Thorvaldsen’s residence

When Thorvaldsen was appointed Professor of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen in 1805, he was simultaneously awarded free faculty housing in Charlottenborg Palace. Thorvaldsen’s professorial apartment, which looked out upon what was then Copenhagen’s Botanical Garden, remained available to him for 39 years. It thereby functioned as a standing invitation for the sculptor to return to Denmark from Rome where he maintained the desire to live and work. It was only during his stay in Denmark in 1819-1820, and after his return to his homeland in 1838, that Thorvaldsen actually took up residence in Charlottenborg Palace.

This article provides a list of the other artists and professors residing in the Academy of Fine Arts’ faculty housing in Charlottenborg Palace between 1754 and 1883. Most of these residents knew Thorvaldsen quite well, and kept him informed about developments in Copenhagen’s artistic milieu.

Methodology

The list of residents of Charlottenborg Palace presented below has been compiled chiefly on the basis of a floor plan of Charlottenborg Palace that specifies the locations of the tile stoves in the building’s various faculty apartments and classrooms. Although this floor plan is undated and its draftsman unknown, it is useful in the present context because it makes it possible to determine the specific residences of nine named personages:

• ​Torkel Baden
• J. P. Møller
• Christian Hornbech
• J. L. Jensen
• C. A. Jensen
• C. W. Eckersberg
• J. L. Lund
• G. F. Hetsch
• Just Mathias Thiele

The floor plan’s synchronic sample of the Charlottenborg Palace residencies at one particular point in time also makes it possible to establish their diachronic history—that is, to determine which visiting artists or Academy professors moved in or out of the Palace before or after the nine named above—simply because many such moves are discussed in detail in certain letters preserved in the Archives.

The floor plan has been published here with permission from the Danish National Art Library, and serves—here as in both Smidt, op. cit., and Zahle, op. cit.—as a benchmark for determining the physical locations of interior paintings made during the period (see below).

Abbreviations used

The floor plan of Charlottenborg Palace labels each of the building’s many rooms, apartments, and classrooms by letters or numbers. These labels, which have been preserved in the present article, are as follows:

• The upper floor (Ø) of Charlottenborg Palace, including apartments a, b, c, d, and e;
• The main floor (H) of Charlottenborg Palace, including classrooms 1-18;
• The ground floor (S) of Charlottenborg Palace, including apartments f, g, h, i, and k; and
• The basement (K) of Charlottenborg Palace, including rooms attached to apartments f, g, i, and k.

Additional resources consulted here include:

• Censuses, Danish Demographic Database (abbreviated FT, from the Danish term Folketælling [Census]).
• Copenhagen City Directories 1770-1895 (abbreviated KV, from the Danish title Københavns Vejviser [Copenhagen’s Directory]).

Floor plan of Charlottenborg Palace

North (Øc, Ød, Øe) South (Øa, Øb)
Fig. 1. Plan of the upper floor (Ø) of Charlottenborg Palace, showing apartments a-e,
© Danish National Art Library.

North South
Fig. 2. Plan of the main floor (H) of Charlottenborg Palace, showing rooms 1-18,
© Danish National Art Library.

North (Si, Sk) South (Sf, Sg)
Fig. 3. Plan of the ground floor (S) of Charlottenborg Palace, showing apartments f-k, © Danish National Art Library. Thorvaldsen’s professorial apartment, marked in grey, was in Sg.

North South
Fig. 4. Plan of the ground floor of Charlottenborg Palace, detail, © Danish National Art Gallery. Shows the southeast wing, including Thorvaldsen’s residence, workshop, and museum (Sg, Sh, and part of Si, marked in grey), following its expansion in 1833.

North South
Fig. 5. Plan of the basement (K) of Charlottenborg Palace,
© Danish National Art Library.

Dating and possible origins of the floor plan

By examining the information available about the nine persons listed on the floor plan as residing in Charlottenborg Palace, it is possible to date the floor plan to the period from 1846 until no later than February 9, 1849. This is because:

• J. L. Jensen and C. A. Jensen both moved into Charlottenborg Palace after 1845.

• Torkel Baden, who is listed as living in Øa, died on 9.2.1849.

