Death and the Mother at The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

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Death and the Mother is a sculpture crafted by Niels Hansen Jacobsen, a renowned Danish sculptor. His inspiration stems from Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Story of a Mother, which he reimagines in a dynamic pose. A Grim Reaper figure strides forward, grasping an scythe as it stands over a mother with her dead child crouched on the ground. The original plaster model is now part of the Danish National Gallery's holdings, while two bronze castings are situated outside St. Peter's Church in Copenhagen and Vejen Art Museum. The plaster model was created in 1892, shortly after Hansen Jacobsen settled in Paris where he lived until 1901. His newly wedded wife, Gabriela, served as the mother crouched on the ground's model. The literary inspiration behind this work is Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Story of a Mother. When the sculpture was exhibited at Charlottenborg in 1894, the catalogue included a slightly modified version of the tale's final sentence: "And she lowered her head into her lap. And Death took her child into the Unknown Lands." The model first gained recognition at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris before being well-received at Charlottenborg the following year. In 1899, Hansen Jacobsen donated the model to the Danish National Gallery. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory. This effort creates a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for public access. Scan The World is an open-source community project. If you have interesting items nearby and want to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can assist. Scanned using photogrammetry with Agisoft PhotoScan processing.