Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Kunstakademiet, København
København
Ingen udskrift.
Dateringen fremgår ikke af nærværende udkast, men det færdige brev er dateret 6.8.1804.
The commentary for this letter is not available at the moment.
Efter en lang Tavshed, giver jeg mig den Ære at tilskrive det Kongelige Accademie; da det har været mig, umueligt før at opfylde denne underdanige Pligt formedelst en langvarig Sygdom som havde berøvet mig alle mine Kræfter, og sadt mig i den ynkværdigste Forfatning. Nu begynder min Helbred meget at bedres, hvilket jeg forskylder vor gode Minister Kammerherre Schubart som med det ædelste Hierte har sørget for mig; og da jeg fornemelig maae tilskrive den usunde Romerske Luft medens Sommer Maanederne, min Sundheds Tab, har jeg med Skiønsomhed taget imod hans velmenende Tilbud at tilbringe dem paa hans Lyststed i Toscana hvor jeg allerede føler Virkningen af denne Sundere og kiølere Luft. Jeg tænker om faae Uger at giøre en Reise til Carara for at indkiøbe det ypperlige Marmor, som der forefindes; og haaber jeg at være i Rom sidst i September for der med fornyede Kræfter at arbeyde paa min Jason om hvilken jeg havde den Ære at underholde Accademiet i min seeneste Skrivelse. Siden den Tid har jeg antaget et Arbeyde for den Rusiske Fyrstinde Woronzoff som bestaaer i en Ganymed og Gruppen af Amor og Psyché af 6 Romerske Palmer Høyde. Jeg smigrer mig med det Haab, at Accademiet paa hvis Godhed og Skaansel jeg har havt saa mange Prøver ey vil tage det fortrydeligt op at jeg nu søger ved at tage mig fremmed Arbeyd paa, at tilbagevinde den tid, og oprette det Tab jeg har giordt i Revolutions tiden, som standsede Konsternes Fortskridt og som blev paafulgt af min græsselige Sygdom. Jeg vil nu med fordobbelt Iver begynde at arbeyde og at vise mig værdig til det meget Gode som Accademiet har beviist mig imedens Høytsamme opmuntrede mine Talenter ved en Aarlig Underholdning. Mit Hierte føler dybt at uden samme havde jeg ikke kundet giordt de Fortskridt som nu bidrage til en ærefuld Bane, og til saa mange værdige Kunstkienderes Yndest.
Det være mig tilladt at anbefale mig i det Kongelige Accademies Bevaagenhed, og Vedligeholdelsen af Dets Beskyttelse, som er mig saa vigtigt; da jeg stedse vil ønske mig til Lykke med at have staaet under Høytsammes Veyledning, og at forskylde Dets Godhed og faderlige Omsorg, mine Fortskridt i Konsten. Jeg skal uafladelig stræbe at giøre mig Dets høye Gunst værdig; og skulde Samme have noget at byde, saa er min adresse hos Hr Ulrich Dansk Consul i Livorno.
underdanigst
Thorwaldsen
After a long silence I give myself the honour of writing to the Academy; as it has been impossible for me to fulfil this humble obligation because of a long illness which had deprived me of all my energy and thrown me into the most miserable condition. Now my health is beginning to improve a great deal, which I owe to our kind minister, chamberlain Schubart who with the most noble heart has taken care of me; and as I probably have to blame the unhealthy Roman air during the summer months for the loss of my health I have judiciously accepted his well-intentioned offer to spend them at his country house in Tuscany where I already feel the effect of this more healthy and cooler air. In a few weeks I intend to make a journey to Carrara to buy the excellent marble which is found there; and I hope to be in Rome in late September in order to work with renewed energy on my Jason about which I had the honour to write to the Academy in my latest letter. Since that time I have accepted work for the Russian princess Voronzoff which consists of a Ganymede and the group of Cupid and Psyche 6 Roman palms high. I indulge in the hope that the Academy of whose kindness and mercy I have had so many proofs will not mind that by accepting work from foreigners I seek to regain the time and make good the loss I suffered during the time of revolution, which arrested the development of artists and which was followed by my horrible illness. I shall now with redoubled zeal begin to work and to prove myself deserving the great benefits which the Academy has shown me while the highly said encouraged my talents by an annual support. My heart feels deeply that without the said I should not have been able to make the progress which is now contributing to a creditable course and to the favour of so many worthy connoisseurs.
Let me commend myself to the good graces of the Academy and the upkeep of its protection, which is so important to me; as I shall always congratulate myself with having had the directions of the highly said and to owe my progress in art to its kindness and paternal attention. I shall constantly strive to make myself worthy of its high favour and should the said have anything to command, then my address is at Mr Ulrich, Danish Consul in Leghorn.
Most humbly,
Thorwaldsen
[Translated by Karen Husum]
This is a draft of letter of 6.8.1804. The draft is written by Herman Schubart on his characteristic, pale blue draft paper.
On the same sheet, Thorvaldsen has written a draft of a letter of thanks to Schubart.
Herman Schubart
Last updated 08.06.2015
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.