Dødens genius, stående med slukket fakkel ved en meta 1849 - 1850

H.W. Bissen carved this small plaster relief, "Genius of Death", sometime in the mid-19th century. Here, a winged male figure leans mournfully on an overturned column, cradling a snuffed torch. In northern Europe at this time, classicizing sculpture was often used to ennoble the public sphere, or to memorialize the dead with an idealized figure. Note the nude body, the downcast gaze. Death here is not monstrous but beautiful, and softened by grief. The work suggests how the figure of death was changing. Rather than a fearsome reaper, Bissen offers us a resigned and sympathetic spirit. To fully appreciate this work, we need to consider the social function of art in 19th century Denmark, the role of museums like this one, and the artistic ideals promoted by the Royal Academy. These factors shaped both the creation and the reception of Bissen's sculpture.