Early life and education Theobald Stein was born on 7 February 1829 in
Copenhagen to
Sophus August Vilhelm Stein, surgeon and professor in anatomy at the
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. His younger brothers were the chemist
Valdemar Stein and
Harald Stein,
Bishop of Funen from 1889 to 1899. Theobald Stein was intended for an academic career but from an early age he showed great interest in drawing and upon recommendation from the many artists who visited the Steins' home, he was therefore instead enrolled at the Academy's drawing school at age 12. At the same time he trained as a sculptor with
Christian Christensen, and after Christensen's death in 1845 with
Herman Wilhelm Bissen. He was accepted into the model school in 1846 and won both the small and the large gold medal in 1848, as well as both a Neuhausen Award and the Academy's small gold medal for a statuette of
Ludvig Holberg in 1851.
Years in Rome The proceeds from his work and economic support from the Academy enabled him to spend four productive and successful years in
Rome. His work from this period includes
Neapolitean Fishing Boy, carrying a Pitcher which was rewarded with a
Thorvaldsen Medal in 1860. A bronze cast of it was originally placed by
Carl Jacobsen's
Albertina Trust in the no longer existing Aborreparken in Copenhagen but has later been moved to
Grønningen at
Kastellet.
Career at the Academy In 1861, the year after his return to Copenhagen from Italy, Stein became a member of the Academy and when his father died in 1867 he succeeded him as
docent in anatomy. In 1874 he became a titular professor and in 1881 he assumed the position of professor in sculpture at the Model School. From 1883 to 1887 he served as Director of the Academy. ==Selected works==