Denmark-Norway
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Bertel Thorvaldsen
Copenhagen, Denmark-Norway
Archival Overview
Danish master sculptor of Neoclassicism whose severe classical purity rivaled Canova, creator of the 'Lion of Lucerne' and the majestic Christus statue in Copenhagen Cathedral.
Biographical Record
Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844 CE) won a scholarship to Rome in 1797, spending forty years in the Eternal City sculpting in the purest Greek severe style.
Commissioned across Europe, he carved the monument to Pope Pius VII in Saint Peter's (the only non-Catholic permitted to do so), the Lion Monument in Lucerne, and the statue of Christ that became a worldwide Christian icon.
Key Life Milestones
Jason with the Golden Fleece
Carved the heroic neoclassical statue purchased by Thomas Hope, establishing his international fame in Rome.
The Lion of Lucerne (Löwendenkmal)
Designed the dying lion hewn into the sandstone cliff at Lucerne, praised by Mark Twain as the saddest piece of stone in the world.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialCopenhagen, Denmark