Among the articles we have in our extensive catalog, today we present this relief of Dionysus and Cupid, a reproduction made in molded marble from the work of the Danish artist Thorvaldsen, one of the foremost representatives of Neoclassicism.
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish neoclassical sculptor of the 19th century. His works stand out for their elegance and sensitivity, characterized by clarity and purity of lines, as can be seen in this relief. Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen in 1770 and showed exceptional talent for the plastic arts, particularly sculpture, from an early age. Thorvaldsen studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Denmark, in Copenhagen, and later moved to Rome on a scholarship. In the Italian capital, the epicenter of Renaissance and classical antiquity art, the Danish artist found inspiration that would shape his style, strongly influenced by the art of ancient Greece in its classical period.
Among his most iconic works is “Jason with the Golden Fleece,” created in 1803, which was praised by the most prominent sculptor of the time, Antonio Canova. In this sculpture, depicting the hero Jason with the golden fleece, Thorvaldsen conveys the grace and strength of the character, standing out for the perfection and clarity of lines and forms. Another of his best known works is the sculpture of Ganymede and the eagle of Jupiter, which, like the statue of Jason, can be admired in the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen.
Thorvaldsen dedicated much of his career to sculpting works that revive mythology and classical culture, as reflected in this relief of Dionysus and Cupid. In this piece, the Danish sculptor represents the god of Love drinking wine from a bowl offered by Dionysus, based on the love lyric poems of the Greek poet Anacreon, inspired by the solace that wine offers to lovers affected by the torments of love.
Thorvaldsen’s legacy has survived to the present day through works that, like this relief, have survived the centuries and have become testimonies to his artistic genius and his ability to capture and convey the beauty, timelessness and sensitivity of classical art.
