Artefacts on focus: Aegina sculptures restored by Bertel Thorvaldsen

This week’s featured models are the Aegina Sculptures recently scanned at the SMK and now available to download on Scan the World.
The Aegina sculptures are a group of ancient Greek sculptures that were discovered on the island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf in the early 19th century. These sculptures are considered to be among the finest examples of ancient Greek sculpture, and they have had a significant influence on the development of Western art.

The sculptures were originally created around 500 BCE and are thought to have been part of a larger monument, perhaps a temple or a treasury. The Aegina sculptures consist of 21 marble figures, including 12 larger-than-life-size sculptures of warriors and nine smaller figures of women and children.

In the early 19th century, the sculptures were discovered by a group of German archaeologists who were excavating on the island of Aegina. The sculptures were in a state of disrepair, having been damaged by centuries of exposure to the elements and the effects of vandalism and looting.

The German archaeologists transported the sculptures back to Germany, where they were initially housed in the University of Munich. In the years that followed, a number of attempts were made to restore the sculptures, but it was not until the early 19th century that the most significant restorations were carried out.

The restorations were carried out by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, who was considered to be one of the greatest sculptors of his time. Thorvaldsen spent several years studying the Aegina sculptures and working on the restorations, which involved repairing the damaged areas of the sculptures and replacing missing parts.

Thorvaldsen’s restorations were controversial at the time, with some critics arguing that he had taken too many liberties with the original sculptures. One of the most controversial changes that Thorvaldsen made was to the stance of the warriors in the larger sculptures. The original statues were believed to have been standing with their weight evenly distributed between their two legs, but Thorvaldsen changed their stance to a more dynamic pose, with the weight shifted onto one leg.

Critics argued that this change made the warriors appear more dynamic and heroic, but it was not historically accurate. They also criticized Thorvaldsen for not taking into account the way that light would have fallen on the sculptures, which would have affected the way that the details and textures of the marble were perceived.

While there may be some debate about the accuracy of Thorvaldsen’s restorations, there is no doubt that his work has contributed to the ongoing appreciation and understanding of these important sculptures.