Theobald Stein


Theobald Stein was a Danish sculptor. He was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as its director from 1883 to 1886.
Among his most well-known works are the Niels Juel statue at Holmens Kanal and the Ludvig Holberg statue outside the Royal Danish Theatre, both in Copenhagen.

Biography

Early life and education

Theobald Stein was born on 7 February 1829 in Copenhagen to Sophus August Vilhelm Stein, surgeon and professor in anatomy at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. His younger brothers were the chemist Valdemar Stein and Harald Stein, Bishop of Funen from 1889 to 1899. Theobald Stein was intended for an academic career but from an early age he showed great interest in drawing and upon recommendation from the many artists who visited the Stein's home, he was therefore instead enrolled at the Academy's drawing school at age 12. At the same time he trained as a sculptor with Christian Christensen, and after Christensen's death in 1845 with Herman Wilhelm Bissen. He was accepted into the model school in 1846 and won both the small and the large gold medal in 1848, as well as both a Neuhausen Award and the Academy's small gold medal for a statuette of Ludvig Holberg in 1851.

Years in Rome

The proceeds from his work and economic support from the Academy enabled him to spend four productive and successful years in Rome. His work from this period includes Neapolitean Fishing Boy, carrying a Pitcher which was rewarded with a Thorvaldsen Medal in 1860. A bronze cast of it was originally placed by Carl Jacobsen's Albertina Trust in the no longer existing Aborreparken in Copenhagen but has later been moved to Grønningen at Kastellet.

Career at the Academy

In 1861, the year after his return to Copenhagen from Italy, Stein became a member of the Academy and when his father died in 1867 he succeeded him as docent in anatomy. In 1874 he became a titular professor and in 1881 he assumed the position of professor in sculpture at the Model School. From 1883 to 1887 he served as Director of the Academy.

Selected works