The Thorvaldsens Museum Archives

Comment on Ultimo 1797

Thorvaldsen’s marble bust of Tyge Rothe, A225, was his first Roman work in marble in 1797, as is indicated further on in the letter. He sent the bust to Copenhagen during the summer of 1798 (see letter of 30.6.1798 from Thorvaldsen to the Academy of Fine Arts). However, it remained at the custom house in Copenhagen until the late summer of 1799, cf. the article Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1798 and 1802.

Abildgaard got the bust in 1799, and it was to be found in his private residence at Charlottenborg at least until 1806 (see letters of 3.12.1799, 21.7.1800 and 14.8.1806 from Abildgaard). At some unknown later date it was surrendered to Rothe’s son Andreas Bjørn Rothe, who gave it to Thorvaldsen about a year after his return in 1838 (see C.F. Wilckens: Træk af Thorvaldsens Konstner- og Omgangsliv, Copenhagen 1874, p. 47).

Last updated 29.04.2015