Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Hermann Ernst Freund
København.
Ingen Udskrift.
Tilskrift: S T. Hr Professor, Billedhugger H. Freund.
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Thorvaldsen’s departure for Denmark is delayed, so he asks Freund to give him a detailed report on the status of the artworks sent home: what has been unpacked, where have the things been placed, what is their condition? He also asks Freund to inquire whether his daughter Elisa’s dowry has been deposited in the National Bank as arranged. H.W. Bissen has just left for Denmark, and he will bring detailed news from Rome. Thorvaldsen asks for news about Freund as he has not heard from him for a long time.
Rom d. 7de. August 1834.
Kjære Hr: Freund!
Da det lader til at min Afreise til DanmarkI endnu drager sig længere ud, og der under disse Omstændigheder ere adskjellige Ting i Hjemmet, som jeg ønskede mig en nøjagtig Efterretning om, saa sender jeg Dem disse Linier med min hjerteligste Hilsen og med Bøn om at de i saa Henseende venskabelig vil være mig behjælpeligII. –
Jeg veed nemlig Ingen til hvem jeg kunde henvende mig bedre end til Dem for at modtage en omstændelig Beretning angaaende mine hjemsendte ArbeidersIII Skjæbne i Kiøbenhavn, hvad der er udpakket og hvad der endnu henstaar og hvor ? hvad der har lidt ved Transporten – kort sagt: en detailleret Fortælling af det Hele, hvilken De som min Ven og som den, der kjender Forholdene bedst vilde være istand til at give mig.
Foruden dette Andragende beder jeg Dem at vise mig nok en Godhed. Min DattersIV GiftermaalV har næmlig gjort mig det særdeles magtpaaliggende at indsætte saa hurtigt som mueligt 20,000 Spec:VI i NationalbankenVII. Jeg har i den Anledning ført BrevvexlingVIII med Hr: Konferentsraad CollinIX og Andre og opskrevet hvad mig tilkom i Hjemmet for leverede Arbeider, for saaledes af Regjeringen at faa denne Sum udredet, idet jeg tillige androg paa den Sikkerhed Regjeringen stedse vilde have i mine andre Arbeider, i Tilfælde at mit Tilgodehavende blev ringere end den omtalte Summa, der desuden forblev i Landet.
Jeg har imidlertid intet bestemt Svar modtaget, og da Tiden er mig om at gjøre, beder jeg Dem kjære Ven igjennem Vedkommende at erkyndige Dem om denne Sags Udfald: jeg ønsker kun et Ja eller Nej, forat jeg, i Tilfælde at Regjeringen nægter mig mit – jeg synes billige – Ønske, selv kan igjennem andre Veje faa denne Pengesag bragt i Rigtighed. –
Jeg veed kjære Hr Freund at De ikke unddrager mig Deres gode Bistand i disse tvende Anliggender, og jeg ønsker mig en Leilighed til at vise Dem hvor redebon jeg er til enhver Gjentjeneste. –
[Den resterende del af brevet er ikke konciperet af Ludvig Bødtcher, men skrevet af Thorvaldsen selv:]
Hr: BissenX rejste fra Rom d. 2 AugustXI, han vil best kunde fortælle Dem hvorledes det gaaer til her i Rom. Jeg ønskede at vide hvorledes det gaaer Dem Gode Ven jeg har saa lang tiid ikke hørt noget fra Dem. Gud give det maatte gaae Dem saa vel som det ønskes af Deres hengivne Ven
Thorvaldsen
Rome, August 7th 1834
Dear Mr Freund,
As it seems that my departure for Denmark still makes slow progress and as there under these circumstances are several things at home, about which I wish exact information, I send you these lines with my most sincere regards begging you to be so kind as to help me in this. –
Because I know nobody whom I could approach better than you to receive a detailed report about what has happened in Copenhagen to the works I have sent home, what has been unpacked and what still remains and where? What has suffered at the transport – in short: a detailed account of it all, which you as my friend and as the one who knows the particulars would be able to give me.
Besides this petition, I ask you to show me another kindness. My daughter’s marriage has made it rather important for me to place 20,000 Species in the National Bank as soon as possible. In this connection I have corresponded with Konferensråd Collin and others and noted down what was owed me at home for works delivered, so that I could be paid this sum by the government, also referring to the security the government would always have in my other works, should my account against it become less than the mentioned sum, which besides would remain in the country.
However, I have not received a definite answer and as time matters to me I ask you, dear friend, to procure information about how this case has turned out through the person concerned: I merely wish a yes or a no so that if the government refuses my fair wish I can in other ways get this money affair in order . –
I know, dear Mr Freund that you will not refuse me your kind help in these two matters, and I wish for an occasion to show how glad I shall be to return the service. –
[The remaining part of the letter is written by Thorvaldsen himself]
Mr Bissen left Rome August 2nd, he will better be able to tell you how things are in Rome. I wish to know how you are, good friend, for such a long time I have heard nothing from you. I wish to God you may be as well as wished by your respectful friend
Thorvaldsen
[Translated by Karen Husum]
The art historian Julius Lange writes that the letter is written by Ludvig Bødtcher, only the last passage: ” Mr. Bissen left Rome…[etc.]” is written by Thorvaldsen himself; cf. Lange, op. cit.
Ludvig Bødtcher
Last updated 12.06.2020
Thorvaldsen was planning to travel to Copenhagen in the autumn of 1832, but the journey was postponed several times and not begun until 5.8.1838.
Cf. letter dated 6.2.1835 from Hermann Ernst Freund to Thorvaldsen.
Cf. the article Transportation of Thorvaldsen’s Artworks to Copenhagen 1833.
Thorvaldsen’s daughter Elisa Paulsen.
Cf. the Thorvaldsen Chronology 25.12.1832.
Cf. documents regarding the subject Elisa Paulsen’s Dowry.
Cf. Nationalbanken i Kjøbenhavn.
Cf. documents regarding the subject Elisa Paulsen’s Dowry.
The Danish civil servant Jonas Collin.
The Danish sculptor H.W. Bissen.
Cf. the Thorvaldsen Chronology 2.8.1834.