Comment on 31.8.1805

The relief mentioned here was most likely The Baptism of Christ, possibly A736, which was to be one of the four sides of the baptismal font for Brahetrolleborg Church, cf. A555,1.
That this must be the relief referred to is apparent from Herman Schubart’s letter dated 26.7.1805, in which the work on the baptismal font is proposed; from Thorvaldsen’s letter to Anna Maria Uhden dated [26].8.1805, in which he writes that he has started to work a little; and, in particular, from Schubart’s subsequent letter to
Thorvaldsen dated 16.9.1805, in which he writes that he is going to leghorn the following day to ship “John the Baptist and Jesus Christ’ to Thorvaldsen in Rome. For more about this commission, see the related article about the baptismal font.

Last updated 04.12.2017