Den døende galler

Den døende galler stands in Copenhagen as a public statue of a wounded Gallic warrior from antiquity. His seated body slumps forward, while a moustache and characteristic hair identify the figure as Gallic. The face and posture hold pain, defeat, and dignity in the same final moment.

The sculpture follows a famous ancient original from the late third century before Christ. That earlier work presented Celtic Gauls through a warrior whose courage remained visible despite battle wounds. In Copenhagen, the Albertina Foundation placed it in 1880 as one of twenty public statues. Those works brought classical and historical figures into everyday civic spaces.

Early twentieth-century discussions considered moving it for a monument to A. S. Ørsted. Carl Jacobsen opposed the move in January 1902, calling this the best placed of the twenty. He also warned that several joined pieces in the base could suffer damage during relocation. The assembled base and lowered head preserve a striking link between Copenhagen and ancient sculpture.