De har fulkomen Ret gode Ven at være fortørnet paa mig at jeg ikke har opfyldt min Pligt at besvare Deres Brev af 23 Nov og ennu mere da De deraf maa troe at jeg ikke har begyndt paa Sal. Saxtorffs Byste jeg forundrer mig der over den som har sagt at benævnte Byste ikke var beg[y]nt som har staaet færdig i mit Værsted og som jeg er bered at tilsende Dem med første Lælighed. Aarsagen til dette lange ophold har været følgende. De erindrer[?] Dem …
No. 685 of 10319 |
Sender | Date | Recipient |
---|---|---|
Bertel Thorvaldsen
[+]
Sender’s LocationRom |
Efter 23.11.1808
[+]
Dating based onBrevudkastet må være konciperet efter Scheels brev 23.11.1808, som nævnes i brevudkastet. |
Poul Scheel
[+]
Recipient’s LocationKøbenhavn |
AbstractDraft of a letter in which Thorvaldsen explains to Doctor Poul Scheel that the bust he commissioned has been finished for a long time. |
General Comment | |
---|---|
This unfinished draft deals with the bust of the obstetrician Mathias Saxtorph, commissioned in 1800. The letter stops when Thorvaldsen has to come up with an explanation of why he has not sent the bust. It has probably been difficult to find the right arguments. The finished bust had been in Thorvaldsen’s workshop at least since 1806, but Thorvaldsen had had somebody else execute the bust. That appears from the draft of ca 23.9.1806 to Abildgaard, where Thorvaldsen writes: “Professor Baden’s Bust is finished and will be sent at the first opportunity, together with Saxtorph’s bust for Dr. Scheel, which (between us) I did not make myself, and which has been paid to me”. Therefore, it must have been a rather embarrassing matter to explain, and to judge from later reminders from Scheel, it is most likely that Thorvaldsen never sent a finished letter based on this draft. See also the related article Saxtorph’s Bust for more details. | |
Archival Reference | |
C185v | |
Document Type | |
Draft, autograph | |
Thiele | |
Ikke omtalt hos Thiele. | |
Subjects | |
Saxtorph's Bust · Thorvaldsen's Works, Executed by Others | |
Persons | |
Mathias Saxtorph | |
Works | |