The Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) is the only non Italian sculptor commissioned to have one of his statues erected in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. He was not allowed to sign his “Monument to Pope Pius VII” because he was a Protestant; not Catholic.

What Thorvaldsen is most known for, however, is his Christus carving known popularly as “The Resurrected Christ.” You can see it today in the cathedral of Denmark's magical city Copenhagen. Thorvaldsen wanted to create the greatest statue of Jesus ever made. Out of clay he molded a monumental, majestic figure with regal gestures: his face tilted upward in triumph, his hands raised in power and authority.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the unveiling. A partially opened window in his oceanside studio let night f…