Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XI. The Thorvaldsen museum
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
Chap. XI.
THE THORVALDSEN MUSEUM.
173
works. He sat as usual, his dog Teverino on one side, his
cat on the other—they always bore him company—and
worked away while the spirit was on him. “ Day,” too,
the companion, he composed the same afternoon. Day,
bright and fresh, her face washed in dew, scatters her
glittering flowers; they sparkle as they fall: the infant
genius, her companion, must be the very child who slept
so calmly in Night’s arms, the beau ideal of health and
vigour. Copies of “ Day ” and “ Night ” were executed
for the late Lord Lucan.
“ Love stung by a Bee no Spartan child was Cupid;
he rushes in an agony of pain and terror to Venus,
roaring most lustily. Thorvaldsen loved greatly the Odes
of Anacreon, and has portrayed them all, or nearly so.
Again, we have “ Venus, Cupid, and Mars in the forge
of Vulcan:” calmly sits Venus and cajoles her lord and
master; he, duped by the wiles of his faithless spouse,
quietly forges the arms destined for his rival, while
Cupid, childlike, plays with the finished javelin.
And now we approach the gem of the collection, the
“ Mercury,” pronounced by all judges to equal the finest
productions of Grecian art—“Mercury about to slay
Argus stealthily he draws his . weapon; in his left
hand he holds his pipe, as though about to play. In
form, perfection; not one ounce of superfluous flesh has
he; a fit messenger of the Gods, ready to fly at a
moment’s notice ; his features are of exquisite but of a
bad beauty, for Mercury was god of thieves as well: no
woman could ever love such a face, or, if she did and
trusted him, Heaven help her ! for sorrow would be her
lot. Thorvaldsen, one day walking in the streets of
Home, saw a young Roman boy talking with some girls
selling fruit; the attitude struck his fancy, and from it
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
