13S xhoRWai/oseis. 



His figure was stately, not too large, dislinguiahed by its powerful build 

 and noble bearing, in perfect harmony with the earnest, impressive, but 

 naturally plain expression of his face; the lines and movements of his 

 mouth showed a certain susceptibility of tender emotions, but the most 

 attractive feature was his clear blue eye, whose sparkling glance was full 

 of poetry, and at the same time expressive of a clear and penetrating mind. 

 His dress was of the simplest fashion, and yet when he entered society, 

 he was one of its brightest ornaments. But he was not fond of large 

 parties, avoided them as much as possible, and sought in preference the 

 smaller circle of a few friends or acquaintances. 



I had from his own moutli the following sketch o[ his early history. 

 He was born at Copenhagen in 1770, the son of a%poor carver of figure 

 heads and ornaments for ships. He spent his earliest years in assisting 

 his father at his business, and attracted no notice until he was twenty 

 years of age. At that period he succeeded in gaining several minor pri- 

 zes for models in plaster, and finally, in his twenty-third year, the chief 

 prize awarded by the Danisli Academy of Arts, to which he had been 

 sent for the purpose of study. With this prize a stipend for travel was 

 connected, but he was not in a situation to avail himself of this at once, 

 as his literary attaiimients were very limited. He therefore spent sev- 

 eral years in reviewing and extending his studies, so that he had reached 

 his twenty-seventh year before he set out on his journey for Rome. It 

 is characteristic of his genius that he commenced his studies in Rome 

 with the Quirinal Dioscuri, and this may be considered as the true school 

 of Thorvvaldsen, for it was here that he received the idea and formed 

 the model of his first important work, Jason- A wealthy English gen- 

 tleman, Mr. Hope, (a name full of good omen for the young sculptor), 

 entering his work-shop, ordered the work in marble, and paying a very 

 handsome price for it in advance, became the most efficient benefactor of 

 the artist, who, embarrassed by want, was just upon the point of leaving 

 Rome to return to Denmark. Extricated from pecuniary difiiculties, he 

 remained at Rome, and went to work full of courage. Henceforward 

 his life presents no events of any interest apart from his profession. 

 His Jason was the forerunner of a whole series of heroic and Olympic 

 forms, which gradually elevated the reputation of the artist higher and 

 higher until, in ISll, he reached the summit of his fame by the produc- 

 tion of his great basrelief, the triumphal entry of Alexander into Baby- 

 lon. By this most glorious and most classic work of modern sculpture, 

 Thorwaldsen became the artist of the age. As such he was greeted by 

 his country, when in the evening of his days, be returned home to Den- 

 mark. The whole nation arose to meet him, and to welcome him; they 



