Venus and Cupid seen from behind, c. 1800
F.W.J. Schelling to Thorvaldsen

An Open Archive of Written Sources

Explore 10319 documents – from contracts to love letters – by and about the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). Scans and transcripts of all the documents are available, as well as other texts about Thorvaldsen’s work, life, and international context.

Use the Archives as you see fit.

Read more here

Beyond Clichés

When it comes to Thorvaldsen, myths and clichés abound. The Archives allows you to (re)read the sources critically, and interpret them afresh!

Bertel Thorvaldsen, age 41, drawn by Johannes Riepenhausen

By the Numbers

  • 10.318 Documents total
  • 8.260 In Thorvaldsens Museum
  • 2.058 In other archives
  • 1771-72 Oldest
  • 1896 (1841-42) Youngest
  • 767 From Thorvaldsen
  • 5.842 To Thorvaldsen
  • 3.709 To and from others
  • 3.375 In Italian
  • 4.252 In Danish
  • 1.858 In German
  • 684 In French
  • 95 In English
  • 54 Other languages
  • 45.829 Commentaries
  • 471 Related Articles
  • 420 Subjects
  • 3.235 Persons

Find Thorvaldsen's Sculptures in the Archives

Anna Maria Uhden, born Magnani.

Selected Documents

Male Figure carrying a Box on his back

Jun

6

On this Day

More