Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Charlotte Schimmelmann
København
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Thorvaldsen informs Schimmelmann that the baptismal font, cf. A555,1, A555,2, A555,3, A555,4, which she has commissioned is now ready to be sent to Denmark. He leaves it to Herman Schubart to testify that he has worked diligently on the font. Thorvaldsen writes that Schubart has paid the expenses for the font, and there will be no further charges. His own reward is that she will own one of his works, whereby he may become better known in Denmark. Connoisseurs in Rome have praised his work, and he hopes that the countess will agree.
Rom den 22de October 1808
Naadigste Grevinde
Deres fortreffelige BroderI som vi have den Lykke at besidde herII, men som desværre snart igien forlader os, har tilladt mig at føye nogle Ord til det Brev som han tilskriver Deres Excellence. Jeg benytter med Glæde denne Leylighed for at tilmælde Dem, at jeg har fuldendt det ArbeydeIII som de har værdiget at bestille hos mig, og at DøbesteenenIV blot venter paa Deres VinkV for at blive tilskikket Dem.
Om det er lykkedes mig at forfærdige et Arbeyde som er min Velgiørerinde værdig, kan jeg ikke selv bedømme, men Deres Herr Broder vil kunne sige Dem at jeg med en varm SkjønsomhedsVI Følelse har beskjæftiget mig med dette Arbejde, og at jeg finder mig lykkelig ved at kunne tilbyde Dem det.
Jeg blues ikke ved at tilstaae Deres Excellence, at jeg som en ung Konstner, og i de for Konsten saa besværlige Tider, har med taknemmelighed, antaget Deres ædle Broders Tilbud, med at udbetale mig de Penge, som jeg har udlagt for Døbesteenen som er af det skjønneste hvide Carara Marmor. Dette, saavelsom TransportenVII, samt den groveste UdhukningVIII, som skeer ved Middel af Daglønnere, koster mig i Alt 487 PiasterIX som Deres Herr Broder har i dag erstattetX havt den Godhed at erstatte mig. Hvad Arbejdet angaaer, saa er min sødeste Belønning denne, at have kunnet efterkomme min Velgiørerindes Befalning, og jeg skattererXI mig lykkelig at De min naadigste Grevinde vil besidde et af mine Arbejder, der tillige vil tjene til at giøre mig bekjendt i mit kjære FædernelandXII. De fiire Bas reliefsXIII som omringe Døbesteenen har jeg arbejdet med største Nøyagtighed, og her i Rom har Konstkienderne været tilfreds med mit Arbejde. Gid De ogsaa min naadigste Grevinde maatte bifalde den Fliid jeg har anvendt for at behage en Dame hvis fortrinlige Egenskaber, og ædle Følelser, opvække almindelig Beundring. Min Hengivenhed er ubegrændset, og ingen føler meere, og dybere Deres Værd, end
Deres Excellences
underdanige Tjener
Thorwaldsen
[På sidste side med Thorvaldsens egen hånd:]
Modellen til BassorelievetXIV i Den Store f
Rome, October 22nd 1808
Madam, Gracious Countess,
Your excellent brother, whom we have the fortune to have here, but who unfortunately leaves us again soon, has permitted me to add some words to the letter which he is writing to You Excellency. With pleasure I make use of this occasion to inform you that I have finished the work which you have vouchsafed to commission from me, and that the font merely awaits a hint from you to be dispatched to you.
Whether I have succeeded in making a work which is worthy of my benefactress I can not judge myself, but your brother will be able to tell you that with a feeling of warm gratitude I have devoted myself to this work, and that I find myself fortunate to be able to offer it to you. I do not blush at admitting to Your Excellency that as a young artist and in these troublesome times for art, I have with gratitude accepted your noble brother’s offer to pay me the money I have laid out for the font which is of the most beautiful, white Carrara marble. This as well as the transport and the roughest carving which takes place by means of workers paid by the day cost me in all 487 piaster which your brother today has made has been so kind as to compensate me for. As to the work, my sweetest reward is this, to have been able to carry out the orders of my benefactress, and I appreciate my good fortune, madam, that you, my Gracious Countess, want to own one of my works, which will also serve to make me known in my native land. The four bas-reliefs which surround the font I have made with extreme accuracy, and here in Rome connoisseurs have been satisfied with my work. I hope you also, my Gracious Countess, may approve of the diligence I have applied to please a lady whose excellent qualities and noble feelings give rise to much admiration. My affection is unlimited, and nobody feels more deeply your worth than
Your Excellency’s
Humble servant,
Thorwaldsen
[on the last page in Thorvaldsen’s own hand:]
The model to the bas-relief in the large p
[Translated by Karen Husum]
The paper is an oblong sheet, folded in the middle, with the draft written on the first three pages and the address in Thorvaldsen’s own writing on the last page. The sheet has been torn lengthwise and crosswise, and 1/4 of the last page is missing. The text “A BRIGLIA” appears as a watermark on the last page of the sheet, while on the first there is a coat-of-arms with the initials “C V” underneath. The watermarks are reversed relative to the draft.
The draft probably resulted in a letter that was sent the same day or soon after as Charlotte Schimmelmann wrote an answer in Copenhagen 17.11.1808, i.e. only 25 days later. Such a mail processing time must be considered quite short, cf. the related article about this.
It is interesting that this draft and the one of 4.2.1809 apparently give the recipe for Thorvaldsen’s pricing of his own works: the sum of the real expenses for materials, wages, and transport multiplied by two, so Thorvaldsen’s share corresponds to the total expenses. See the related article for more details about Thorvaldsen’s Works, Fixing Prices.
