Comment on Efter 15.6.1807
It was probably most unusual – if it had ever happened before – for an artist in an absolute monarchy to refuse to execute a commission from the state/the king. At any rate, this very direct statement did not go beyond the level of a draft, judging from the more finished draft. Here Thorvaldsen chooses a rather ambiguous wording that could not be interpreted as a regular refusal.
See more about this instance of Thorvaldsen’s artistic pride in the Commission for the Town Hall and Courthouse.
Last updated 14.10.2015