In Thorvaldsen’s time, Switzerland was seen as a ‘land of freedom’ for democratically minded people. The country had no princes or nobility; it was a republic with magnificent landscapes where people and animals alike could live and breathe freely.
These were the values that a Swiss client appealed to when he wanted to persuade Thorvaldsen to create a sculpture for a modest fee. However, the sculpture was to pay tribute to Swiss mercenaries who had lost their lives in defence of the French absolute king during the French Revolution – which meant that they had in fact died defending the very form of government that was considered the antithesis of democracy.
Thorvaldsen agreed but focused on portraying the courage and ultimate sacrifice of the individual soldier. He also advocated an inscription with all the names of the fallen, not just the commanders.
The lion was carved directly into a rockface over a quarry lake in Lucerne. It measures nine metres from the head to the hind part of the body, and today, it is an important tourist attraction.
