Apollo Belvedere carved by Thorvaldsen
Rays of Truth on S.L. Steinheim

An Open Archive of Written Sources

Explore 10318 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

Old Documents – Why?

This archive holds the primary written sources for Thorvaldsen’s life and work. The documents also extend beyond the sculptor, offering a vivid glimpse of the entire period from 1770 to 1850.

Bertel Thorvaldsen, age 50, painted by Eduard Magnus

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

Maria Szymanowska

Selected Documents

Jean Baptiste Joseph Wicar. Seated male model

Mar

19

On this Day

More