Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
C.F. Hansen
København
Ingen udskrift.
Disse fire udkast er skrevet som svar på C.F. Hansens brev af 15.5.1807, sandsynligvis samtidig med et andet udkast efter 15.6.1807, da det også er svar på samme brev fra Hansen. Dette andet udkast kan sikkert dateres til efter 15.6.1807, se dateringsbegrundelsen dér.
Draft: Thorvaldsen refuses to execute the statues of Solon and Lycurgus for the town hall and courthouse in travertine. Instead, he suggests half-size models which can then be made full size in sandstone in Copenhagen.
[øverst s.1, skrevet af Thorvaldsen]
at de tvende Lovgivere Solon og LycurgusI at giøre dem af Travertin Steen er for mig den samme umage som i Marmor, da jeg maa giøre modellerne og likkeII den siste Haand paa dem saae der kuns er alene spart ved Stenens indkiøb og ved Arbejderne for at hugge dem ud af det groveIII; for at inkaseringenIV og Trasporten er det samme, saa jeg ikke med god samveteghedV kan Raade at lade giøre nogen Figur som Konstværk betragte her, af slættere StenVI endsom man har hos os. Jeg vil derforVII
[nederst s. 1, skrevet af C.F. Høyer]
De undskylder mig der fore at ieg fraraader at lade nogen Figur udføre her af Travertin Steen fordi det ikke er ekonomisk at lade noget her udføre af en slet Steenart – Modellerne, og ligge den siste Haand paa
[øverst s.2, skrevet af C.F. Høyer]
Jeg haaber her ved at have giort mig Hr ProfessorenVIII forstaaelig at ieg afslaar at udføreIX ovenanførte Figur[er] af Travertinsteen fordi det ikke er ekonomisk at lade noget udfø[re] her af en slet Steen Art hvor den bædere Steen kan haves, Arbeidet og Transporten koster det samme. Jeg vil derfore hellere sende Dem Modeller til disse af halv størrelseX hvor efter De i Kbhvn kan lade dem udføre i Sandsteen
[nederst s.2, skrevet af C.F. Høyer]
Arbeidet maae ieg selv giøre, Arbeidet, Inkasseringen, Transporten er det samme der er følgelig ikke andet spart end den mindre Betaling for Stenen og at Arbeiderne have lidet mindre at bestille med at hugge det udaf det grove. Jeg haaber der fore at De finder det mere passende at ieg sender Dem Modellen til Disse i halv Størrelse hvorefter De i Kbhv kan lade Dem udføre i Sandsteen
[top p.1, written by Thorvaldsen]
to execute the two legislators Solon and Lykurgos of travertine stone is to me the same trouble as of marble, as I must make the models and apply the finishing touches to them, so expenses are only saved at the purchase of the stone and at the workers to carve them out of rough [stone]; for the encasement and the transport are the same, so that I can not with a good conscience advise you to have any figure executed considered as a piece of art, of worse stone than we have here with us. So I will
[bottom p.1, – written by C.F. Høyer]
Therefore you will excuse me for advising you not to have any figure executed here of travertine as it is not economical to have anything executed here of a bad variety of stone – the models, and apply the finishing touches
[top p.2, written by C.F. Høyer]
I hope I hereby have made myself understood to you, Professor, that I reject executing the abovementioned figures of travertine because it is not economical to have anything executed here of a bad variety of stone, when a better stone can be had, the work and transport cost the same. Therefore I prefer to send you half-size models for these after which you can have them made in sandstone in Copenhagen
[bottom p.2, written by C.F. Høyer]
I have to do the work myself, the work, the encasement, the transport are the same so consequently nothing is saved but the less payment for the stone and that the workers have a little less to do carving it out of the rough [stone]. So I hope you will find it more suitable that I send you the model for these half-size, after which you can have them made in sandstone in Copenhagen
[Translated by Karen Husum]
These four fragments are drafts of an answer to C.F. Hansen’s letter of 15.5.1807 regarding his commission of two statues for the façade of the town hall and courthouse. Thorvaldsen was extremely dissatisfied with Hansen’s proposal to execute the statues in travertine and not in marble for reasons of economy. Because of Thorvaldsen’s dissatisfaction, the statues were never realized, see more about this in the Commission for the Town Hall and Courthouse.
Thorvaldsen had obviously discussed the matter with his cohabitant C.F. Høyer, who has written three of the four fragments. Høyer expresses his indignation at Hansen’s parsimony in his letter of 4.7.1807 to Nicolai Abildgaard. Høyer’s views undoubtedly reflect Thorvaldsen’s.
The four fragments were probably written at the same time as another, more finished draft, after 15.6.1807 of the same letter, which was also written by Høyer.
C.F. Høyer
Høyer har ikke skrevet hele udkastet, men kun tre af dets fire dele.
Last updated 14.10.2015
I.e. the two statues commissioned by Hansen for the façade of the town hall and courthouse on Nytorv in Copenhagen.
The Athenian statesman Solon (ca 638 – ca 560 BC) was called one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece and is known for the quotation: Nothing in excess.
Lycurgus appears to have been a historical figure in the 700s BC and was known for his Spartan legislation.
Neither statue was realized because Hansen, in his letter of 15.5.1807, proposed to have the statues executed in a poorer material than marble in order to save money, cf. below.
The empty niches intended for the statues are still seen on the courthouse façade today.
Read more about this in the Commission for the Town Hall and Courthouse.
Dvs. lægge. Stavefejlen skyldes en blanding af Thorvaldsens ordblindhed og hans lavkøbenhavnske dialekt, se mere herom i Thorvaldsens tale- og skriftsprog.
In these lines, Thorvaldsen outlines the working process in his workshop: He executes the model in clay, and then his assistants take over the intermediate processes until he can apply the finishing touches after the marble has been carved out of the rough, as he writes here.
See more about this in Thorvaldsen’s Workshop Practice.
Thorvaldsen mener indpakning i kasse, men ordet har, så vidt vides, ikke været brugt i denne betydning på dansk. Der er må være tale om en oversættelse af det italienske incassatura, jf. verbet incassare, som bl.a. har betydningen at indpakke i kasse, jf. også det engelske encasement.
Se også Ordbog over fagudtryk i Thorvaldsens værksted.
Dvs. samvittighed. Stavefejlen skyldes en blanding af Thorvaldsens ordblindhed og hans lavkøbenhavnske dialekt, se mere herom i Thorvaldsens tale- og skriftsprog.
Thorvaldsen regarded travertine as a poor stone for sculptures, probably because of its many holes and undoubtedly also because the ancient Greeks used marble. Thorvaldsen did not want to deviate from this ideal of sculpture.
The fragment ends abruptly here but is continued below:
“Therefore I prefer to send you half-size models…”
I.e. Hansen, a titular professor since 1791, did not become professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen until 1808.
It was probably most unusual – if it had ever happened before – for an artist in an absolute monarchy to refuse to execute a commission from the state/the king. At any rate, this very direct statement did not go beyond the level of a draft, judging from the more finished draft. Here Thorvaldsen chooses a rather ambiguous wording that could not be interpreted as a regular refusal.
See more about this instance of Thorvaldsen’s artistic pride in the Commission for the Town Hall and Courthouse.
Hansen himself had hinted at the possibility that Thorvaldsen here suggests, i.e. to send smaller models to Copenhagen, where they could then be executed in full size, see Hansen’s letter of 31.12.1806.