Vivid colours and grand architectural design characterise the museum, which houses the works of the world-famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Thorvaldsens Museum opened on September 18th 1848 and was the first public museum in Denmark. The characteristic building was built to exhibit the extensive works of the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. Today the museum looks more or less as it did when it opened over 150 years ago.
A tour of the museum reveals a very special opportunity to enjoy world-class art and architecture. The museum houses the work of the world-famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844).
Located at Slotsholmen in the heart of Copenhagen the museum is very close to some of the most popular attractions of the city.
Their free audio guide offers visitors a glimpse into the history of the sculptures which represents Roman gods and famous historical personages.
Flora Italica: 17.6.23-24.9.24
Thorvaldsen’s sculptures have in their own way contributed to the danish flora as we know it today. In our upcoming focus exhibition FLORA ITALICA we introduce our guests to the flora and biodiversity of Thorvaldsen’s time.
The exhibition is based on the poetic but true story, that an Italian flower field blossomed on the square in front of the museum in the 1840’s. This botanical phenomenon occurred because Thorvaldsen’s sculptures were wrapped in Italian hay on their transport from Rome to Copenhagen. During the unwrapping of the artworks, large quantities of hay were disposed off in front of the museum, and the seeds began to blossom creating an Italian meadow.
In the exhibition the museums court yard will be transformed into an Italian meadow, using recreations of the original seeds from Thorvaldsen’s time. The American artist Crystal Bennes revives the ancient meadow – thus creating a tangible and visual aspect to our days problems with biodiversity. Guests will also be able to experience new contemporary art works with a focus on the beauty of plant structure and biodiversity.
The botanist Johan Lange collected a large number of the Italian plants, and had them preserved for future generations. These specimens will be exhibited for the very first time, along with the new works by contemporary artists.
Come by and experience the original Italian meadow, dive into the beauty of plants and learn more about the challenges we face in our current biodiversity.