• J. L. Lund is listed as living in Sg, in rooms that formed part of Thorvaldsen’s professorial apartment in the years 1805-1844. During the period from 1820 onward, and presumably until 1838, the apartment was rented out to Lund; and after the end of Thorvaldsen’s period of residence at the Academy (and his death on 24.3.1844), Lund was again given the opportunity to reside there. Because Lund was listed as domiciled at the Academy in 1850, but not in 1845—nor in 1855, it can be assumed that he moved into Sg during 1846, and out again in 1854—the same year when the Danish painter Niels Simonsen moved into the apartment.

The floor plan was presumably drafted by either Christian Hornbech or G. F. Hetsch, the two architects resident in Charlottenborg during the period in question. It seems plausible that the commission for mapping the Palace’s internal heating system would have gone to one of these two residents, as both were closely familiar with the building.

Hetsch was a profilic architect who collaborated with C. F. Hansen, among others, on the design and construction of Christiansborg Palace. Hornbech, meanwhile, earned his keep primarily as a renovator and inspector of previously existing buildings. As Royal Building Master, Hornbech also bore responsibility for Charlottenborg Palace, and so it seems overwhelmingly likely that it was Hornbech who drafted this floor plan, which specifies the types and locations of tile stoves in the palace.

The floor plan can thus be assigned the following date and attribution:

Christian Hornbech, Floor Plan of Christiansborg Palace, between 1846 and 1848,
Danish National Art Gallery, Copenhagen.

