Bertel Thorvaldsen (11/19/1770 – 03/24/1844) – one of the great sculptor, was born in Copenhagen. Father T., an Icelander by birth, was a wood carver, and wishing to have a son aide, he built it in 1787, students in the Copenhagen Academy of Arts. Just two years later, he was awarded the class sculpture of small and large silver medals in 1791 is small. gold, and in 1793 a large gold medal, which was connected with the right to receive scholarships for three years in foreign lands. In 1796 went to Italy. His main mentor in Copenhagen was a gifted Danish sculptor Videvelt, from which T. first learned also to love and appreciate the ancient art. The work of the young TV at home not only displayed a pitcher of his brilliant pupil expectations, but also an independent artist, although in this sense, T. "find themselves" as an artist, only in Italy, where he immersed himself in admiration of the rich world of ancient art and greatest attention was studying Raphael. The end of XVIII and beginning of the XIX century marked the history of art enhanced search for new ways and inclination to study the nature and pure classical art, in order to update outmoded conventional forms of today. When TV arrived in Rome, then the artistic center of Europe, a program of the new art was thus to some extent, already inscribed and were only waiting for an artist of genius, designed to make it say "new word". In the area of sculpture in such a chosen one destined to be a T. The first work which showed it to enter a new path, a statue of Jason, which rival T. Canova, said that – "uno stilo nuovo e grandioso". It initiated the first glorious creative period T. (1803), when he pocherpaya scenes from Greek and Roman mythology, has created a new era in sculpture and raised ancient art. Genius, T., however, did not allow him to make a repetition of ancient sculptures, for example. Phidias. or Praxiteles, to which, especially the latter, it often unjustly equated. The ancient art was for T. In fact, only a source of inspiration, in the same work before he was always a highly individual, loyal to his peculiar genius, equally strong in the images, and in relief. To express strong artistic ideas were large statues T., relief is given the outcome of a whole ranks of gracefully playful, gentle love, and so thoughts and feelings, constantly agitated his imagination. He worked tirelessly T., at what is usually before the start modeling of the planned model, sketched in pencil and it worked out in sketches, sometimes up to 20 times or more. From 1803 to 1819, T. played a lot of large and small statues and reliefs. So, with some intervals appeared one after the other works: "The dance muses on Helicon (bar.) Bacchus," "Ganymede," "Apollo," "Venus with the apple," "Mars" and "Adonis," " Summer "and" Autumn "(bar.), a number of reliefs and medallions for Hristiansborgskogo Palace, friezes for Kvirinalnogo Palace:" The triumphal entry of Alexander into Babylon "," Priam and Achilles, the world famous medallion reliefs of the "Day" and "Night", "Hebe," "Ganymede," "Dancer", "Shepherd", "Hope" and "Mercury, preparing to kill Argus, the latter statue belongs to the most outstanding masterpieces of T. Furthermore, in the same period T. performed many remarkable gravestone monuments commissioned by the Government and private individuals and several bas-reliefs, scenes which were scenes from the earthly life of Christ. Finally, after 23 years of residence in a foreign land, T. gathered to go home, but a year later he returned to Rome. While in Denmark, he played a few minor works, but the main result of this trip in the country were receiving the order, poured a powerful new stream of inspiration for creativity, T., putting to him the task of working hitherto alien to him the Christian element. T. was instructed to perform for the Copenhagen Cathedral of Our Lady (Frue Kirke) statue of Christ and the 12 apostles, as well as a frieze "John, preaching in the desert. Picked up a new task without much enthusiasm TV, but the more I thought about it, the more devoted himself to her and eventually decided it worthy of his genius, giving to humanity in the statues of Christ and some of the apostles (eg John the Evangelist), works of genius, the only in its way as the depth and universality of ideas, and on the perfection of execution. Of this order began the second phase of T.Often returning to the subjects of Greek and Roman mythology, he set up mainly to large works in a Christian spirit, as well as the enormous monuments historical persons and events. A number of recent open famous "Lucerne lion" (in memory of the Swiss who were killed in Paris in 1792) is the most remarkable monument in honor of some historical figures are statues of Copernicus and Poniatowski (Warsaw), Pius VII (Rome), Leuchtenberg (in Munich), Byron, Maximilian of Bavaria, Gutenberg (in Mainz), Schiller (in Stuttgart) and Conradin (in Naples). Also numbered