28.11.1822

Sender

J.L. Lund

Sender’s Location

København

Recipient

Bertel Thorvaldsen

Recipient’s Location

Rom

Information on recipient

Uskrift: Al Sigr. Cav[aliere] A. Thorwaldsen Roma

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Abstract

The letter is a repetition of the letter dated 21.7.1822, which Thorvaldsen has not answered. Lund wants to send one of his paintings to Thorvaldsen in Rome but does not know how. He asks Thorvaldsen to pay the promised pension to Øllegaard Lundegaard soon. He sends greetings to Rome.

Document

Kjøbenhavn d 28de. Novbr.
1822.

Høistærede Ven!

Jeg sendte Dem i Julimaaned et BrevI med VillenaII, men da han ikke har holdt sit Løfte at tage MalerietIII med til Dem, saa kan jeg heller ikke være sikker paa, at han har sendt Dem mit Brev fra Florenz. jeg gientager derfor sammes Indhold.
De har været saa god, at love Made. LundgaardIV en aarlig Understøttelse af 100 Rbd; denne stakkels Kone har aldrig træ[ngt] mere til Deres Hjelp end i dette Oieblik, hun har været sengeliggende i nogle Maaneder, og er endnu meget svag. Hendes DatterV hvor hun har været i Huset, skal nu forlade Kjøbenhavn og saa er hun overladt til sig selv i den allerbedrøveligste Forfatning. Vinteren er nær, og hun havde ikke Raad til at kiøbe sig Brænde, og de alleruunværligste Fornødenheder. Jeg har altsaa paa Grund af Deres Løfte laant hendeVI saa meget jeg selv kunde undvære. Jeg beder Dem ret meget at De snarest muelig vil have den Godhed, at anviise hende de lovede Penge, det koster Dem kuns et Ord til SlotscommissionenVII, eller til AcademietVIII, eller til saa mange af Deres Venner her, og ingen vil sikkerligen nægte at udrede disse Penge, men for Guds skyld, giør det snart. Hun vil kanskee ikke nyde længe Deres Godhed. Hun boer ikke mere i St. Kongensgade, men er flyttet til Bredgaden Nr. 191 3die Sahl.
Villena kommer ventelig snart til Rom, og da vil han sige Dem, at han ikke har havt Plads i Vognen at tage Maleriet med, som han havde lovet mig: først da han var rejst, fik jeg Maleriet tilbage; hvilket har giort mig meget ondt. De kan let begribe, at jeg ønsker De maatte snart erholde det, men jeg veed ikke paa hvad Maade; at sende det til SøesIX vil jeg ikke riskere; men vil De opgive mig en Maade at sende Dem det, saa skal jeg strax efterkomme Deres Ordre.
Til FreundX har jeg skrevet et og andet om os her, og han vil meddeele Dem det, gid jeg kunde engang see hvorledes De lever i Rom. Jeg beder at hilse Made. UhdenXI og Deres EliseXII fra mig, og Dem beder jeg, at beholde mig i venskabelig Erindring, indtil vi sees engang igien i Rom, hvilket jeg haaber skal skee med Tiden. Med Høiagtelse og Venskab

Deres hengivne IL Lund

Oversættelse af dokument

Copenhagen, November 28th
1822

Dear friend,

In July I sent you a letter with Villena, but as he has not kept his promise to take the painting to you, I cannot be certain that he has sent my letter to you from Florence. So I repeat its contents.
You have been so kind as to promise Madam Lundegaard an annual support of 100 Rix-dollar; this poor woman has never needed your help more than now, she has been in bed for some months and is still rather weak. Her daughter who has helped her in the house must now leave Copenhagen and then she is left all to herself in the most deplorable state. Winter is near and she could not afford to buy firewood and the most necessary articles. So because of your promise I have lent her as much as I myself could spare. I sincerely ask you as soon as possible kindly to assign her the money promised to her; it needs only a word from you to the Building Commission for Christiansborg Palace or to the Academy or to many of your friends here, and nobody will refuse to pay this money, but for Heaven’s sake, do it soon. She will perhaps not enjoy your kindness for long. She no longer lives in St. Kongensgade, but has moved to Bredgaden number 191, the third floor.
Villena can soon be expected in Rome and then he will tell you that he did not have room enough in his carriage to take the painting, as he had promised me: only when he had left did I get the painting back; which has made me rather sorry. You can easily understand that I wish you soon to have it, but I do not know how; I will not risk sending it by sea, but if you will advise me of a way to send it, I shall immediately do as you say.
I have written a few things about us to Freund and he will tell them to you, I wish I could see how you live in Rome. Please give my regards to Madam Uhden and your Elise and I ask you to remember me kindly until we shall meet again in Rome, which I hope will happen in time. Yours respectfully and affectionate,

I L Lund


[Translated by Karen Husum]

Archival Reference

m7 1822, nr. 64

Thiele

Ikke omtalt hos Thiele.

Subjects

Persons

Commentaries

  1. Letter dated 21.7.1822.

  2. Probably the secretary of the Spanish legation Manuel Villena and his wife Mariquitta Villena.

  3. Possibly J.L. Lund: St Anne Teaching the Virgin to Read, B251, or_Italian Landscape_, B252.

  4. The widow Øllegaard Lundegaard, whom Thorvaldsen presumably supported financially 1822-1824.

  5. Rasmine Kirchheiner or Caroline Titchen.

  6. About a year later, Lund had paid 60 rix-dollars, cf. letters dated 6.9.1823 and 14.12.1823.

  7. I.e. Building Commission for Christiansborg Palace.

  8. I.e. Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen.

  9. In 1807, Lund lost his first historical painting Andromache Swooning at the Sight of Hector’s Dead Body, as the ship it was on was captured by the British.
    Read more about this in Lund’s biography.

  10. The letter to Hermann Ernst Freund remains unidentified.

  11. Thorvaldsen’s Italian lover Anna Maria Uhden.

  12. Thorvaldsen’s daughter Elisa.

Last updated 12.12.2017