19.1.1828

Sender

Bertel Thorvaldsen

Sender’s Location

Rom

Recipient

Slotsbygningskommissionen

Recipient’s Location

København

Information on recipient

Tilskrift: Den høie Slotsbygnings / Comission / i / Kjøbenhavn
Udskrift: Le Commission royal de l’Edification du Chateau[x] Slotsbygnings Commissionen Copenhague. Germania.

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Abstract

Specification of Thorvaldsen’s expenses for storage, crates, and packing in connection with the transportation of works to Copenhagen in 1825 and 1828.

Document

P.M.I

Jeg beder undskylde mit SvarsII Udeblivelse indtil nu, da jeg ikke har villet uleiliget den høie ComissionIII førend jeg har seet mig istand til at kunne give en bestemt Efterretning om mine Arbeiders Afsendelse til Livourno. Den 20de December f:A:IV ere Sagerne afgaaet fra Rom og efter BrevV fra Hr FreundVI ere de ankomne i Livourno d 4 Januar. CapteinenVII som jeg hører agter i FebruariVIII at gaae under SeilIX og at være i Kjøbenhavn i AprilX. Formedelst Skibets uventede pludselige AnkomstXI har jeg kuns kunnet afsende herfra ChristusXII ApostlerneXIII de 2de CaryatiderXIV samt Afstøbningen af de Eginætiske StatuerXV som have staaet herXVI og i Livourno er indtaget det OverblevneXVII af Sagerne som derXVIII stode. For endnu nøiere at give Underretning om Tingene skal jeg med næste Post skriveXIX til Hr. Conferentzraad HansenXX.
Jeg maa foreløbigen underrette den høie Comission at jeg har ved Spiditionæren ladet mig udbetale 461 Piastre som var mit Udlæg for Casser Indpakning etc. hvorover jeg herved giver Noten.

For de Eginætiske StatuerXXI i LeieXXII i 2 Aar
For 2 CandelabreXXIII til AcademietXXIV i Gibs
For Kasser og Indpakning til ovennævnte og efterfølgende No.
For 2 StatuerXXV i Gibs / antike /
Kasser og Indpakning for de 2de CaryatiderXXVI i Marmor
Do – – Do for ChristusXXVII og de 12 ApostlerXXVIII 		36 Piastre
40 –– ––
21 –– ––
30 –– ––
34 –– ––
300 –– ––
SpanskeXXIX Piastre 461 –– ––

Jeg kan ogsaa til Slutning mælde den høie Comission at jeg arbeider flittigen paa SagerneXXX til SlottetXXXI som snarest muligt skal blive færdige og hvorom jeg nærmere skal give Underretning.

Ærbødigst

Rom d 19de Januar 1828.

Albert Thorvaldsen

Oversættelse af dokument

P.M.

I apologize for my answer’s failure to turn up until now, as I have not wanted to trouble the high Building Commission before I was able to give certain information about the sending off of my works to Leghorn. December 20th the articles were dispatched from Rome and according to a letter from Mr Freund they arrived at Leghorn January 4th. The captain, who I hear intends to sail in February and to be at Copenhagen in April. Because of the ship’s unexpectedly sudden arrival I have only been able to send off from here Christ, the Apostles, the two Caryatids as well as the cast of the Aeginetan statues which have been here and in Leghorn the remaining articles which were there have been shipped. To give some more detailed information about the articles I shall write to Konferensråd Hansen by the next mail.
For the time being I must inform the high Building Commission that by the shipping agent I have had paid 461 Piastre to me, which were my expenses for crates, packing up, etc. for which I here give the forwarding account.

For the Aeginetan statues, rent for 2 years
For 2 candelabra for the Academy of Fine Arts, in plaster
For crates and packing up of the above mentioned and the following numbers
For 2 statues in plaster /antique/
Crates and packing up for the two Caryatids in marble
Do – – Do for Christ and the 12 Apostles 		36 Piastre
40 –– ––
 
21 –– ––
30 –– ––
34 –– ––
300 –– ––
Spanish Piastre 461 –– ––

Finishing the letter I can inform the high Building Commission that I am working diligently on the articles for the palace, which I shall finish as soon as possible and about which I shall give further information.

Yours faithfully,

Rome, January 19th 1828

Albert Thorvaldsen



[Translated by Karen Husum]

General Comment

See also the related article Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1828 for a detailed list of the works that were included in the shipment and other facts concerning the transportation.

Document Type

Færdigt dokument af koncipist

Amanuensis

NN

Archival Reference

Rigsarkivet, Rentekammeret, Slotsbygningskommissionen, Sager vedr. Thorvaldsen og Dalhoff, A. Thorvaldsen sager, II. Sager til C-Journalen 1820-1833

Thiele

Ikke omtalt hos Thiele.

