Overview
Copenhagen, Denmark is home to several centuries-old churches; among them is the Church of Our Lady, which houses a representation of Christ that has become familiar to people all over the world.
The Christus statue, created by Bertel Thorvaldsen, is renowned as an incredible work of art that helps viewers connect with Christ, regardless of their faith origin. What many people may not know about the statue are its origins.
Thorvaldsen received the commission in 1820 to sculpt an altarpiece for the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“You feel a certain sort of coming-home feeling when you're in Denmark,” said Tomas Kofod, a Danish actor who portrayed Christ in “The Testaments.”
Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world, ranking high in surveys such as the World Happiness Report and the World Population Review. One reason for this is their concept of “hygge,” described by Sister Celeste Knudsen as “a cozy environment” where people hang out with their friends and family.
Knudsen, a sister missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is serving in her home country of Denmark, described Danes as patriotic. She said she is grateful for the rich culture, history and Christian elements of Denmark — including the Christus statue.
While the Christus is a well-known staple of cultural and artistic significance in its Danish home, many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide recognize it as the Church’s symbol. The Church has placed replicas of the Christus in various temple visitor centers and adopted an image of the Christus as its logo in 2020.
“The first time I saw the Christus was at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. There, I found out that the original was actually here in Copenhagen,” said Torben Engbjerg, a former Area Seventy in Denmark.
The original Christus stands in Copenhagen’s historic Church of Our Lady, or “Vor Frue Kirke” in Danish, according to Kofod.
Katherine Schmidt, a church and cultural coordinator for the Church of Our Lady said that approximately 500,000 people of various different faiths visit the church each year.
“The fact that the statue of Christ has played such a tremendous role to thousands of people, literally all over the world, has always impressed me,” said Margrethe Floryan, an author and senior curator at the Thorvaldsen Museum.
Much of the artwork in the Church of Our Lady is sculpted by Thorvaldsen, who was commissioned to create statues of Jesus Christ, the apostles, a baptismal font, and other decorative elements for the church. According to Professor Matthew O. Richardson, author of “The Christus Legacy,” Thorvaldsen took his commission seriously, even though he did not consider himself a very religious person.
Richardson said that Thorvaldsen was undoubtedly inspired.
“Bertel Thorvaldsen captured the way the Savior would stand before my eyes, knowing my failures and shortcomings,” Richardson said.
The original statues of the Christus and the apostles were made of plaster, and are currently inside the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen. The completed marble Christus was placed inside the Church of Our Lady in 1833. Floryan said that Thorvaldsen put a lot of work into the statue to show the body and spirit of Christ.
According to Engbjerg, Thorvaldsen wanted to create a statue depicting a living Christ, not a dead Christ. This was a unique approach for the time period.
“In other Danish churches at this time and also other European churches, we were used to seeing Christ on the cross,” Schmidt said. “The resurrected Christ is something different and something that you wouldn't usually see.”
She said Christ is depicted as a hero in Thorvaldsen’s statue, but also shows His vulnerability through the wounds He received from His crucifixion.
Daniele Bondi, a tourist visiting the Church of Our Lady, said he was impressed by this depiction of Christ and how it differs from other representations of a suffering Christ.
“It definitely depicts Him in more of a glorious way, more of a powerful way,” Bondi said.
One unique feature of the Christus is the way Thorvaldsen sculpted his arms as reaching down and out towards the viewer, rather than in the sign of the blessing or nailed to the cross.
“The posturing of his arms and his hands was very different for the time period. And it was remarkable, meaning people took note of it and then it drew them to the statue in a way that was probably unexpected,” Richardson said.
The Christus statue has become a powerful symbol for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but touches those of all faiths across the world. "People of many faiths relate to this statue as something that connects them to the Savior,” Kofod said.
Knudsen said that she loves the Christus statue because it expresses something about Christ’s true character. “That He is inviting, that He is loving, that He is strong, that He wants us all to come to him,” Knudsen said.
Sister Clara Vestergaard, another Danish sister missionary, said that the outstretched arms of the Christus make her think of the purpose of Christ’s life on Earth. “He needed to come here to Earth and go through all of this pain because He loves us and because He is inviting us back to our Heavenly Father,” she said.
Lasse Ilskov, a Danish television producer and member of the Church, said that the Christus statue reminds him of what he hopes to experience after living a life of doing good and trying to be faithful. “Eventually, He will reveal Himself to me when I'm on the other side. And I hope that He will say to me, 'Thou good and faithful servant,’” Ilskov said.
Schmidt also mentioned how the statue reminds her of the living reality of Jesus Christ. “Jesus was actually risen from the dead and He is alive ... It's not just a feeling or a story. It's a real person that we meet (here),” Schmidt said.
According to Sister Avery Wayment, a Utahn serving in the Denmark Copenhagen mission, the statue is a good reminder that Christ is the center of everything.
“He is our way back to God and He is our way that we can find peace and happiness,” Wayment said.
Engbjerg said the warm, inviting posture of the Christus reminds him of Christ’s loving sacrifice.
“You can't help but feel in awe of what Christ has done, not just for one person like me, but for the millions and billions who have been born on this earth,” he said.
For Kofod, the statue shows how Christ is always by his side.
“He can't always remove the obstacles and the pains and the trials, but He can hold our hands while we do it. And then I have found that my trials go from being unbearable to bearable,” Kofod said.
Richardson has done extensive research on the Christus statue, which he said has greatly contributed to his personal experience of understanding the Savior’s mission.
“There's still much more for me to know about Him, who I call Savior, Redeemer, the Christ and Jesus,” Richardson said.
Thorvaldsen’s Christus continues to have a lasting impact on those who view it, both in the Church of Our Lady, and its various replicas across the world.