Portrait of Giovanni Maria Torlonia

In 1796 the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen travelled to Rome in order to admire the much dreamt classical antiquities of the city and establish himself as a prominent member of the cultural élite. In 1803 he started a relationship with members of the famous Roman family of bankers Torlonia. Two years later, the duke Giovanni Maria gave him financial support for the execution of a monumental sculpture that participated in a competition with a work by Antonio Canova. As a consequence of Thorvaldsen’s work defeat, at the death of the duke, the family asked the Danish artist to realise Giovanni Maria’s portrait as a compensation for his failure against the Venetian master.