Comment on 22.4.1801
Cf. Ordbog over det danske Sprog, no. 2.6, in the sense of “based on”; so here it means a statue of the same size as the human body. In this connection, then, “over” does not mean more or larger than the human body, which a modern reading might lead one to believe. That this reading must be the correct one is supported partly by the entry in the journal of the Academy on receipt of the letter (see the general commentary below), and partly by Thorvaldsen’s other references to this version of Jason. See the related article about Jason and Hope’s Commission for a complete account of the matter.
Last updated 18.09.2015