4.2.1809 - The Thorvaldsens Museum Archives


	No. 708 of 10318

No. 708 of 10318

Sender	Date	Recipient
Bertel Thorvaldsen [+] Sender’s Location Rom	4.2.1809 [+] Dating based on Dateringen skyldes et udkast dateret 4.2.1809 med tilsvarende indhold.	Charlotte Schimmelmann [+] Recipient’s Location København
Abstract Thorvaldsen is grateful for the precious agraffe that Schimmelmann has sent him through her brother, Herman Schubart. He hopes that the baptismal font, cf. A555,1, A555,2, A555,3, A555,4, which she has commissioned will please her, and that the beauty of his work will make him worthy of her protection.

Sender

Date

Recipient

Bertel Thorvaldsen [+]

Sender’s Location

Rom

4.2.1809 [+]

Dating based on

Dateringen skyldes et udkast dateret 4.2.1809 med tilsvarende indhold.

Charlotte Schimmelmann [+]

Recipient’s Location

København

Abstract

Thorvaldsen is grateful for the precious agraffe that Schimmelmann has sent him through her brother, Herman Schubart. He hopes that the baptismal font, cf. A555,1, A555,2, A555,3, A555,4, which she has commissioned will please her, and that the beauty of his work will make him worthy of her protection.

Naadigste Grevinde!
Ved Deres fortreffelige Broder S.T. Kammerherre de S har ieg fra Deres E: med sand Fornøyelse modtaget en Brystnaal med Brillanter, hvilken ieg anseer som et Agtelses=Tegn ieg er værdiget at bære formedelst den Yndest og Bevaagenhed ieg ved at fremvandre paa Konstens Bane stedse bestræber mig at fortiene; Thi haaber ieg at naar Deres E: en gang i Fædrenelandet tager mit Arbeide: den forlangte Døbesteen i naadigst Beskuelse, vil De erfare at samme er udført med Konst og Flid, at ieg ingen Møye haver sparet, for at kunde smigre mig af Deres E: naadige Bifald, eller for at være paa en værdig Maade anbefalet Konsternes og Videnskabernes Beskytterinde –
Jeg anbefaler mig med dybeste Ærbødighed Deres E underdanigste –

Gracious Countess,
Through your excellent brother S.T. Schubart , chamberlain, I have from Your Excellency with true pleasure received an agraffe with brilliants, which I consider a token of respect which I am vouchsafed to carry on account of the approval and favour by wandering on the course of art I ever strive to deserve; for I hope that once Your Excellency in our native land will take my work: the commissioned font into gracious contemplation, you will see that the same has been executed with art and diligence, that I have spared no energy to be able to indulge in the gracious approval of Your Excellency or to be recommended in a respectful way to the patroness of art and science –
I remain with the deepest respect Your Excellency’s most humble servant

[Translated by Karen Husum]

General Comment
In the top right-hand corner of the paper there is an illegible, smudged text, possibly the date of the draft. There are two more drafts of 4.2.1809 and 4.2.1809 to Charlotte Schimmelmann. See the first of these for further comments on the contents of the drafts. This draft seems to be later than the former as it consists almost entirely of unselfish praise. The former, on the other hand, contains a reproof that the countess has expressed her enthusiasm for the baptismal font without having seen it as well as a repetition of the price of the font which he had already mentioned to her in letter of 22.10.1808. Furthermore, it was perhaps made a little too clear in the former draft that he had only charged half his normal fee for the baptismal font. Thiele II, p. 114, supports this assumption. See also the related article for more details on Thorvaldsen’s Works, Fixing Prices.
Archival Reference
m28, nr. 31
Document Type	Amanuensis
Draft by amanuensis	C.F. Høyer
Thiele
Gengivet hos Thiele II, p. 114.
Subjects
Baptismal Font to Brahetrolleborg Church · Gifts for Thorvaldsen, Art Wares · Patronage · Thorvaldsen's Modesty · Thorvaldsen's Works, not at Thorvaldsens Museum
Persons
Herman Schubart

General Comment

In the top right-hand corner of the paper there is an illegible, smudged text, possibly the date of the draft.
There are two more drafts of 4.2.1809 and 4.2.1809 to Charlotte Schimmelmann. See the first of these for further comments on the contents of the drafts.

This draft seems to be later than the former as it consists almost entirely of unselfish praise. The former, on the other hand, contains a reproof that the countess has expressed her enthusiasm for the baptismal font without having seen it as well as a repetition of the price of the font which he had already mentioned to her in letter of 22.10.1808. Furthermore, it was perhaps made a little too clear in the former draft that he had only charged half his normal fee for the baptismal font.
Thiele II, p. 114, supports this assumption.
See also the related article for more details on Thorvaldsen’s Works, Fixing Prices.

Archival Reference

m28, nr. 31

Document Type

Amanuensis

Draft by amanuensis

C.F. Høyer

Thiele

Gengivet hos Thiele II, p. 114.

Subjects

Baptismal Font to Brahetrolleborg Church · Gifts for Thorvaldsen, Art Wares · Patronage · Thorvaldsen's Modesty · Thorvaldsen's Works, not at Thorvaldsens Museum

Persons

Herman Schubart