29.12.1804 - The Thorvaldsens Museum Archives


	No. 427 of 10319

No. 427 of 10319

Sender	Date	Recipient
Nicolai Abildgaard [+] Sender’s Location København Information on sender Rester af laksegl.	29.12.1804 [+] Dating based on Dateringen fremgår af brevet.	Bertel Thorvaldsen [+] Recipient’s Location Rom Information on recipient Udskrift: All’ Ill^mo Sig’re / Il Sig^re Thorwaldsen / Scultore Danese / in / Roma
Abstract Abildgaard recommends the bearer of the letter, Carl Christian Seydewitz, to Thorvaldsen. He commissions a portrait bust in marble of Jacob Baden, A863, sending a death mask and a painted portrait as models.

Sender

Date

Recipient

Nicolai Abildgaard [+]

Sender’s Location

København

Information on sender

Rester af laksegl.

29.12.1804 [+]

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Bertel Thorvaldsen [+]

Recipient’s Location

Rom

Information on recipient

Udskrift: All’ Ill^mo Sig’re / Il Sig^re Thorwaldsen / Scultore Danese / in / Roma

Abstract

Abildgaard recommends the bearer of the letter, Carl Christian Seydewitz, to Thorvaldsen. He commissions a portrait bust in marble of Jacob Baden, A863, sending a death mask and a painted portrait as models.

Kiøbenhavn 29^de Dec. 1804.

Gode Ven!

Jeg kan icke unlade ved denne leilighed at sende Dem nogle Linier, og det saa neget mere, da overbringeren, som er Her Leutenant Seidewitz, som Kronprindsen lader reise, for at blive Historie Maler har anmodet mig her om, overtydet om at De kan og vil give ham den beste veiledning, og som ieg icke tvivler paa han paa skiønner.
Ved denne leilighed sender ieg Dem en Masquer og et Malet Portrait af afdøde Prof: Baden, om De der efter kunde giøre en Buste i Marmor omtrent [tegning] uden Krop og Klæder som en Terme og lade mig hvide, hvad den skal koste, saa vil ieg sørge for at De bliver betalt. Lever De vel, som ieg haaber, skal det ingen glæde mere end

Deres

ærlige Ven
Abildgaard

Copenhagen, December 29^th 1804

Good friend,

At this opportunity I cannot omit to send you a couple of lines, the more so as the bearer, who is lieutenant Seidewitz, has asked me to. He is convinced that you are able to and will give him the best supervision, which I do not doubt that he will appreciate. The Crown Prince permits him to travel to become a history painter.
On this occasion I send you a death mask and a painted portrait of the late professor Baden if you from that could make a bust in marble more or less [a drawing] without body and clothes more like a herma and let me know what it will cost, then I shall see to your getting paid. If you are healthy as I hope, it shall please nobody more than

your

true friend,
Abildgaard

[Translated by Karen Husum]

General Comment
The letter contains Abildgaard’s rough sketch for the bust of Jacob Baden. The drawing of the bust measures ca. 1,5×1 cm, see it here.
Archival Reference
m1 1804, nr. 25
Thiele
Ikke gengivet hos Thiele.
Other references
Johannes V. Jensen: ‘Dødsmaskerne paa Thorvaldsens Museum’, i: Form og Sjæl, København 1931, p. 89-101. Else Kai Sass: Thorvaldsens Portrætbuster, København 1963-65, vol. I, p. 141.
Subjects
Recommendation or introduction letter, others · Portrait Busts, Contemporary Persons · Thorvaldsen's Works, Commissioning
Persons
Jacob Baden · Frederik 6. · Carl Christian Seydewitz
Works

General Comment

The letter contains Abildgaard’s rough sketch for the bust of Jacob Baden. The drawing of the bust measures ca. 1,5×1 cm, see it here.

Archival Reference

m1 1804, nr. 25

Thiele

Ikke gengivet hos Thiele.

Other references

Johannes V. Jensen: ‘Dødsmaskerne paa Thorvaldsens Museum’, i: Form og Sjæl, København 1931, p. 89-101.
Else Kai Sass: Thorvaldsens Portrætbuster, København 1963-65, vol. I, p. 141.

Subjects

Recommendation or introduction letter, others · Portrait Busts, Contemporary Persons · Thorvaldsen's Works, Commissioning

Persons

Jacob Baden · Frederik 6. · Carl Christian Seydewitz

Works