Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen

Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen

Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen , 1770–1844, Danish sculptor, b. Copenhagen. In 1797 he went to Rome, where he shared with Canova the leadership of the neoclassicists. His adherence to Greek art is shown in his Jason (1802–3), one of his many classical subjects, rendered with an intellectual coolness and a respect for antique prototypes. For Prince Louis of Bavaria he made restorations of the ancient Aeginetan marbles. In 1819 he designed the famous Lion of Lucerne, carved from the native rock at Lucerne by his pupils—a memorial to the devotion of the Swiss Guard in the French Revolution. The works he executed for Copenhagen were chiefly the figural decorations for the Church of Our Lady, completed with the help of his numerous assistants. The Christ from this project is especially notable. Among Thorvaldsen's historical portrait sculptures are that of Pope Pius VII (St. Peter's, Rome) and Conradin, Last of the Hohenstaufen (Naples). The Thorvaldsen Museum, Copenhagen, contains in originals and models a large group of the sculptor's work, together with his collection of antiquities, paintings, and books. Many of the American sculptors of the period studied with Thorvaldsen.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Thorvald.html

"Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Thorvald.html

Learn more about citation styles

Thorvaldsen, Bertel

Thorvaldsen, Bertel (1770–1844), Danish sculptor. His most famous religious work is the group of Christ and His Apostles in the Frue Kirke at Copenhagen; the figure of the Transfigured Christ, His hands extended in blessing, has often been imitated.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Thorvaldsen, Bertel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Thorvaldsen, Bertel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-ThorvaldsenBertel.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Thorvaldsen, Bertel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-ThorvaldsenBertel.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of Thorvaldsen, Albert Bertel