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Bertel Thorvaldsen (1768–1844) with the Bust of Horace Vernet

1833 or later
Not on view

This double portrait is a nod to the celebrity of Horace Vernet, who painted it, to Bertel Thorvaldsen, who is shown completing a clay bust of Vernet, and to the friendship between the two artists. Contrasting the formality of the bust with the informality of the sculptor at work, Vernet reflects on their public and private identities as central fixtures in the Roman art world. Though Danish, Thorvaldsen spent most of his career in Rome, enjoying the patronage of its international visitors; Vernet served as the Director of the French Academy in Rome between 1829 and 1835. Thorvaldsen kept the first version of this painting until his death (1833; Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bertel Thorvaldsen (1768–1844) with the Bust of Horace Vernet
  • Artist: Horace Vernet (French, Paris 1789–1863 Paris)
  • Date: 1833 or later
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 38 x 29 1/2 in. (96.5 x 74.9 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Rudolf J. Heinemann, 1962
  • Object Number: 62.254
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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Horace Vernet
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ca. 1840
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1799–1831
Shipwrecked Victim Thrown onto the Shore of Pourville, Horace Vernet French, Lithograph; only state
Shipwrecked Victim Thrown onto the Shore of Pourville
Horace Vernet
1822
Death of Margaret of Burgundy Strangled in Prison, Horace Vernet French, Lithograph; only state
Death of Margaret of Burgundy Strangled in Prison
Horace Vernet
1820

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