No. 138 of 10318
Sender Date Recipient
Bertel Thorvaldsen [+]

Sender’s Location

Rom

3.1.1799 [+]

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Kunstakademiet, København [+]

Recipient’s Location

København

Information on recipient

Tilskrift: Til Det Kongelige Maler Billedhugger og Bygnings Academie

Abstract

Thorvaldsen reports to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts that he is still in Rome, and that he has sent some of his works to Copenhagen. The long journey to Italy, his illness and the war have made it difficult for him to work. He hopes that the Academy will prolong his scholarship beyond the first three years.

[Translation]

Rom d 3 Janua: 1799

Underdanigst Pro Memoria

I over endstemmelse med den mig af Det Kongelige Academie givende Enstrux opholder ieg mig endnu i Rom hvor ieg har siøgt og siøger at høste alle de fordele i min Konst hvortil det mig bevillige Stipendium istansæetter mig, og ikke har manglet at tilsende Academiet af mit Arbeyde og agter snart igen at sende prøve paa min Flid og Bestræbelse at giøre al mulig fremgan i Konsten. De tre Aar paa hvilke Stipendiumet for det første blev mig til kiendt er nu snart omme, og hvor stor end min flid i den Tiid haver været, har dog Reisen Sygdom og Tidernes uroligheder været betydelige Hindringer for min Bestemmelse, saa ieg for at opnaae min Reise øimed t[r]ænger til den udsettelse som de pleier at nyde der Reiser paa Academies Bekosning og derfor tager mig den Frihed at anholde om samme. At en udsettelse vil bringe mig Dobbelt nytte indser Academiet Selv, og da des Elever Fremgan er Hensigten af Reise Stipendiummet saa smiger ieg mig med det Haab om denne min underdanigste Begerrings Opfyldelse

underdanigst
B. Thorvaldsen

General Comment

Regarding receipt of this letter, the journal of the Academy of Fine Arts (The Danish National Archives, Kunstakademiets arkiv, Akademiforsamlingen, Dagbog) dated 25.2.1799 reads: “From the student Thorvaldsen in Rome, a letter arrived in which he applied for a prolongation as the first three years granted to him would soon expire, his application was primarily based on the works which he has sent home as samples of his diligence and his progress, which the Academy, however, has not yet received probably due to the uncertainty of shipping: It was resolved to grant him a prolongation of one year.”
This one-year prolongation was communicated to Thorvaldsen in a letter of 19.3.1799.

Archival Reference
Rigsarkivet, Kunstakademiets arkiv, Akademiforsamlingen, journalsager, 1799, II, nr. 1.
Document Type
Document, autograph
Thiele
Thiele I, p. 135-136.
Subjects
Transportation of Thorvaldsen's Artworks to Copenhagen 1798 and 1802 · Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Reports For · Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Travelling Grant · Thorvaldsen's Dilligence · Thorvaldsen's Health
Works
Last updated 09.02.2016 Print