Thuner
Thuner
3D
Published 2014-07-14T15:24:14+00:00
The frontally-seated crowned figure, dressed in a shoulder-cape and long robes, sits enthroned, his left foot on the lower step of the base, and his head turned to his left, a pose echoing Michelangelo's Moses. Base inscribed with a thunderbolt and the god's name, Thuner, in runic characters.
Thuner, the god of thunder, was one of the seven Saxon Deities executed by Rysbrack for Lord Cobham’s garden at Stowe, in Buckinghamshire. Each Saxon god was associated with a day of the week, and Thuner, the most powerful of the gods, was linked to Thursday. Originally placed in an open grove around an altar, by 1744 the statues were repositioned around the Gothic Temple of Liberty, designed by William Kent, and formed an integral part of the underlying political theme of the garden. The Saxon deities were separated after the Stowe sale of 1921, and the figure of Thuner reappeared in 1984 after having been in a Hampshire garden for over 60 years. The Saxon gods are tied in with the political iconography of Stowe, and symbolise Lord Cobham’s allegiance to the ideals of those Whigs who had broken away from Sir Robert Walpole. As such they symbolise an ancient British identity.
Gallery location:
Sculpture, Room 23, The Dorothy and Michael Hintze Galleries, case FS
This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.
Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Weight of the Raw Model : 53 g Layer Height : 0.2 mm Infill Density : 15 %
| Date published | 14/07/2014 |
| Time to do | 240 - 300 minutes |
| Material Quantity | 53 g |
| Dimensions | 108 X 58 X 57 |
| Complexity | Easy |
| Title | Thuner |
| Date | ca. 1728 - ca. 1730 |
| Dimension | Height: 165.1 cm |
| Accession | A.10&:2, 3-1985 |
| Medium | Portland Stone |
| Credit | Purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund |
| Record | http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O75369/thuner-statue-rysbrack-john-michael/ |
| Artist | John Michael Rysbrack |
| Place | Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
