen’s Museum’s “website”:http://www.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk/en and Bertel Thorvaldsen on “Wikipedia”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertel_Thorvaldsen