This is a re-publication of the summary of the article:
Anne Lise Thygesen: ‘Thorvaldsen, Hansen and the Twelve Apostles’, in: Meddelelser fra Thorvaldsens Museum (Communications from the Thorvaldsens Museum) 1989, p. 113-118.
For a presentation of the article in its original appearance in Danish, please see this facsimile scan. For a presentation of this English summary in its original appearance, please see the facsimile scan.
When the first of Thorvaldsen’s statues of the Apostles were unpacked in Copenhagen in 1828, they turned out to be too big for their niches in Vor Frue Kirke (The Church of Our Lady). This article does not attempt to determine whether or not this was intentional, but to show that the placing of these figures outside in front of the pillars was at any rate in keeping with the cultural currents that were prevalent at the time of their creation.
Last updated 05.11.2018