Persons resident in Charlottenborg Palace between 1754 and 1883

Each resident’s year of moving in and year of moving out are indicated in parentheses; the latter year is normally identical with the resident’s year of death
/	Øa	Øb	Øc	Ød	Øe	H	Sf	Sg	Sh	Si	Sk
1754	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	H	C. G. Pilo (presumably 1754-1772)	Jacques-Francois-Joseph Saly (1754-1771)	Jacques-Francois-Joseph Saly	Si	Sk
1755	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Nicolas Henri Jardin (1755-1771)	C. G. Pilo	Jacques-Francois-Joseph Saly	Jacques-Francois-Joseph Saly	Si	Sk
1771	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	C. F. Harsdorff (1771-1799)	C. G. Pilo	Jacques-Francois-Joseph Saly Andreas Weidenhaupt (presumably 1771-1805)	Jacques-Francois-Joseph Saly	Si	Sk
1772	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	W. A. Müller (1772-1816)	W. A. Müller (1772-1816)	C. F. Harsdorff	C. G. Pilo	Andreas Weidenhaupt	Sh	Si	Sk
1779	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	W. A. Müller	W. A. Müller	C.F. Harsdorff	Sf	Andreas Weidenhaupt	Botanical Garden Reading Room (1779-1832)	Si	Sk
1784	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	W. A. Müller	W. A. Müller	Jens Juel (presumably 1784-1802)	Sf	Andreas Weidenhaupt	Botanical Garden Reading Room	Si	Sk
1802	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	Not Part of the Academy	W. A. Müller	W. A. Müller	Boye Magens (1802-1811)	Sf	Andreas Weidenhaupt	Botanical Garden Reading Room	Si	Sk
1803	Øa	Øb	Øc	W. A. Müller	W. A. Müller	Boye Magens	Sf	Andreas Weidenhaupt	Botanical Garden Reading Room	Si	C. A. Lorentzen (presumably in 1803, or from 1807 to 1828)
1805	Øa	Øb	Øc	W .A. Müller	W. A. Müller	Boye Magens	Sf	Andreas Weidenhaupt (Bertel Thorvaldsen 1805-1844) Torkel Baden (presumably 1805-1818)	Botanical Garden Reading Room	Si	C. A. Lorentzen
1811	Øa	Øb	Øc	W. A. Müller	W. A. Müller	H closed for residence in 1811	Sf	Torkel Baden	Botanical Garden Reading Room	Si	C. A. Lorentzen
1815	Øa	Hans Hansen (1815-1828)	Øc	W. A. Müller	W. A. Müller	–	Sf	Torkel Baden	Botanical Garden Reading Room	Si	C. A. Lorentzen
1816	Øa	Hans Hansen	Øc	W. A. Müller	W. A. Müller	–	Sf	Torkel Baden	Botanical Garden Reading Room	J. F. Clemens (1816-1831)	C. A. Lorentzen
1817	Øa	Hans Hansen	Øc	Christian Horneman (May 1817-1844)	C. D. Fritzsch (May 1817-1841)	–	Sf	Torkel Baden / J. P. Møller (presumably from 1817 until 1819)	Botanical Garden Reading Room	J. F. Clemens	C. A. Lorentzen
1818	Øa	Hans Hansen	Øc	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg (1818-1853)	Torkel Baden / J. P. Møller	Botanical Garden Reading Room	J. F. Clemens	C. A. Lorentzen
1819	Torkel Baden (presumably 1819-1849)	Hans Hansen	Christian Hornbech (from between 1816 and 1819 until 1855)	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	J. P. Møller / Bertel Thorvaldsen (1819-1820)	Botanical Garden Reading Room	J. F. Clemens	C. A. Lorentzen
1820	Torkel Baden	Hans Hansen	Christian Hornbech	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	Bertel Thorvaldsen J. L. Lund (from 1820, presumably until 1838)	Botanical Garden Reading Room	J. F. Clemens	C. A. Lorentzen
1829	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller (1829-1854)	Christian Hornbech	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	J. L. Lund	Botanical Garden Reading Room	J. F. Clemens	Just Mathias Thiele (1829-1874)
1831	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	J. L. Lund	Botanical Garden Reading Room	J. F. Clemens	Just Mathias Thiele
1832	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	J. L. Lund	Botanical Garden Reading Room	Si	Just Mathias Thiele
1833	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	J. L. Lund	Thorvaldsen’s workshop/museum (from 1833, presumably until 1844)	Thorvaldsens workshop/museum / G. F. Hetsch (presumably 1833-1864)	Just Mathias Thiele
1838	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	J. L. Lund Bertel Thorvaldsen (1838-1844)	Thorvaldsen’s workshop/museum	Thorvaldsen’s workshop/museum / G. F. Hetsch	Just Mathias Thiele
1840	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	Christian Horneman	C. D. Fritzsch	–	C. W. Eckersberg	Bertel Thorvaldsen	Thorvaldsen’s workshop/museum	Thorvaldsen’s workshop/museum / G. F. Hetsch	Just Mathias Thiele
1845	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	J. L. Jensen (from after 1845 until 1856)	C. A. Jensen (from after 1845 until 1870	–	C. W. Eckersberg	Sg	Sh	G. F. Hetsch	Just Mathias Thiele
Presumably 1846-1848	Torkel Baden	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	J. L. Jensen	C. A. Jensen	-	C. W. Eckersberg	J. L. Lund (presumably from 1846 until 1854)	“Attelier tilhørende Akademiet” [atelier belonging to the Academy]	G. F. Hetsch	Just Mathias Thiele
1853	Øa	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	J. L. Jensen	C. A. Jensen	–	Wilhelm Marstrand (1853-1873)	J. L. Lund	Sh	G. F. Hetsch	Just Mathias Thiele
1854	Øa	J. P. Møller	Christian Hornbech	J. L. Jensen	C. A. Jensen	–	Wilhelm Marstrand	Niels Simonsen (1854-1883)	Sh	G. F. Hetsch	Just Mathias Thiele
1855	Øa	Øb	Christian Hornbech	J. L. Jensen	C. A. Jensen	–	Wilhelm Marstrand	Niels Simonsen	Sh	G. F. Hetsch	Just Mathias Thiele
1865	Øa	Øb	Øc	Ød	C. A. Jensen	–	Wilhelm Marstrand	Niels Simonsen	Sh	Presumably Troels Lund (1865-1867)	Just Mathias Thiele
1867	Øa	Øb	Øc	Ød	C. A. Jensen	–	Wilhelm Marstrand	Niels Simonsen	Sh	Presumably F. C. Kiærskou (from 1867, presumably until 1883)	Just Mathias Thiele
1873	Øa	Øb	Øc	Ød	Øe	–	Frederik Vermehren (1873-1901)	Niels Simonsen	Sh	F. C. Kiærskou	Just Mathias Thiele
Efter 1883	Classroom (1910s)	Classroom (1910s)	Classroom (1910s)	Classroom (1910s)	Classroom (1910s)	–	Classroom (1960s)	Hans J. Holm (1883-1908) Julius Schultz (1908-1924) Classroom (1924)	Portico reconstructed (1880s)	Classroom (1883)	Classroom (1960s)

Other residents of Charlottenborg Palace whose specific housing allotment remains unidentified:

• Peder Als (from before 1770 until 1776)
• J. M. Preisler (from before 1770 until 1794)
• Johan Edvard Mandelberg (presumably 1774-1786)
• Nicolai Abildgaard (presumably 1788-1810) (Sf?)
• C. F. Høyer (from after 1816 until 1826),
• T. Kloss presumably in Øb or Øc (1855-1876)
• Christian Hansen (from 1866, presumably until 1883)
• Jørgen Roed (1869-1888) resident in both ground floor and upper floor apartments
• Ferdinand Meldahl (1876-1908)
• Jørgen V. Sonne (1885-1890)
• Julius Exner (1889-1910)
• Th. Stein (1883-1901)
• Martin Nyrop (1907-1921?)

