Comment on 21.2.1807

This undoubtedly says sundhed (health), but in his letter of 31.12.1806, Hansen wrote sandhed (truth). Thorvaldsen, then, must have misread the word.
This passage is, as far as we know, the first time Hansen’s truth becomes Thorvaldsens health in writing.
Schubart naturally repeats the mistake in his answer of 9.3.1807, but he is not the author of the mistake even though Thiele II, p. 79 suggests that this might be the case – understandably enough as he did not know of this letter.

Last updated 14.09.2015