THORVALDSEN, Bertel
(b. 1768/70, København, d. 1844, København)

Cupid and Bacchus

1833-38
Marble, 49 x 80 cm
Private collection

This marble relief belongs to a group of four depicting Cupid and Bacchus; Cupid Received by Anacreon; Pan Teaching a Child Satyr to Play Reed Pipe; Bacchante and Child Satyr. All of these subjects are taken from Greek mythology.

Thorvaldsen produced plaster models for the reliefs over the course of twenty-three years from about 1804 onward. The marble versions were executed between 1833 and 1837. The crisp precision of the carving and the skillful variation in surface texture, from the chalky, supple flesh to the smooth, polished objects surrounding the figures, indicate that these marbles were carved by the master himself or specifically under Thorvaldsen's supervision.




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