(b Copenhagen, 13 Nov 1768 or 19 Nov 1770; d Copenhagen, 24 March 1844). Danish sculptor and collector, active in Italy. He spent most of his working life in Rome, where, after the death of Antonio Canova in 1822, he became the foremost Neo-classical sculptor. Although the heroic quality of his early Roman work was later modified by certain naturalistic features, he never abandoned his fundamental, classicizing ideals. His pan-European reputation led to commissions from public and private patrons in many countries, and in order to supply these he ran a large and well-organized studio. His collection of contemporary paintings was probably the finest in 19th-century Rome and, together with many of his sculptures, is now housed in the Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen (opened 1848). (Unless otherwise stated, the models and versions of the works mentioned in this entry are there.) In the decades after his death, the taste for Neo-classicism, and thus his reputation, declined, and it was not until the mid-20th century that his art was re-evaluated.

• Thorvaldsen, Bertel
  • Belli, Pasquale
  • Denmark, §I: Introduction
  • Denmark, §IV, 2: Sculpture, c 1540–1840
  • Denmark, §IV, 3: Sculpture, after 1840
  • Fernkorn, Anton Dominik
  • Imhof, Heinrich Max
  • Italy, §IV, 5: Neo-classical to early modernist sculpture, c 1750–c 1900
  • Kessels, Mathieu
  • Museum, §II, 1: Architecture, before 1850
  • Rome, §III, 7: Art life and organization, 1801–1900
  • Wittelsbach, §III: (3) Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
  • assistants
    • Bienaimé, Luigi
    • Ferenczy, István
    • Freund, Hermann Ernst
    • Stevens, Alfred
    • Tenerani, Pietro
  • collaboration
    • Bindesbøll: (1) Gottlieb Bindesbøll
    • Wolff, Emil
  • groups and movements
    • Greek Revival, §4: The implications of polychromy
    • Neo-classicism, §1: Archaeology and the rise of historicism
    • Romanticism, §3(iv): Manifestations in art: Sculpture
  • methods
    • Modello, §II: Sculpted
  • patrons and collectors
    • Bonaparte: (1) Napoleon I, §6: International influence
    • Cavendish: (5) William Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
    • Hope: (1) Thomas Hope
    • Humboldt, von
    • Raczynski, Atanazy
    • Russell: (4) John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford
    • Torlonia
  • personal collection
    • Cades, Giuseppe
    • Copenhagen, §2: Art life
    • Denmark, §XIV: Collecting and dealing
    • Denmark, §XV: Museums
    • Reinhold, Heinrich
    • Rørbye, Martinus
  • pupils
    • Scotland, §IV, 2: Sculpture, 1700 and after
    • Bissen, Hermann Wilhelm
      • Bissen, Hermann Wilhelm
    • Clésinger, (Jean-Baptiste-)Auguste
      • Clésinger, Auguste
    • Crawford, Thomas
      • Crawford, Thomas
    • Gibson, John (i) (1790-1866)
      • Gibson, John (i)
      • Saulini
    • Greenough, Horatio
      • Greenough: (1) Horatio Greenough
    • Jerichau, J(ens) A(dolf) (1816-83)
      • Jerichau: (1) J. A. Jerichau
    • Michelsen, Hans
      • Michelsen, Hans
      • Norway, §IV, 3: Sculpture, after 1814
    • Orlovsky, Boris (Ivanovich)
      • Orlovsky, Boris
    • Salvatierra y Barriales, Valeriano
      • Salvatierra y Barriales, Valeriano
    • Schievelbein, Hermann (Friedrich Anton)
      • Schievelbein, Hermann
    • Tatarkiewicz, Józef Jakub
      • Tatarkiewicz, Józef Jakub
    • Theed, William, III (1804-91)
      • Theed, William, III
    • Vilar, Manuel
      • Vilar, Manuel
    • Widnmann, Max von
      • Widnmann, Max von
    • Wyatt, Richard James
      • Wyatt: (7) Richard James Wyatt
  • reproductions in hardstones
    • Gem-engraving, §I, 12: Western, after 1800
  • reproductions in porcelain
    • Copenhagen, §3: Centre of porcelain production
  • restorations
    • Conservation and restoration, §II, 2(ii): Restoration techniques: Sculpture
    • Stone (i), §III, 3(i): Conservation methods: Introduction
  • sculpture
    • Ingres, Jean-Auguste-Dominique, §I, 3: Italy, 1811–15
    • Nude, §3: Baroque, Rococo and Neo-classicism, 1600–1800
    • monuments
      • Monument, public, §6: Realism, Modernism and Post-modernism
      • Poland, §IV, 5: Sculpture, after c 1775
      • Warsaw, §III, 2: Art life and organization, 1795 and after
    • mythological
      • Mythological painting and sculpture, §5: Late Baroque and Neo-classicism, c 1700–c 1800
      • Statue, §2(i): After c 1400: Private works of art
    • reliefs
      • Erotic art, §I, 2(iii): Western world, c 1700–c 1900
      • Italy, §V, 5: Interior decoration, c 1750–c 1800
      • Relief sculpture, §2(vii): Baroque to Modern
    • restorations
      • Wagner: (2) Martin von Wagner
    • tombs
      • Kraków, §IV, 1: Wawel Castle
      • Kraków, §IV, 2(i): Wawel Cathedral: Main church
      • Pisa, §II: Art life
      • Rome, §V, 14(ii)(b): St Peter’s: Decoration
      • Tomb, §VI, 4: Western world, after c 1780