Herman Schubart
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Kristi dåb, Tidligst 1804 - 1805, inv.nr. A555,1 |
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Maria med Jesus og Johannes, Tidligst 1806 - Senest 1808, inv.nr. A555,2 |
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Tre svævende engle, Tidligst 1806 - Senest 1808, inv.nr. A555,3 |
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Kristus velsigner børnene, Tidligst 1806 - Senest 1808, inv.nr. A555,4 |
Last updated 04.03.2016
Baron Herman Schubart, who had originally arranged the commission from Schimmelmann to Thorvaldsen, cf. letter of 2.11.1804. Schubart wrote this draft himself and probably also encouraged its writing as he often helped Thorvaldsen with his correspondence, and as the commission came from his own sister.
Shortly after 15.9.1808, the Schubarts left for Rome via Perugia, Narni, Terni, Assisi and Cortona, probably in the company of J.L. Lund, J.G. Wahl, J.C. Eberlein and W. Matthiä, cf. letter of 12.8.1808. They left Rome again at the beginning of Novenber the same year, cf. Thiele II, p. 104.
Through her brother, Baron Herman Schubart, Charlotte Schimmelmann had commissioned a baptismal font, cf. A555,1, A555,2, A555,3, A555,4, as a present to their sister Sybille Reventlow of Brahetrolleborg in Funen, cf. letter of 2.11.1804 from Schubart to Thorvaldsen. See the related article about this Baptismal Font and other marble versions of it.
I.e. the baptismal font for Brahetrolleborg Church.
In letter of 17.11.1808, Charlotte Schimmelmann answered that unfortunately it was impossible to send anything home by sea – she was probably referring to the current Napoleonic Wars. The baptismal font did not come to Denmark until 1815, see the Thorvaldsen Chronology and the related article about the Baptismal Font and other marble versions of it.
Dvs. taknemmelighed, påskønnelse, jf. Ordbog over det danske Sprog, (under pkt. 2).
This most likely refers to the transport of the marble block from Carrara to Thorvaldsen’s workshop in Rome.
This passage documents part of Thorvaldsen’s workshop practice, i.e. that he usually had his assistants execute the rough carving of the block of marble and then finished the work himself by executing the finer carving and finishing touches. See the related articles about Thorvaldsen’s Workshop Practice, Thorvaldsen’s Assistants, and the addresses of Thorvaldsen’s Workshops.
In draft of 4.2.1809 he again mentions the price of the baptismal font even though he had clearly received the money the same day as the draft was written, cf. the following sentence in the text. The amount is here set at 483 scudi – which is approximately the same since the scudo was worth slightly less than the piastre, see the related article about Monetary Units. The variation in both numbers and monetary units, however, may be due to the difference in time between the two drafts.
See also the general comment regarding Thorvaldsen’s pricing of his own works.
It appears from the deletion that Herman Schubart (who also wrote and probably encouraged writing the letter) on that very day had given Thorvaldsen the amount stated for the above-mentioned Baptismal Font on behalf of his sister, Charlotte Schimmelman. Schubart was in Rome from the beginning of October to the beginning of November 1808, cf. the note on the word here in the first line above.
Dvs. taksere, vurdere jf. Ordbog over det danske Sprog.
Thorvaldsen was to contribute numerous works for Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, which was being rebuilt during these years after the fire in 1794. It is quite conceivable that, apart from Thorvaldsen’s obvious talents as a sculptor, this tactical present of the baptismal font to the Schimmelmann family was instrumental in Thorvaldsen’s involvement in the work. Thus, Charlotte Schimmelmann wrote a letter to her brother, Herman Schubart, with the following passage which was sent on to Thorvaldsen in Schubart’s letter of 26.12.1808: “My husband and I rightly recognize his noble gesture towards us. Count Christian Reventlow assured me yesterday that they are using him and are going to use him even more for our reborn palace [i.e. Christiansborg Palace]. He will be given great statues to execute, bas-reliefs and more; and you, my dear brother, may rely on Reventlow’s enthusiasm for your friend Thorwaldsen, in whom Hansen also takes a great interest. This artist certainly deserves the gratitude of his country [...]”. See the related article about the Commission for Christiansborg about this.
According to her brother Herman Schubart’s letter of 26.7.1805, Charlotte Schimmelmann had already at this time played a not unimportant role in Thorvaldsen’s appointment as professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen in 1805, see the Thorvaldsen Chronology.
For more about her and her husband Ernst Schimmelmann’s influence in Danish cultural life, see their biographies.
The bas-reliefs show The Baptism of Christ, Christ Blessing the Children, Maria with Jesus and John and Three Hovering Angels, who symbolize faith, hope and love. See the related article about the Baptismal Font for more about this.
This was probably written more than a year later in a letter of 2.3.1810 to the building commission for Christiansborg which begins: “The model for the bas-relief for the large pediment for the town hall, which is to be executed in stucco, was the first item I began; [...]”. This is the relief Jupiter, Minerva and Nemesis, A316, which was originally commissioned for C.F. Hansen’s town hall and courthouse in Copenhagen, cf. letter of 31.12.1806 and the related article about the Commission for the Town Hall and Courthouse. In 1847 the relief in terracotta was placed on Christiansborg Palace, where it was destroyed in the fire of 1884.
Thorvaldsen’s later addition to the draft supports Thiele’s account of Thorvaldsen’s habit of leaving his papers lying around and often reusing what was at hand, see e.g. Thiele I p. VI-VIII and the article about the History of the archives.