Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Christian 8.
København
Det fremgår ikke af Thorvaldsens Museums fotokopi af brevet, om der findes en udskrift på brevet.
Tilskrift: Deres Kongelige Høihed Prinds Christian til Danmark.
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Thorvaldsen regrets that he has not yet begun his planned journey to Copenhagen; the work on the equestrian statue of Maximilian 1. requires more time. He also asks Christian Frederik to help him deposit the sum of 20,000 species [40,000 rix-dollars] in the National Bank in Copenhagen for the benefit of his daughter Elisa on the occasion of her marriage to Fritz Paulsen. The money is to be deducted from the sum that the Danish state owes Thorvaldsen as payment for various works commissioned for the Church of Our Lady and Christiansborg Palace.
Min naadigste Prinds!
Hvor langt kjærere vilde det have været mig, istedet for dette mit underdanigste Brev til Deres Kongelige Høihed, personligen at have kunnet bevidne Dem min dybe Ærefrygt, men desværre har min Stilling som Kunstner hidtil lagt uoverstigelige Hindringer i Vejen for AfreisenI til mit Fædreland.
Jeg føler at jeg tidligere burde have underrettet Deres Kongelige Høihed derom, men Haabet om mueligt dog at overvinde Vanskelighederne holdt mig tilbage.
Jeg seer nu at jeg ikke med Bestemthed kan fastsætte min Reise førend til Februarii Maaned 1834II og at til den Tid saavel mit Arbeide for hans Majestæt Kongen af Bajeren:III nemlig Erkehertug MaximiliansIV RidderstatueV vil være færdig fra min Haand, ligesom ogsaa de endnu manglende trende Stykker af Friesen Alexanders TriumfVI. –
Deres Kongelige Høihed tillade at jeg benytter denne Leilighed til at fremkomme med en Bøn.
Ved min DattersVII GiftermaalVIII med Hr Oberst v PaulsenIX, har jeg som MedgiftX bestemt hende 20,000 SpeciesXI, der skulle nedsættes i NationalbankenXII og Renterne aarlig tilfalde hende. Da jeg af min herværende Capital ikke godt kan eller bør uddrage ovennævnte Summa, er det mit underdanigste Ønske, at disse Penge maatte tages af hvad jeg for mit Arbeide har tilgodeXIII hos den Danske Regjering, og jeg vover at smigre mig med, at Deres Kongelige Høiheds naadigste Forsorg i saa Henseende vilde begunstige mit Ønske. –
Jeg har ogsaa i denne Anledning i Dag tilskrevetXIV Hr Conferentsraad Collin, men anbefaler mig fremfor Alt til den hædrende Opmærksomhed, som Deres Kongelige Høihed hidtil viiste
Rom, d. 26 Octob: 1833.
Deres underdanigste
Albert Thorvaldsen
Most Gracious Prince,
I should have been much happier if instead of this my most humble letter to Your Royal Highness I had been able to show my veneration in person, but unfortunately my position as artist has up to now insuperably obstructed my departure to my native land.
I feel that I should have informed Your Royal Highness earlier about this, but the hope of possibly overcoming the difficulties kept me back.
I now realize that I cannot for certain appoint my journey until the month of February 1834 and at that time my work for His Majesty the King of Bavaria: the equestrian statue of Archduke Maximilian will be finished as well as the still wanting three pieces of the frieze, Alexander’s Triumph. –
I hope Your Royal Highness will permit me to seize this opportunity to bring forward a request.
At my daughter’s marriage to Colonel v Paulsen I have decided her marriage portion to be 20,000 Species to be placed in the National Bank and the interest annually to go to her. As I cannot very well extract or should extract the abovementioned sum from my capital here, it is my most humble wish that this money be taken from what I have outstanding for my work against the Danish Government and I dare flatter myself that Your Royal Highness’ most gracious care in that respect would favour my wish. –
I have also on that occasion today written to Konferensråd Collin but recommend myself to the honourable attention Your Royal Highness showed so far
Rome, October 26th 1833
Your most humble
Albert Thorvaldsen
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Ludvig Bødtcher
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Alexander den Stores indtog i Babylon, marts 1812 - juni 1812, inv.nr. A503 |
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Hest, august 1833, inv.nr. A128 |
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Maximilian 1., 1833 - 1835, inv.nr. A762 |
Last updated 24.02.2020
Thorvaldsen was planning to travel to Copenhagen in the autumn of 1833, but the journey was postponed, cf. the subject Cancelled Journeys to Denmark.
This date of departure was also postponed, cf. the subject Cancelled Journeys to Denmark. Thorvaldsen did not travel to Denmark until 1838.
The German king of Bavaria Ludwig 1.
The first electoral prince of Bavaria, Maximilian I (1573-1651).
Maximilian 1., bronze, 1839, Wittelbachers Platz, Munich, cf. A128 (the horse) and cf. A762 (the rider).
See also documents regarding the subject The Equestrian Statue of Maximilian 1.
19 of a total of 24 pieces for the frieze Alexander the Great’s Entry into Babylon (the Alexander Frieze), marble, cf. A503, had already been sent to Christiansborg Palace in 1833. The remaining five pieces were sent home in 1835.
See also the article The Commission for Christiansborg.
Thorvaldsen’s daughter Elisa Paulsen.
Cf. the Thorvaldsen chronology 25.12.1832.
See also the documents regarding the subject Elisa and Fritz Paulsen’s Marriage.
The Danish lieutenant-colonel Fritz Paulsen.
Cf. documents regarding the subject Elisa Paulsen’s Dowry.
I.e. 20,000 species or 40,000 rix-dollars in silver, cf. documents regarding the subject Elisa Paulsen’s Dowry.
Nationalbanken i Kjøbenhavn.
So Thorvaldsen wanted the money for Elisa’s dowry to be deducted from the sum that the Danish state owed Thorvaldsen as payment for various works commissioned for the Church of Our Lady and Christiansborg Palace, including Christ, marble, cf. A82 and Alexander the Great’s Entry into Babylon (the Alexander Frieze), marble, cf. A503.
Cf. letter dated 26.10.1833 from Thorvaldsen to Jonas Collin.