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‘Ages of Love’ Relief, After Thorvaldsen (Bing & Grondahl, Denmark), 2nd Half of the 19th Century

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Ceramic Tiles204 of 300Large Mounted Trivet-Tile i found the other day.Teeny Tiny Tiles
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    Posted 10 years ago

    jensen
    (100 items)

    This is somewhat different from what I normally post, but I thought it worthy of exhibition! It is a biscuit ware relief copied after a larger marble relief from 1824, made by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). Thorvaldsen lived and worked for about 40 years in Rome and gained international fame. His most famous work is probably his statue of Christ from 1921: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christus_(statue), copied many times and used in churches in Europe and the US. There is a museum dedicated to him here in Copenhagen, housed in a mid-19th century building quite unlike anything else.

    Now, back to the relief:
    Psyche (with wings) gives away cherubs, symbolising love, to young and old, men and women. On the left an old man tries in vain to grasp his cherub, a somewhat younger man is too tired, it appears, to take care of his. A woman in the middle carries her cherub by the wings (!), perhaps too busy to care about love, while another cherishes hers and a young woman is happy to receive one! On the right a teenager and a child are looking curiously at the cherubs. I am particularly amused by the basket full of little cherubs!

    Size: 12 x 24.5 cm (4.7 x 9.6 in.). Mark (a little faint): ‘B & G’. On porcelain, this was the mark used by Bing & Grondahl 1853-1894, and I presume it would be the same for this relief. Moreover, ‘Eneret’ (‘monopoly’) and the number 40. The relief is a little dirty – it used to be my grandparents’ and my grandfather had it in his tool shed, where I often looked at it as a child!

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    Comments

    1. racer4four racer4four, 10 years ago
      So...what else is in the shed! The Pieta?

      This is really fantastic Jensen - thanks for posting it.
    2. jensen jensen, 10 years ago
      :-), thanks, racer - yes, my grandfather was a little irreverent...!
    3. SEAN68 SEAN68, 10 years ago
      stunning piece of B&G!!!!
    4. jensen jensen, 10 years ago
      It really is, Sean, and thanks. These copies are not unusual to come across here, but most of them are made of gypsum and this (in biscuit ware) is much nicer!
    5. SEAN68 SEAN68, 10 years ago
      Your very welcome Jensen!!! wow your a very lucky person Jensen :)
    6. katherinescollections katherinescollections, 9 years ago
      I think the Lion is the most famous of his creations. :) Lovely piece.

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