PRECIOUS
Experience Thorvaldsen’s collection of antique gems when we open the special exhibition “DYREBAR” (PRECIOUS) from the 25th of March. Thorvaldsen’s collection is still among the largest and most impressive in the world, encompassing gold-set signet rings and beautifully carved gems made of materials like amethyst, carnelian and quartz.
Throughout his life Bertel Thorvaldsen harbored a massive interest in antique art and built a comprehensive collection of antique artifacts. However, the antique carved gems were particularly dear to him. The colorful stones, often set in rings, were originally used to seal important documents, but over time became coveted collector’s items. Furthermore, with their discrete size and portable format they were ideal for creating an overview of a large selection of motifs – an analogue version of mood boards like the Pinterest and Instagram of our time that you could take with you. To Thorvaldsen the gems were an important artistic source of inspiration, and their importance are visible in many of his works of art.
‘DYREBAR’/PRECIOUS tells the fascinating story of the antique gems and their importance to the re-discovery of antiquity, but most of all the exhibition deals with Thorvaldsen’s personal relationship with them.
The exhibition is accompanied by several special events – including workshops, masterclasses and a talk about jewelry as an identity marker with cultural editor Chris Pedersen and author Heidi Laura, who have written the topical book ‘The Jewel Case of a Queen’.
Exhibition period: 25th of March – 31st of July
The exhibition is part of the new program of the museum, ‘Thorvaldsen I Tiden’, which is supported by the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation. Thorvaldsen I Tiden has the objective of expanding the museum and its permanent collection through new exhibition and presentation formats. It is meant to contribute with present insights and perspectives on ourselves and our history through, among other things, digital formats, exciting events, and a number of exhibitions, including international contemporary artists entering into dialogue with the architecture of the museum and the works of Thorvaldsen.