Subjects

Persons

Works

A82 Kristus, Antagelig november 1821 - Senest januar 1822, inv.nr. A82
A86 Peter, Antagelig 19. marts 1821 - juni 1821, inv.nr. A86
A87 Matthæus, Tidligst 19. marts 1821 - Ultimo 1821, inv.nr. A87
A89 Johannes, Primo 1824 - Senest 1827, inv.nr. A89
A91 Jakob den Yngre, 1823 - Senest 1827, inv.nr. A91
A93 Philip, 1823 - Senest 1827, inv.nr. A93
A96 Thomas, Tidligst 19. marts 1821 - Ultimo 1821, inv.nr. A96
A98 Jakob den Ældre, Tidligst 19. marts 1821 - Ultimo 1821, inv.nr. A98
A99 Bartholomæus, 2. august 1823 - 21. december 1823, inv.nr. A99
A101 Simon Zelotes, 1823 - Senest 1827, inv.nr. A101
A103 Paulus, Antagelig 19. marts 1821 - juni 1821, inv.nr. A103
A105 Judas Thaddæus, Ca. 28. marts 1842 - 10. april 1842, inv.nr. A105
A108 Andreas, 1. marts 1842, inv.nr. A108
A56 Karyatide, 1813, inv.nr. A56
A55 Karyatide, 1813, inv.nr. A55

Commentaries

  1. I.e. Pro Memoria – Latin for “in remembrance”, used to recall oneself to somebody. The expression was originally a polite introduction in letters to persons of a higher rank, often civil servants. Gradually it was also used more generally in letters to or from officials, often written in one word. The expression appears frequently in the more formal letters in the Archive.

  2. I.e. an answer to:

  3. This letter was not intended for the Building Commission for Christiansborg Palace, as addressed to here, but rather for the Building Commission for the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen, which, in letters dated 28.11.1826 and 6.6.1827 had asked for the shipping costs from Rome to Leghorn so that Thorvaldsen might be reimbursed.

  4. See the chronology 21.12.1827-4.1.1828.

  5. Cf. letter dated 11.1.1828 from Hermann Ernst Freund to Thorvaldsen.

  6. The Danish-German sculptor Hermann Ernst Freund, who was the courier, and who was to supervise the transportation from Rome to Leghorn and the shipment at Leghorn.

  7. The unidentified Captain Schröder.

  8. See the chronology February 1828.

  9. On board the merchant vessel Therese.

  10. See the chronology April 1828.

  11. Thorvaldsen had, in fact, been informed of the ship’s arrival in fairly good time, cf.:

    So it seems that Thorvaldsen is either prevaricating or only considers himself informed of the ship’s arrival by the last letters to arrive in Rome:

  12. Christ in plaster, cf. A82, cf. the related article Commission for the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen.

  13. The twelve apostles in plaster, cf. Peter, A86, Matthew, A87, John, A89, James the Younger, A91, Philip, A93, Thomas, A96, James the Elder, A98, Bartholomew, A99, Simon the Zealot, A101, Paul, A103, Judas Thaddeus, A105 and Andrew, A108, cf. the related article Commission for the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen.

  14. Caryatids, marble versions, cf. A55 and A56, for the throne room at Christiansborg Palace. See also the related article Commission for Christiansborg Palace.

  15. Plaster casts of the pedimental sculptures from the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina, the so-called Aegenetans, restored by Thorvaldsen, cf. the related article “Restoration of the Sculptures from the Temple of Aphaia”:/artikler/ restaurering-af-aegineterne.

  16. I.e. in a warehouse in Rome. See also letter dated 26.2.1825 from Christian (8.) Frederik to Thorvaldsen.

  17. I.e. the remaining four crates stored in Rome and six crates stored at Leghorn, for which there had been no room on board the brig St. Croix in connection with Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1825.

  18. I.e. in a warehouse at Leghorn.

  19. This letter dated after 19.1.1828 from Thorvaldsen to C.F. Hansen has not been identified.

  20. The Danish architect C.F. Hansen.

  21. Plaster casts of the pedimental sculptures from the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina, the so-called Aegenetans, restored by Thorvaldsen, cf. the related article “Restoration of the Sculptures from the Temple of Aphaia”:/artikler/ restaurering-af-aegineterne.

  22. I.e. probably rent of space in a warehouse in Rome.

  23. These two plaster candelabra have not been identified.

    There exist plaster casts of two different sets of Roman candelabra in the collection of the Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen.

  24. Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen i København.

  25. These two plaster casts of antique statues have not been identified.

  26. Caryatids, marble versions, cf. A55 and A56, for the throne room at Christiansborg Palace. See also the related article Commission for Christiansborg Palace.

  27. Christ in plaster, cf. A82, cf. the related article Commission for the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen.

  28. The twelve apostles in plaster, cf. Peter, A86, Matthew, A87, John, A89, James the Younger, A91, Philip, A93, Thomas, A96, James the Elder, A98, Bartholomew, A99, Simon the Zealot, A101, Paul, A103, Judas Thaddeus, A105 and Andrew, A108, cf. the related article Commission for the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen.

  29. It is not known why the payment was in Spanish and not Italian piastres. It may be a slip of the pen.

  30. Among them Alexander the Great’s Entry into Babylon (the Alexander Frieze), cf. A503, which was carved in marble 1818-1834. See also the related article Commission for Christiansborg Palace.

  31. I.e. Christiansborg Palace.

Last updated 17.02.2017