Bertel Thorvaldsen
Montenero
Nicolai Abildgaard
København
Ingen udskrift.
Brevudkastet er udateret, men det er forlæg til det afsendte brev af 6.8.1804.
Second draft of a letter: Thorvaldsen tells Abildgaard that he is going to Carrara with Herman Schubart. He has received several commissions for new works and thanks Abildgaard for his continued support.
FI Hav den Godhed at tale med Dem om bevidste BogII. Jeg anvender min Tiid her paa dette yndige Sted saa godt som mueligt, og om faae Dage agter Kammerherren at giøre en Tour med mig til Carara for der at see de berømte Marmor Gruber, og at sætte mig derved i Forbindelse med de Menesker som sælge det bedste Marmor til Statuer og Grupper. Adskillige Fremmede Herrer og Damer have bestilt nogle hos mig hvilket Justiceraaden vil erfare af mit Brev til Accademiet, hvilket vist ikke vil fortryde paa at jeg har taget mig Arbeyde paa, for Fremmede, da Dets Hensigt er at jeg skal danne mig, og blive en Konstner den Naade og Bevaagenhed værdig som Accademiet har beviist mig medens jeg nød Dets Stipendium. Jeg føler dybt at jeg er denne Bistand de Fortskridt som jeg har giort i Konsten skyldig; og jeg føler endnu dybere at jeg har Justiceraadens Godhed at takke derfor. Hvad ivrigere Ønske kunde jeg derfor have end Vedligeholdelsen af samme? og jeg kand ikke slutte mit Brev uden at anbefale mig i Justiceraadens stedsevarende Venskab, som vil bidrage til at opmuntre min Iver for Konsten, og at giøre mig værdig til Sammes Bevaagenhed.
Den sunde Luft i Montenr og Kammerherre Schubarts venskabelige Omsorg for mig har havt en særdeles god Virkning paa min Sundhed, og nu vil jeg begynde med fordobbelte Kræfter paa de bestilte Arbeyder, overbeviist om at Justiceraaden vil stedse tage venskabelig Andeel i Skiæbnen af hans
ærbødigste Forbunden
Thorwaldsen
F Show the kindness to talk with you about the book in question. I spend my time here in this lovely place as well as possible, and in a few days the chamberlain intends to go on a tour with me to Carrara to see the famous marble pits, and thus put me into touch with the people who sell the best marble for statues and groups.Several foreign gentlemen and ladies have commissioned some from me, which the Counsellor will learn from my letter to the Academy, which surely will not disapprove of my accepting work for foreigners as its intention is for me to educate myself and become an artist worthy of the honour and attention which the Academy has shown me while I enjoyed its scholarship. I sincerely feel that I owe the progress I have made in art to this assistance; and even more sincerely I feel that I may thank the Counsellor’s kindness for this. What could I more anxiously wish for than the maintenance of the same? And I cannot finish my letter without commending myself to the perpetual friendship of the Counsellor, which will contribute to encourage my ardour for art, and make me worthy of the favour of the said.
The healthy air in Montenero and the kind solicitude of Mr Schubart have had an extremely good consequence for my health, and now I shall begin with redoubled energy on the commissioned works, convinced that the Counsellor will always have a friendly part in the fate of his,
Most humbly obliged,
Thorwaldsen
[Translated by Karen Husum]
The notes for this draft are to be found in the final version of 6.8.1804, apart from one passage, where the content differs.
This draft is one of three of the final letter. As the wording is largely identical to the last 1/3 of the final letter, the draft represents a later stage in the writing process than the earliest known draft.
The draft is written by Herman Schubart.
Herman Schubart
Last updated 29.06.2015
This sign is not be read as an F but as a proof mark which Schubart often used in his drafts when he wanted to indicate that one passage – like this one – was to be inserted in another marked by the F-looking sign.
In this case, this draft was combined with the first 2/3 of the draft.
>It is uncertain what book Thorvaldsen is referring to. The passage was deleted from the final letter of “6.8.1804.