Saa behagelig det end haver været mig at erfare Deres Naades yttrede Bifald med den forlangte Døbesteen, og som et Pant paa samme naadige Bifald at have ved Deres fortreffelige Broder S.T: Kmhrr B: S: modtaget fra Dem en Brystnaal med Diamanter besat; – skulde Samme dog have været mig meere glimrende dersom at ieg havde modtaget denne efter at D: E: havde selv taget dette mit Arbeide i naadig Beskuelse; Thi maae ieg nu ansee Deres Naades yttrede Bifald blot som en Følge af det Navn ieg haver erværvet mig Udenlands; Men ieg vil haabe at naar Tiiderne tillader det, at Deres Naade ved at modtage dette mig værdiget Arbeide – vil erfare at Samme haver kostet mig baade Kraft og Flid, at omnævnte Udlæg er økonomisk beregnet til Sm 483 Sc og at ieg beskedent skatterer min Konst og Flid for lige saa meget som omnævnte [papiret hullet:] [Ud]læg, følgelig at det er min kiæreste og behageligste Vinding ved dette Arbeide, at ieg herved tør smigre mig af Deres Naades gunstige Bifald og Bevaagenhed – Jeg anbefaler mig stedse med dybeste Ærbødighed Deres Naades underdanige Tienerer
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No. 706 of 10246 |
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| Sender | Date | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
Bertel Thorvaldsen
[+]
Sender’s LocationRom |
4.2.1809
[+]
Dating based onDateringen skyldes et udkast dateret 4.2.1809 med tilsvarende indhold. |
Charlotte Schimmelmann
[+]
Recipient’s LocationKøbenhavn |
AbstractThorvaldsen is grateful for Schimmelmann’s praise of the baptismal font, cf. A555,1, A555,2, A555,3, A555,4, and for the precious agraffe that she has sent him through her brother Herman Schubart. He regrets that her praise of the font is based only on what she has heard about it. Thorvaldsen informs her of the price of the font, which only covers the actual costs (i.e. half his normal fee). His reward will be the honour of having made her a work of art that she appreciates. |
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| General Comment | |
|---|---|
The draft was an answer to Charlotte Schimmelmann’s letter of 17.11.1808, with news from her in her brother Herman Schubart’s letters to Thorvaldsen of 26.12.1808 and 13.1.1809. The precious pin itself was sent to Thorvalsen separately. See the above-mentioned letter of 17.11.1808 from Schimmelmann for more about this and other drafts with the same contents of 4.2.1809 and 4.2.1809 from Thorvaldsen to Charlotte Schimmelmann. Thorvaldsen’s draft to Schimmelmann of 22.10.1808 also contains an accounting of the cost of the Baptismal Font, cf. A555,1, A555,2, A555,3, A555,4, but in piastres. It is interesting that this draft and the above-mentioned draft of 22.10.1808 apparently give the recipe for Thorvaldsen’s pricing of his own works: the sum of the real expenses for materials, wages, and transport multiplied by two, so Thorvaldsen’s share corresponds to the total expenses. See the related article for more details about Thorvaldsen’s Works, Fixing Prices. | |
| Archival Reference | |
| m28, nr. 39 | |
| Document Type | Amanuensis |
| Draft by amanuensis | C.F. Høyer |
| Thiele | |
| Gengivet hos Thiele II, p. 114-13. | |
| Subjects | |
| Baptismal Font to Brahetrolleborg Church · Criticism of Thorvaldsen's Works, Positive · Monetary Units · Bills from Thorvaldsen · Thorvaldsen's Modesty · Thorvaldsen's Works, Prices · Thorvaldsen's Works, Fixing Prices · Thorvaldsen's Works, not at Thorvaldsens Museum | |
| Persons | |
| Herman Schubart | |
| Works | |
| |