In the collection of the Sand Bach family, a wealthy merchant kin of London lived two plaques made by the father of bas relief, Bertel Thorvaldsen. Depicting two angel-like figures with children, these plaques were titled “Day and Night”, a poetic visualization of the two divisions of the day, inspired by the aesthetics of classical art.
A neo-classical sculptor, who found his muse in Greco-Roman art and mythology, the Danish-Icelandic artist made the original two plates in 1815.
On one plate is Night, a winged angel, hovering in space, cradling two children. The innocent children are identified as sleep and death, companions of Night, with a bird fluttering by. It is an owl, another being associated with the mysterious and dark, Night.
A counterpart of Night, is the Day, the second angel who carries a winged child on her back. The child holds a torch, and symbolizes dawn, the middling part between Day and Night. Looking at her little companion, Day scatters roses from the branch she is holding.
Modeled in bronze, the theme’s antique value has been enhanced in this representation. An evocation of antiquity on your walls, these wall hangings are an example of how art bridges a distance of centuries in an instant!
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