19.11.1819

Sender

John Gibson

Sender’s Location

Rom

Information on sender

Brevet har været forseglet.

Recipient

John Crouchley

Recipient’s Location

Liverpool

Information on recipient

Udskrift: J.B. Crouchley Esq:^r / Bedford Place / Harrigton / Liverpool / Rome Nov.^r 20.th
Poststemplet: ”[XX]PO / 15 / 1819” og “C[X]E / C 15 / 1819”.

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Abstract

The commentary for this letter is not available at the moment.

Document

Rome
19^th Novem:^r 1819

[...] Thorwalsden has gone to visit his own native country, aft[er] an absence of twenty three years. When the Duke of Devonshire^I was here he gave Thorvaldsen an order for a Venus. She is represented as just having received the golden apple from Paris and taking up her mantle to go away thus [her har Gibson skitseret Thorvaldsens Venus, jf. A12]
This great artist has made a group of the three graces to rival those of Canova. The composition I like, at the same time perhaps the figures are too much apart, too much open space between them as for the forms they bear no comparison to Canova’s. Thorwal.ⁿ has a pupil an Italian his name is Tenerani and has made a Venus which I think would do honour to Praxiteles. Cupid is drawing the thorn out of her foot thus [Gibson har skitseret Teneranis skulptur^II]
The forms are divine, after seeing it in clay nearly finished, I felt a sinking at the heart and depression of mind for several days. [...]

General Comment

Af brevet citeres kun de dele, som vedrører/omhandler Thorvaldsen. Brevet er afskrevet og venligt stillet til rådighed af Eric Forster. Det er her gengivet i overensstemmelse med originalbrevet.

Archival Reference

Subjects

• Criticism of Thorvaldsen's Works, Negative
• Criticism of Thorvaldsen's Works, Positive
• Artistic Environment in Rome
• Journey to Denmark, July-October 1819
• Statues, Classical Mythology
• Thorvaldsen and Canova
• Thorvalden's Assistants

Persons

• Antonio Canova
• William Cavendish
• Pietro Tenerani
• Bertel Thorvaldsen

Works

	Venus med æblet, 1813 - maj 1816, inv.nr. A12
	Gratierne og Amor, april 1819, inv.nr. A29

Commentaries

1. Den engelske hertug William Devonshire.

2. Et marmor eksemplar af Teneranis skulptur fra 1825 findes i The Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth, antagelig erhvervet af William Devonshire, 6. hertug af Devonshire, som også omtales i brevet her.

Last updated 21.07.2014