The first comprehensive biography chronicling the dramatic life of Swedens greatest sculptor
This vivid biography unveils Sergels artistic rebirth in Romeand explains why Swedens greatest sculptor remained Europes forgotten genius. Not only is Johan Tobias Sergel (17401814) Swedens greatest sculptor of all time, but he was also a pioneer of international neo-Classicism and one of Europes most prominent sculptors in his day. Sergel considered his encounter with Rome to be an artistic rebirth: there he decided to leave most of the French Baroque behind him. The sculptors new guiding principles were antiquity during the day and nature studies at night. However, in interpreting the classic forms of antiquity, he retained the sensuousness of the Rococo.
In this biography, we follow the dramatic developments in Sergels life, including his close relationship with Swedens King Gustav III and numerous artistic friends, his yearning for Rome and his final years, which were marked by illness. Based on new source material, the book describes why Sergel became famous in his own country but was unknown internationally. This is the first biography of the sculptor to be published in English.