Interior views of Charlottenborg Palace

H 1 The Antique Room

Ditlev Martens, The Antique Room at the Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, 1824, B259.

Peter Herman Rasmussen, Antique Hall at Charlottenborg, 1837, private collection.

Julius Exner, The Plaster Cast Collection in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, 1843, Statens Museum for Kunst [National Gallery of Denmark], inv. no. KMS3110.

H Southern Cabinet and Passageway

Unknown artist, Southern Corner Cabinet with Venus de Milo in the Antique Room of the Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, 1840?, private collection.

Adam Müller, Parti af Antiksalen på Charlottenborg, 1830

Christen Købke, View of the Plaster Cast Collection at Charlottenborg Palace, 1830,
The Hirschsprung Collection.

Presumably H 4

Wilhelm Bendz, The Life Class at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, 1826, Statens Museum for Kunst, inv. no. KMS54.

H 9, The Domed Hall

C. W. Eckersberg, View From the Domed Hall at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, 1845, Statens Museum for Kunst, inv. no. KKS4742.

H 17

Ferdinand Richardt, A Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts, ca. 1839, B284.

H 18 Northern Cabinet and Passageway

Unknown artist, Young Man Drawing Among Thorvaldsen’s Artworks at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, after 1829, private collection.

Unknown artist, Young Man Drawing a Nude Model Among Thorvaldsen’s Artworks at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, after 1825, unknown location.

Sf

C.W. Eckersberg: Interior from the Artist’s Residence at Charlottenborg. Thorvaldsen’s relief A Genio Lumen, cf. A517, above the door.

Sg

Ferdinand Richardt, Thorvaldsen in his Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, 1840, B285.

Sh

J. V. Gertner, Thorvaldsen’s Studio in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, 1836,
Statens Museum for Kunst, inv. no. KMS296.

Peter Julius Larsen, Interior from the Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, with Works by Thorvaldsen, 1837, B452. Sh viewed from Si.

Sk

Martinus Rørbye: C.A. Lorentzen in his Studio, before 1828.

Exterior views from Charlottenborg

East Wing

Presumably Ferdinand Richardt, The Botanical Garden with Thorvaldsen, ca. 1840, private collection.

South Wing

F. Sødring, The Rear Courtyard of Charlottenborg Palace, 1828, Statens Museum for Kunst, inv. no. KMS7442.

North Wing

C. W. Eckersberg, View of Charlottenborg and the Gardener’s Lodge of the Botanical Gardens, Seen from the North Side of Nyhavn, 1845, Statens Museum for Kunst, inv. no. KKS7918.

References

• Documents associated with the topic: Academy of Arts, Copenhagen, Residencies.

• Documents associated with the topic: Academy of Arts, Copenhagen, Thorvaldsen’s Residence.

• Censuses, Danish Demographic Database (abbreviated FT, from the Danish term Folketælling [Census]).

• Nanna Kronberg Frederiksen: Thorvaldsen’s Residence, Workshop, and Museum in the Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, arkivet.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk, 2014.

• Nanna Kronberg Frederiksen: Thorvaldsen’s Four Prototype Museums in Copenhagen, arkivet.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk, 2014.

• Anneli Fuchs og Emma Salling (eds.): Kunstakademiet, 1754-2004, vol. III, 2004.

• Floor Plan of Charlottenborg Palace, undated, Danish National Art Library.

• Copenhagen City Directories 1770-1895 (abbreviated KV, from the Danish title Københavns Vejviser [Copenhagen’s Directory]).

• Claus M. Smidt: ‘Et blad af Charlottenborgs bygningshistorie’, in: Pontus Kjerrman, Bjørn Nørgaard, Jan Zahle, Jens Bertelsen (eds.): Spejlinger i gips, Copenhagen 2004.

• Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon.

• Jan Zahle: ‘Antiksalen, Figursalen, Museet’, in: Pontus Kjerrman, Bjørn Nørgaard, Jan Zahle, Jens Bertelsen (eds.): Spejlinger i gips, Copenhagen 2004.

Last updated 29.06.2019