Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Johan Hartvig Ernst von Berger
Livorno
Ingen udskrift.
Brevet er tydeligvis et svar på Bergers brev af 20.1.1802, så en datering til begyndelsen af februar 1802 er sandsynlig, selvom Thorvaldsen skriver “først idag har jeg været saa lykkelig at erholde deres gunstige skrivelse…”, hvilket kunne tyde på, at der var gået noget længere end de ca. 4 dage, postgangen mellem Rom og Livorno normalt tog. Herom se i øvrigt referenceartiklen om postekspeditionstider.
Thorvaldsen is happy that Captain Berger has accepted to ship the four crates containing artworks, books etc. from Leghorn to Copenhagen on board the frigate Triton. The sculptor hopes that yet another crate can arrive at Leghorn in time to be included in Berger’s transport.
først idag har jeg været saa lykkelig at erholde deres gunstige skrivelse af 26 JanuarI, hvori de har den Godhed at tilkiendegive mig deres beredvillighed at indtage mine fire til Hr Justizr. Ab.II adresserede CasserIII. og tillige raader mig at sende samme til Hr WulfenIV. Jeg har da i følge af saadant skreven til Hr. Consul UlrichV, hos hvilken Casserne alerede befinde sig, forlangende af ham ufortøvet at aflevere dem til Hr Wulfen, og dersom han skulde forsømme det, tager jeg mig den friehed ydmygst at bede dem at vilde lade dem hos ham affordere. de indeholde Bøger og KonstsagerVI, saa jeg maae ansee det som et nyt Beviis paa deres BBevaagenhed [sic] dersom de i SkibetVII kan anviise dem en Plads hvor de saa lidet som mueligt vilde være fugtigheder exponeredeVIII. I Særdeleshed er jeg dem ogsaa forbunden for deres Tilbud endnu desforuden at imodtage hvad andet jeg kunde have at sende hiem, og dersom Tidens Korthed vilde tillade det, kunde jeg ønske at betiene mig deraf i Henseende til en KassessIX som jeg har rede, men som neppe førend deres Bortreise kan ankomme i Livorno. Jeg behøver ikke at sige hvor meget jeg føler mig dem forpligtet, og hvor meget jeg ønsker efter min Tilbagekomst til fædrenelandet, som vil være i næste SommerX, at kunde paa nogen Maade bevise dem min Taknemmelighed, og den Hengivenhed, med hvilken jeg har den Ære at forblive
Deres underdanige Tiener
Only today have I been so happy as to receive your favourable letter of January 26th in which you are so kind as to let me know your readiness to take in my four crates addressed to the Counsellor, Mr Abildgaard, and also advise me to send the same to Mr Wulfen. Following this I have written to the Consul, Mr Ulrich, with whom the crates are already, demanding from him that he without delay must hand them over to Mr Wulfen, and if he should neglect it, I take the liberty most humbly to ask you to demand of him to deliver them over. They contain books and objects of art, so I must regard it as another proof of your favour if on the ship you may assign them a place in which they will be exposed to damp as little as possible. Above all I am also obliged to you for your offer moreover to accept what else I might want to send home, and if the shortness of time would permit it, I should like to make use of it as regards a crate which I have ready but which hardly will reach Leghorn before your leaving. I need not tell you how much obliged I feel to you and how much I wish after my return to our country, which will be next summer, to be able in any way to prove to you my gratefulness and the devotion with which I have the honour to remain,
Your humble servant
[Translated by Karen Husum]
This letter deals with the transportation of Thorvaldsen’s crates with artworks, etc. to the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, cf. the article Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1798 and 1802.
Georg Zoëga
Last updated 29.04.2015
The date was first written 20, later the zero was changed to a six. It is uncertain why this was done, but according to its content, the letter is undoubtedly an answer to Berger’s letter of the letter of 20.1.1802, and the date of that is definitely the 20th.
I.e. Counsellor Abildgaard.
The four crates which Thorvaldsen had sent from Rome destined for Copenhagen, but which never got any farther than Leghorn, cf. the article Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1798 and 1802.
The Danish merchant in Leghorn Joh. Hein. Wulffen.
Den danske konsul i Livorno, J.C. Ulrich.
Regarding the contents of the four crates, see the article Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1798 and 1802.
Berger was captain of the Danish frigate, Triton.
Thorvaldsen even asked Ulrich to place two of the crates in an extra protective crate, see letter of 25.1.1802. It is not known whether this was actually done.
Zoëga’s hand is quite legible, and this word is the only one in the letter that is difficult to decipher. One ‘s’ in the middle seems to have been deleted. However, the meaning must be ‘kasse’ (crate) as Thorvaldsen availed himself of Berger’s offer and sent five marble busts in one last crate, besides the four mentioned above, see letter of 20.3.1802 from Thorvaldsen to Abildgaard, which explicitly mentions that the last, fifth crate had been taken on board Berger’s frigate, cf. the article Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1798 and 1802.
I.e. the coming summer. In the spring of 1802, Thorvaldsen was still planning to return to Denmark that year when his scholarship from the Academy of Fine Arts expired officially 1.7.1802, see the Thorvaldsen-Chronology.