Comment on 17.1.1804
I.e. like one of the above-mentioned busts that were copies after antiques. Regarding the price of a bust on the favourable terms that Abildgaard asks for below, Thorvaldsen answers in his letter dated 25.2.1804: “A bust of the size like the ones I have sent will cost about 30-40 Piastres.” Thorvaldsen normally charged 40-60 scudi for a bust after an antique, see e.g. the related article Ropp’s Commission 1804-05. One scudo was roughly equivalent to one piastre, cf. the Monetary Units møntenheder, of the time, so the price Thorvaldsen gave Abildgaard included a substantial reduction. See also the related article Thorvaldsen’s Works, Fixing Prices.
Last updated 22.01.2018