Bertel Thorvaldsen Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark

Today I saw an interesting mural on the side of a building in Denmark, upon entering the building I find the Bertel Thorvaldsen museum. Inside are many sculptures, and an interesting collection in the basement of the building, showing his methods of work.

Murals outside the building, portraying the return of Thorvaldsen and his sculptures from Italy, to Denmark

Lion Monument, to the fallen Swiss Guard.

Statue of Mercury. Portraying a myth where Mercury who cannot defeat a monster through strength is able to put the creature into a trance through music, and then kill him. Mercury is the patron god of the arts.

Statue of Venus portraying myth where she is awarded the golden apple for being the most beautiful of the goddesses. Thorvaldsen portrays her as being enchanted by her own reward.

Tree bark and cloth detail

Lions eye from unfinished monument

The inside was modeled after a roman villa

Thorvaldsens dramatic self portrait in sculpture

Rough drafts of Cupid and Psyche

Monument to Pope Pious rough draft

Final monument

Stone carving tools from his workshop

Methods of work

This series was interesting. Here you can see his method of work, first making a clay sculpture from a model, then a plaster cast of the clay model, then a plaster model, then finally a stone sculpture based on the plaster.

Rough stone version

Final product