The Paus collection (Norwegian: Paus-samlingen) is a collection of classical sculpture that mostly forms part of the Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, and previously of its predecessor, the National Gallery. The collection was created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by papal chamberlain and count Christopher Tostrup Paus, who lived in Rome at the time; it was moved to his Swedish estate Trystorp during the First World War and later partly to his estate Herresta. At the time it was mostly possible to export antique objects from Italy. Previously the largest private collection of classical sculpture in the Nordic countries, it was largely donated to the Norwegian government by Paus between 1918 and 1929 as the intended foundation of a Norwegian museum or department of classical sculpture.[1][2] Some objects from the Paus collection were also acquired by other museums, including Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.[3]

History

Count Christopher Tostrup Paus, who created the collection when living in Rome
The National Gallery, where the collection was on display 1918–2019

The collection was created by Christopher Tostrup Paus (1862–1943) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was the largest private collection of classical sculpture in the Nordic countries at the time. Paus was heir to one of Norway's largest timber companies (Tostrup & Mathiesen) and was a papal chamberlain and count, who lived for several years in Rome, where he acquired the collection with the assistance of several Scandinavian art historians. In the late 19th century, as Italy transitioned from feudalism to a modern economy, Rome's rapid urban expansion and construction uncovered numerous antiques. Concurrently, long-established noble families, now facing financial hardship in this changing society, were compelled to sell their historic collections of these objects. It was also relatively easy to export antique objects from Italy. This situation made it possible for wealthy foreign art collectors – such as Paus and Carl Jacobsen, founder of Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek – to build extensive collections. During the First World War Paus moved his collection to his Swedish estate Trystorp and it was later partly moved to his estate Herresta. Most of the collection was donated by Paus to the National Gallery between 1918 and 1929. It was intended as the foundation of a Norwegian museum or department of classical sculpture, as Paus wrote in a letter to the government in 1918, and formed the core of the National Gallery's classical sculpture collection.[4][5][6] Prior to Paus' decision to donate most of the collection to the National Gallery, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek had attempted to acquire it.[7]

Archaeologist Siri Sande notes that

Since [Paus] was a papal chamberlain in Rome, it is commonly believed that the sculptures in his collection were purchased there. The Paus collection was donated to the then National Gallery between 1918 and 1929. In the early 20th century, one could freely buy and export antique objects from Italy as long as they were not of great national value, and therefore, there was a good availability of Roman sculptures in the art market. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that Chr. Paus frequented antiquity dealers in Rome to build up his collection, which mainly consisted of portraits.

— Siri Sande[2]

The collection was on display in the first floor of the old National Gallery building from 1918 to 2019, before the National Gallery moved to the newly completed National Museum building in 2022. Several of the works are from 2022 on display in Room 1 in the new National Museum. Paus was appointed as a Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav for services to art museums in 1919 and was later promoted to Commander.[8]

Some objects from the Paus collection were also acquired by other museums, including Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.[3]

Works

The collection includes at least 60 sculptures mainly from Ancient Rome and some from Ancient Greece, especially Roman works from the period 100 BC to 200 AD, but also some older works from the first millennium BC. It includes busts of emperors such as Galba, Trajan, Lucius Verus, and (probably) Commodus, empress Julia Domna, Ptolemy of Mauretania, and numerous Roman women.[1] Samson Eitrem wrote a review of the collection in 1919[9] and a comprehensive catalogue in 1927.[1] Several of the works have been described as being of very high quality and characteristic of their era.[1][10][11][12][13]

The following is a partial list:

