Antagelig omkring oktober 1810 - The Thorvaldsens Museum Archives


	No. 778 of 10319

No. 778 of 10319

Sender	Date	Recipient
Bertel Thorvaldsen [+] Sender’s Location Rom	Antagelig omkring oktober 1810 [+] Dating based on Dette brev knytter sig til kontrakten af 16.4.1808, som ligeledes blev indgået med de Balck. Af kontrakten fremgår, at Thorvaldsen forpligtede sig til at udføre de bestilte værker i løbet af halvandet år. Undervejs forandredes motivet på basrelieffet, men det synes alligevel rimeligt at antage, at værkerne var færdige ca. halvandet år efter indgåelsen af kontrakten, dvs. omkring oktober 1810.	Pierre de Balck [+] Information on recipient Ingen udskrift.
Abstract Thorvaldsen informs de Balck that the commissioned works, a bas-relief representing Hector with Paris and Helen, cf. A499 and a copy of an antique bust of Homer, cf. A751, have been finished. They will be delivered when the balance of 255 scudi has been paid.

Sender

Date

Recipient

Bertel Thorvaldsen [+]

Sender’s Location

Rom

Antagelig omkring oktober 1810 [+]

Dating based on

Dette brev knytter sig til kontrakten af 16.4.1808, som ligeledes blev indgået med de Balck. Af kontrakten fremgår, at Thorvaldsen forpligtede sig til at udføre de bestilte værker i løbet af halvandet år. Undervejs forandredes motivet på basrelieffet, men det synes alligevel rimeligt at antage, at værkerne var færdige ca. halvandet år efter indgåelsen af kontrakten, dvs. omkring oktober 1810.

Pierre de Balck [+]

Information on recipient

Ingen udskrift.

Abstract

Thorvaldsen informs de Balck that the commissioned works, a bas-relief representing Hector with Paris and Helen, cf. A499 and a copy of an antique bust of Homer, cf. A751, have been finished. They will be delivered when the balance of 255 scudi has been paid.

Lavori fatti per il Sig[no]^r. Conte de Balck da Me Alberto Thorvaldsen cioè
Un Bassorilievo in Marmo longo palmi quattro, e alto palmi tre rappresentante Ettore che rimprovera Paride consistente in trè Figure, per il prezzo di Scudi Duecentoottantacinque, cosi convenuto con il Sud[dett]^o. Sig[no]^r. Conte a tenore del Contratto.
Ed un Busto in ermo, rappresentante Omero, copiato dall’Originale Antico peril prezzo di Scudi Settanta a tenore come sopra, e pure in Ma
Di questi due Lavori hò Ricevuto Scudi Cento, onde resto ad avere Scudi Duecentocinquantacinque.
Desidero dunque consegnare li sudetti Lavori, ed essere sodisfatto quanto prima

General Comment
There are only two letters in Thorvaldsen’s Archives dealing with Balck’s commission. The first is the contract dated 16.4.1808, according to which the commission was for a bas-releif and a copy after an antique bust of Homer, cf. A751. A comparison between the contract and this letter from Thorvaldsen to Balck shows that the subject of the bas-relief was changed. According to Thiele II, p. 100, this was due to the fact that the original commission, which specified the subject of the bas-relief as Phedre and Hippolyte, had been assigned to the German sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch (see also Magasin encyclopédique, op.cit., p. 130. Instead, Thorvaldsen executed the relief Hector with Paris and Helen, cf. A499. De Balck, however, could not afford the works, cf. Thorvaldsen’s comment to Just Mathias Thiele’s manuscript in letter dated 8.1.1829”:/dokumenter/ThielesExcerpter,1830,nr.1, and Thiele I, p. 100. Instead, the relief was bought by Jørgen Knudtzon.
Archival Reference
gmIV, nr. 58
Document Type	Amanuensis
Draft by amanuensis	NN
Thiele
Omtalt hos Thiele I, p. 100.
Other references
Basrelieffet omtalt hos K.F.A. Hartman(?), ‘Rom, den 3. December 1809’ in: Der Neue Teutsche Merkur, 1810, bd. 1, p. 191-194. Basrelieffet omtalt i Magasin encyclopédique, Tome III, maj 1810, p. 129-130.
Subjects
Reliefs, Classical Mythology · Thorvaldsen's Works, Payment · Thorvaldsen's Works, Copies after Antiquity
Works

General Comment

There are only two letters in Thorvaldsen’s Archives dealing with Balck’s commission. The first is the contract dated
16.4.1808, according to which the commission was for a bas-releif and a copy after an antique bust of Homer, cf. A751. A comparison between the contract and this letter from Thorvaldsen to Balck shows that the subject of the bas-relief was changed. According to Thiele II, p. 100, this was due to the fact that the original commission, which specified the subject of the bas-relief as Phedre and Hippolyte, had been assigned to the German sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch (see also Magasin encyclopédique, op.cit., p. 130. Instead, Thorvaldsen executed the relief Hector with Paris and Helen, cf. A499.

De Balck, however, could not afford the works, cf. Thorvaldsen’s comment to Just Mathias Thiele’s manuscript in letter dated 8.1.1829”:/dokumenter/ThielesExcerpter,1830,nr.1, and Thiele I, p. 100. Instead, the relief was bought by Jørgen Knudtzon.

Archival Reference

gmIV, nr. 58

Document Type

Amanuensis

Draft by amanuensis

Thiele

Omtalt hos Thiele I, p. 100.

Other references

Basrelieffet omtalt hos K.F.A. Hartman(?), ‘Rom, den 3. December 1809’ in: Der Neue Teutsche Merkur, 1810, bd. 1, p. 191-194.
Basrelieffet omtalt i Magasin encyclopédique, Tome III, maj 1810, p. 129-130.

Subjects

Reliefs, Classical Mythology · Thorvaldsen's Works, Payment · Thorvaldsen's Works, Copies after Antiquity

Works