pieces, mostly very large in size, and the above-mentioned work on scenes from the ancient world (small bas-reliefs), the second period of the TA is the mass of small and large works, statues and portrait busts of various contemporaries of the articles of this kind is particularly remarkable statue of Count Potocki. Whatever may be harsh at first glance seem to shift from the works of the ancient spirit of the works, embodying the ideas of Christianity, and then to the monuments and statues of historic and contemporary individuals actually in the works of T. as there was no fracture or discontinuity. From all his works are equally breathes the spirit of peace, supreme harmony and beauty. Statues and Monuments by T. does not like his portrait busts of contemporaries, simple portrait, and they – ideal in the classical spirit, the personification of physical and – important – the spiritual substance of these persons. Classical noble poses, and the extraordinary harmony of all parts of each statue, or a whole group, pure lines of antique beauty and spirit of chastity, and deep emotional balance, or the imperturbable peace – these are the characteristics of creativity T. Its healthy, balanced and virtuous nature northerner who are thoroughly imbued with a sense of the ideal classic beauty, it was unusual for the image of any passion, struggle, suffering severe – anything that breaks the harmony of physical and spiritual being. T. even Christ going to Calvary, did not falter under the burden of the cross, but God remains. He was crucified, suffering the image of the Savior, does not occur in a number of works by T., in which he met Raphael, who has only one such picture, and then written into the very early period of his activities when he was still under the influence of his teacher, Perugino (located in the Doodle Goughs in London). The famous statue of Christ the work of T., which decorates the Cathedral of Our Lady in Copenhagen – the peerless embodiment of the divine majesty, yet divine love and gentleness. The spirit of peace, which permeates all the works in general TV and found its highest expression here; T. Christ, calling in his arms, all the suffering and burdened, "true" Prince of Peace, the eternal peacemaker, is really capable to reconcile everything and everyone in my arms . – From the works of T. in the ancient spirit, photographs of which are appended to this article, we should mention in particular the "Gebe", "Mercury, a plot to kill Argus," the statue of the TA and the base relief "Age of Love." By creating a statue of Hebe, T., as it competed with Canova, who only a year before the arrival of TV in Rome, created his famous statue of Hebe, circulated in plaster copies around the world. And in the sense of loyalty to the ancient spirit and the very idea, as epitomized by the Hebe, a northern artist won over the Italians. Hebe of Canova, w
ith gorgeous mature forms of his naked torso, in a short dress and playfully dancing pose, rather like a frivolous lady, on the Bacchante, while Hebe T – true Olympian goddess in the guise of Greek women, however, a true embodiment of a virgin -pure, clear, as a May morning, youth. The second of these works to be admired even arranged for TV critics, is quite an isolated position in the work of T. The story – imminent murder – quite a stranger to TV, but in the treatment of this subject T. remains true to himself. It has nothing to do with Velasquez, who depicted the god Mercury crawling to his victim on his stomach with his sword in his hand. T. chose from the plot is relatively harmless but exciting time. At first glance, such a harmless, idle position polusidyaschey, polustoyaschey figures with just taken from the mouth harp, masks bloody idea.Right, who looked so peaceful dangling leg, actually presses the heel of the sheath of the sword, make it easier to pull the last hand. The features and posture figures reflect intense vigilance and readiness to move to action. Last transmitted in particular is excellent, and it seems that Mercury is now get up and snatch the sword. The history of the origin of this amazing statue is highly characteristic for understanding how the TA worked once, going to dinner, said T. polusidyaschego, polustoyaschego in the door of the young Italian, the beauty and originality of the poses struck by the sculptor, he went to pass him, but half-way returned, and finding her boy in the same position, was quick to carefully remember all the details of the situation, then a quick dinner and was immediately returned home to sit down and sketch a new statue, and the next day, seriously started working on a model for "Mercury". Characteristic of all the works of T. noble postures and whole appearance most clearly manifested in his own statue, sculptured by him. This image of monumental breadth, confidence, strength, and the Olympic peace, saying that personified him and created him a great man, a rare man, a genius.