The Thorvaldsens Museum Archives

Comment on 29.12.1804

The Danish linguist and critic Jacob Baden, who died 5.6.1804. The mask mentioned here is a death mask, which today is in the collection of death masks at Thorvaldsens Museum, L662.
Note that this is not the one that Johannes V. Jensen, op. cit., has identified as Baden. His mask has here been numbered 9, but the correct one is no. 20, which Jensen calls unknown.
The painting brought by Seydewitz may have been C.A. Lorentzens portrait of Baden, the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg, inv.nr. A2916. The painting shows signs of having been folded during the long journey.
It was not unusual to produce portrait bust on the basis of sources. The bust of Mathias Saxtorph, cf. A899, e.g. was produced on the basis of a copperplate engraving, see the related article about this.
Regarding the bust Jacob Baden, A863, and its making, see Else Kai Sass: Thorvaldsens Portrætbuster, Copenhagen 1963-65, vol. I, p. 141-146.

Last updated 22.01.2018