Comment on 20.3.1802
Since 1797, when Thorvaldsen arrived in Rome, the city had experienced war and occupation by alternating French and Neapolitan troops; the Pope’s exile; the introduction of the Roman republic and its subsequent dissolution at the restoration of the Papal States.
Thorvaldsen may be referring to these dramatic events in order to forestall any criticism for not having done as much as the Academy of Fine Arts might expect, or maybe he is even angling for an extraordinary prolongation of his scholarship?
Last updated 27.01.2015