Comment on 21.7.1800
Abildgaard’s great work, the decoration of the Great Hall of Christiansborg Palace, was destroyed in the fire of 1794, with the exception of 3 paintings. After this, he painted very little for some years, except some room decorations for Levetzau’s mansion at Amalienborg, to which Thorvaldsen also contributed, see letter dated 5.1.1795 from Thorvaldsen to the Academy of Fine Arts.
However, Abildgaard resumed painting from 1801 in two of his major works, room decorations with four motifs from Terence (for his own rooms, 1801-04) and five motifs from Voltaire (for a private home on Nytorv in Copenhagen, 1803).
Last updated 10.01.2018