5.9.1806

Sender

Bertel Thorvaldsen

Sender’s Location

Rom

Recipient

Herman Schubart

Recipient’s Location

Montenero

Information on recipient

Ingen udskrift.

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår ikke af brevudkastet, men af det afsendte brev af 5.9.1806.

Abstract

Thorvaldsen sends the drawing Caritas, C820, as a birthday present to Jacqueline Schubart.

Document

Da det ikke er hendet mig at være saa lykkelig, nærværende at kunde være deeltagendeI i Deres Frue Gemalindes Fødsels=festII, saa vær ikke desto mindre forsikret om at ieg hiertelig deeltagende ønsker stedse: det ieg ved denne Leilighed nærværende ønskede at sige.
Og som et Beviis paa at ieg med særdeles Fornøyelse erindrer mig d 10 Sep. beder ieg Deres Høyvelbaarenhed paa mine Vegne haver den Godhed at tilbyde Hendes Naade medfølgende TegningIII; sigende hende alle de Lykønskninger, som Deres V.hd: veed mig af sand Høyagtelse og stedse Taknemlighed altiid at føle mig skyldig –

E:S: Omnævnte Tegning inpakket i en Blikfoteral med Deres Adresse er afsendt med samme Post

[på bagsiden med Thorvaldsens hånd:]
Da jeg ikkeIV er saa lykkelig at

Oversættelse af dokument

As it has not happened to me to be so happy at present to be able to participate in your wife’s birthday party then nevertheless feel assured that I sincerely sympathetic always wish: what I on this occasion at present wished to say.
And as a proof that I with particular pleasure will recollect September 10th I ask Your Excellency on my behalf to be as kind as to offer to her Grace the drawing that comes with this; giving her all the felicitations which Your E. knows that I from true reverence and everlasting gratitude always feel is my due –

P.S. The above mentioned drawing packed up in a tin case with your address has been sent by the same post

[on the back of the page in Thorvaldsen’s hand:]
As I am not so happy to


[Translated by Karen Husum]

General Comment

This is a draft of the finished letter of 5.9.1806. The Danish painter C.F. Høyer, Thorvaldsen’s cohabitant, has helped him write the draft.

Document Type

Færdigt dokument af koncipist

Amanuensis

C.F. Høyer

Archival Reference

m28, nr. 111

Thiele

Omtalt hos Thiele II, p. 142-143 (men fejldateret til 1809).

Subjects

Persons

Works

C820 Caritas, 10. september 1806, inv.nr. C820

Commentaries

  1. In letter of 15.8.1806, Schubart had invited Thorvaldsen to come to the Schubarts’ country house, Montenero”:/artikler/montenero. In his letter of 8.8.1806, however, the sculptor had already written that his work prevented him from leaving Rome.

  2. I.e. Jacqueline Schubart’s birthday 10.9.1806.
    Both in 1804 and in 1805, Thorvaldsen had been with the Schubarts at Montenero at the time of Jacqueline Schubart’s birthday.

  3. There is no doubt that this drawing is Caritas, C820, since it is signed and dated:
    “B. Thorvaldsen. inv. e dis. per le 10 Settembre Roma 1806”.
    See more about the series of drawings that Thorvaldsen gave to the Schubarts over the years in the article about this.

  4. This sentence fragment in Thorvaldsen’s hand must be his own attempt at beginning the draft. He must have stopped and then got help to write the draft from the Danish painter C.F. Høyer, who, like Thorvaldsen, lived in Casa Buti.
    All his life, Thorvaldsen had difficulties writing letters, see Thorvaldsen’s Spoken and Written Language.

Last updated 28.07.2015