429 - Jason with the Golden Fleece, according to Bertel Thorvaldsen – Italian School – 20th century

Jason with the Golden Fleece, according to Bertel Thorvaldsen – Italian School – 20th century A rectangular bas-relief in dark-toned terracotta depicting Jason, the hero of Greek mythology, adorned with a helmet and classical attributes. The composition is a relief reinterpretation of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s (1770–1844) celebrated *Jason*, one of the most representative works of European Neoclassical sculpture. Thorvaldsen’s piece, originally conceived as a sculpture in the round, achieved great acclaim in Rome and was particularly praised by Antonio Canova. The model became one of the first works to solidify the Danish sculptor’s international reputation and was later executed in marble. The version held at the Thorvaldsen Museum is an essential reference for understanding this composition. This 20th-century Italian version transforms the sculptural model into a decorative bas-relief, preserving the figure’s monumentality and classical style. The use of terracotta and the dark surface give the work the distinct character of a cabinet piece, in dialogue with the European tradition of reinterpreting models from antiquity and the great masters of Neoclassicism. Dimensions: 40 × 23 × 11 cm.