Ganymede and the Eagle of Zeus

Ganymede and the Eagle of Zeus in the Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen

The marble Ganymede and the Eagle of Zeus (Jupiter) in the Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen is considered one of very few marbles that Bertel Thorvaldsen carved himself — usually he made the clay model and had a workshop chiseling the stone. It is an early work produced in 1817.

It is a typical Thorvaldsen portrayal of a classical scene. Ganymede and the eagle are often portrayed as a violent or dramatic scene with the boy terrified by the eagle. However, Thorvaldsen shows Ganymede totally at ease with the eagle.

See also Sculptures of Ganymede in the Thorvaldsens Museum.