Thorvaldsen's Self-Portrait Statue – A Statue’s Many Lives

A statue can live many lives – it can be crafted in various versions, sizes, and materials, and depending on where, when, and how it is placed, it is used and perceived differently. This exhibition follows a single work, namely Thorvaldsen's self-portrait statue: Bertel Thorvaldsen with the Goddess of Hope.

In 2024, it will be 150 years since Copenhagen Municipality gifted a bronze casting of Thorvaldsen’s self-portrait statue to Iceland. This anniversary serves as the occasion for the exhibition.

In 1874, Iceland celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of its settlement. In honour of the jubilee, the island received numerous gifts and visitors. The Copenhagen City Council also wished to contribute to the festivities and decided to present Iceland with a bronze version of Bertel Thorvaldsen with the Goddess of Hope. This statue was Iceland's first public statue and was unveiled with great celebration on the sculptor’s 105th birthday on 19 November 1875.

Iceland had strong desires for increased independence, and at a time when political disagreements and colonial ties strained the relationship between Denmark and Iceland, the gift was seen by both Danish and Icelandic public as an attempt to foster positive and culturally unifying ties between the two Nordic peoples.

Thorvaldsen's father was Icelandic but had settled in Copenhagen as a young man. The sculpture of the Danish sculptor with Icelandic roots could, therefore, serve as a reminder to both the giver and receiver of the renowned artist, whom both nations could consider their own.

However, in 1931, Thorvaldsen's self-portrait statue was replaced by another statue with a more national-political emphasis, depicting the leader of Iceland’s 19th-century freedom and independence movement, Jón Sigurðsson, who remains a symbol of the country’s long struggle for independence. Thorvaldsen’s self-portrait statue was moved to a less prominent location in Reykjavik. Thus, the statue exemplifies how art and public monuments are used, perceived, and sometimes change location and meaning over history.

The exhibition opens on Thorvaldsen's birthday, 19 November 2024.