Image Name Subject Era Details Provenance
Paus Trajan (Portrait of Trajan after Decennalia type) Trajan 103–117 AD Fine crystalline white marble, height 32.7 cm. Reworked ca. 103–17 AD from an older portrait, possibly a portrait of Domitian (81–96 AD) Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1923
Paus Galba Galba 1st century Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Paus Julia Domna (Portrait of Julia Domna, Fesch type) Julia Domna Ca. 193–211 AD Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Probably Commodus 180–192 AD Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Paus Lucius Verus Lucius Verus 2nd century Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Paus Ptolemy Ptolemy of Mauretania 1st century Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Portrait of a woman with wreath 40–45 AD Macrocrystalline white marble, height 21.8 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Portrait of a man Ca. 50 BC Macrocrystalline white marble, height 31.5 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Female head with wreath Ca. 130–160 AD Fine crystalline white marble, height 19.8 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Portrait of a man Ca. 50–75 AD Fine crystalline white marble, height 28.8 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Female head from relief Ca. 150–200 AD Fine crystalline white marble, height 21 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1927
Portrait of a girl Ca. 65–75 AD Fine crystalline white marble, height 26.5 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Boy with Phrygian cap 69–138 AD Fine crystalline marble, height 13.3 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Portrait of a woman 120–130 AD Macrocrystalline white marble, height 24.7 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Head of Isis 30 BC–70 AD Macrocrystalline white marble, height 23.8 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918
Herm bust of Apollo 1st century AD Macrocrystalline white marble, height 34.5 cm Donated by Christopher Paus to the National Gallery in 1918

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Samson Eitrem (1927). Antikksamlingen. Nasjonalgalleriet.
  2. 1 2 Sande, Siri (2008). "En fet silen" (PDF). Klassisk forum (1): 6–27. Siden han var pavelig kammerherre i Roma, pleier man å regne med at skulpturene i hans samling ble kjøpt der. Paus-samlingen ble gitt til det daværende Nasjonalgalleriet mellom 1918 og 1929. På det tidlige 1900-tallet kunne man fritt kjøpe og utføre antikke gjenstander fra Italia så sant de ikke var av stor nasjonal verdi, og det var derfor godt med romerske skulpturer på kunstmarkedet. Det er derfor rimelig å tro at Chr. Paus frekventerte antikvitetshandlere i Roma for å bygge opp sin samling. Den bestod hovedsakelig av portretter.
  3. 1 2 Poulsen, Frederik (1951). Catalogue of Ancient Sculpture in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. 450 b. (I. N. 2740). Hellenistic poet. Head. M. [...] Acquired in 1924 from the Paus collection
  4. ↑ "Hva Nasjonalgalleriet skylder kammerherre Paus", Aftenposten, 13 September 1943, p. 3
  5. ↑ Dag Solhjell (1995). Kunst-Norge: en sosiologisk studie av den norske kunstinstitusjonen. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget
  6. ↑ Haakon Shetelig (1944). Norske museers historie. Oslo: Cappelen
  7. ↑ "Vort Nationalgalleri staar færdigreist idag". Aftenposten. 1924-03-21. p. 4.
  8. ↑ Den kongelige norske St. Olavs orden. Hanche. 1934. p. 114.
  9. ↑ Samson Eitrem (2 August 1919). "Chr. Paus' gave til Kunstmuseet". Aftenposten. p. 4.
  10. ↑ Arbeidets Rett. 8 October 1943.
  11. ↑ "A Portrait of a Roman Emperor". Meddelelser fra Thorvaldsens Museum: 100–103. 1965. Oslo, Nasjonalgalleriet. Alabaster. Height 0,13 m. Formerly in the Paus Collection in Rome. S. Eitrem, Antiksamlingen (1927) No. 58; Kunst og Kultur 13, 1926, page 209 ("Galba"). Brendel in Einzelaufnahmen XII (1931) 3334 ("a tetrarch"). H. P. L'Orange in Symbolae Osloenses VIII (1929) page 100 and in Studien zur Geschichte des spätantiken Porträts page 102 ("Diocletian"). Nasjonalgalleriet Kat. Skulptur (1952) No. 17. (Fig. 3).
  12. ↑ Hyde, Walter Woodburn (1930). "Symbolae Osloenses". American Journal of Philology. 51 (3): 305–308. doi:10.2307/289749. In Ein römisches Frauenporträt in der Antikensammlung der Nationalgalerie (pp. 60–8, Pl. 1), H. P. L'orange discusses a head in the Paus collection already called in Eitrem's catalog, Antikksamlingen, Oslo, 1927, no. 65 and PI., the 'Head of a Roman Lady.'
  13. ↑ Dillon, Sheila (2006). Ancient Greek Portrait Sculpture: Contexts, Subjects, and Styles. Cambridge University Press. p. 160. ISBN 9780521854986. Fig. 139 [...] From the Paus Collection
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