Discover the life and works of Bertel Thorvaldsen, the Danish sculptor who helped revive classical art.
This authoritative biography traces Thorvaldsen’s journey from a humble wood-carver’s son in Copenhagen to his rise as a leading sculptor in Europe. It weaves together his early talent, studies at the Danish academy, and the long years spent shaping masterpieces in Rome, Nyso, and Stampeborg. The book also situates his career within the broader revival of the arts that followed the line from Mengs and Winckelmann through Canova and Bartolini.
Read about the artist’s studio practice, his most celebrated works in plaster and marble, and the public monuments that marked his career. The narrative follows his collaborations with patrons, friends, and the royal circles that supported his art, while offering a clear sense of the man behind the marble: patient, disciplined, and deeply devoted to his craft.
- The birth of Thorvaldsen’s artistic talent and early training in Copenhagen
- His experiences at Stampeborg and the shaping years in Nyso
- Key projects, from monumental statues to friezes and portraits
- The path to Rome and the development of a distinctive neoclassical style
Ideal for readers of art history and biography, this edition illuminates the life that produced famed works and set a standard for sculpture in the 19th century.