Selvportræt 1810

Curator: Standing before us, we have a compelling self-portrait of Bertel Thorvaldsen, crafted around 1810. Editor: Wow, even in stone, there's an undeniable intensity. That gaze feels like it's trying to read right through you. And that hairstyle – those classical curls! Almost comical in their perfection. Curator: Well, humor aside, this portrait isn't merely a presentation of self; it's a careful construction of artistic identity. Think about how portraiture functioned within the Neoclassical period, particularly the artist self-portrait. It served to promote their individual brand and their social standing in a way that photography achieves today. Editor: You're right. It is strategic, but I can also detect a profound vulnerability. Look at the mouth. There’s a softness, a hesitation. And the eyes… I see the solitude and uncertainty that creativity often brings. He isn't all bravado, is he? Curator: Absolutely. This piece is currently held at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. We must remember that this work emerges during the rise of artistic celebrity. He sculpted this representation of himself amidst immense changes within art institutions themselves. We begin to see that sculptors are no longer mere craftsmen but rather artistic geniuses of the modern type. Editor: Interesting. Did the establishment of artistic institutions and these new expectations ever weigh him down, I wonder? The classical aesthetic can sometimes suffocate genuine emotion. But even with that idealized form, I do see him grappling with it, questioning something deep within. Curator: He's positioning himself within a lineage of great artists but also showcasing his distinct artistic vision. We shouldn’t shy away from what is revealed and what is concealed, or from thinking about the cultural forces in operation here. It can allow us to appreciate its multiple layers, from the man himself, to his artistic expression, and what it conveys to us. Editor: A man, a moment, rendered immortal by the stone and his artistic ambition, all swirling within a delicate balance of ego and emotion. He gets the last laugh as people visit from all corners to ponder him over two centuries after his death.