| Danish sculptor Date of Birth: Country: Denmark |
Bertel Thorvaldsen, a Danish sculptor and one of the leaders of Neoclassicism, was born in Copenhagen on November 13, (or according to some sources, November 19, ). He came from a family of woodcarvers who were originally from Iceland. Thorvaldsen studied at the local Academy of Fine Arts from to under the guidance of N.A. Abildgaard and others.
After achieving success with his statue of Jason with the Golden Fleece (), which is now housed in the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen, the young sculptor quickly gained international fame. His harmonious style, full of idealistic elegance, seemed to be the most appropriate expression of the traditions of classical antiquity during that period, fitting perfectly into the Empire-style trend of "revived antiquity." Thorvaldsen received prestigious commissions, creating figures and groups in marble (occasionally in bronze) for architectural decoration, portraits, monuments, and tombstones, all imbued with a spirit of sublime and nobly restrained heroism. Some of his notable works include Ganymede with the Eagle (), Cupid and Psyche (), Venus with the Apple (), Medallions of Day and Night (), Mercury with a Flute (), Ganymede Feeding Zeus's Eagle (), The Three Graces (), Portrait of Maria Feodorovna Bariatinskaya (), and a Self-Portrait (). He also created monuments such as those dedicated to Ignacy Potocki () and Nicolaus Copernicus () in Warsaw, Lord Byron in Cambridge (), Friedrich Schiller in Stuttgart (), and the monumental frieze Alexander the Great's Campaign, allegorically glorifying Napoleon (, Villa Carlotta on Lake Como). In the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, he sculpted statues of Christ and the Twelve Apostles (), and in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, he created the tomb of Pope Pius VII ().
Thorvaldsen returned to his homeland in As the first Danish artist to receive wide international recognition, he actively contributed to the development of art in his country. He served as the President of the Roman Academy of St. Luke (since ) and in , he became the head of the Copenhagen Academy of Fine Arts. Thorvaldsen assembled a valuable collection of antiquities, which he displayed alongside models of his own works in a specially built Neoclassical building (, designed by M.G. Bindesbøll). He bequeathed himself to be buried here, and the museum was opened as the Thorvaldsen Museum, showcasing his works and the art of his time. Bertel Thorvaldsen passed away in Copenhagen on March 24,