Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Christian 8.
København
Ingen udskrift.
Dateringen fremgår ikke af brevudkastet, men af det afsendte brev af 4.2.1827.
Fifth draft letter dated 4.2.1827.
Med stor Fornøielse har jeg underdanigst modtaget Deres Kongelige Høiheds ærede Skrivelse af 25de November, hvoraf jeg seer, det har behaget Hans Majestæt at befale, at en Fregat skal afsendes til Livorno for at afhente en Deel af mine Arbeider: Vær forsikkret, at jeg skal stræbe at benytte denne Leilighed saa godt som muligt. I Marmor vover jeg imidlertid ei at love mere færdigt til at afgaae, end Deres Kongelige Høiheds egen og Deres Gemalindes Buster, de tvende Caryatider for Trongemakket, og en Døbesteen, som jeg ønsker at forære til en Kirke i Island. Det giør mig usigeligt ondt, at jeg ei er færdig med Portraitstatuen af Hendes Kongelige Høihed. Jeg har engang begyndt derpaa, men formedelst Sygdom var jeg nødt til at lade den staae ufuldendt, og den er endelig som en Følge deraf falden sammen og vorden ubrugelig. Imidlertid haaber jeg snart igien at begynde paa et Arbeide, der for mig er saa interessant, og hvilket jeg giør mig en Ære af at udføre. – Jeg har meddelt Hr Freund den Artikel i Deres Kongelige Høiheds Brev, der angaaer ham, og han har sagt mig, at han selv skal have den Ære at svare derpaa. Bissen er flittig, og viser meget Talent i det han producerer. Det glæder mig at høre den Fremgang, de to unge Billedhuggere giøre, hvilke Deres Kongelige Høihed i Deres Brev omtaler, det vil vist ikke feile paa en god Fremgang for Kunsten og dens Dyrkere under en Prindses Bestyrelse der viser saa megen Indsigt og ædel Villie som Deres Kongelige Høihed. Hr Schmidt, der nylig er vendt tilbage fra Neapel, samt har medbragt en smuk Samling af Tegninger, hvilke han der har giort, har jeg tilmeldt Deres Yttring hans Finantser angaaende, som særdeles har glædet ham. – Jeg takker Deres Kongelige Høihed underdanigst for at De en Tid lang har bebyrdet Dem med Bestyrelsen af den mig tilhørende Summa Penge, jeg kunde sikkert ikke finde noget bedre Sted at placere den. Jeg har imidlertid taget mig den Frihed at tilskrive Justitsraad Adler desangaaende, da jeg nu tænker at giøre Brug af denne Summa tilligemed af det Øvrige, jeg har erhvervet mig. Min Hensigt er nemlig at lade støbe et Monument i Bronze, forestillende Seiersgudinden i naturlig Størrelse paa en Triumphvogn trukken af to eller fire Heste. Jeg har desuden mange andre Arbeider, som jeg har udført eller vil udføre i Marmor paa egen Bekostning. Naar jeg hertil lægger min Samling af antike og moderne Kunstsager, der daglig formerer sig, saa haaber jeg istedetfor Penge at efterlade en temmelig udvalgt Samling, hvorved jeg ogsaa efter min Død haaber at virke til det Skiønnes og en ægte Konstdannelses Udbredelse.I – Jeg har den Ære med dyb Erkiendtlighed for Deres Kongelige Høiheds mig udviste Velvillie at underskrive mig underdanigst
With great pleasure I have most humbly received your Royal Majesty’s favour of November 25th, from which I see it has pleased His Majesty to order a frigat to be sent to Leghorn to fetch part of my works: Be assured that I shall strive to make good use of this opportunity. In marble, however, I dare not promise more ready to dispatch but your Royal Highness’ own and your wife’s busts, the two Caryatids for the throne chamber, and a baptismal stone, which I wish to give to a church in Iceland. I am extremely sorry that I have not finished the portrait statue of Her Royal Highness. Once I have started it, but because of illness I had to leave it unfinished, and finally because of this it has fallen in and become useless. However, I hope soon to begin again this piece of work, which is interesting for me, and which I shall make it an honour to execute.- I have conveyed to Mr Freund the paragraph in Your Royal Highness’ letter, which regards him, and he has told me that he himself will have the honour of answering it. Bissen is diligent and shows much talent in what he produces. I am pleased to hear about the progress the two young sculptors make, whom Your Royal Highness mentions, there certainly will be no want of good progress for art and its devotees under the management of a prince who shows so much insight and noble intention as Your Royal Highness. I have informed Mr Schmidt who has recently returned from Naples and has brought with him a lovely collection of drawings, which he has made there, of your remark regarding his finances, which has pleased him immensely. – I most humbly thank Your Royal Highness for having troubled yourself for a long time with the management of the sum of money belonging to me, I could probably find no better place to put it. However, I have taken the liberty to write to Mr Adler, the Counsellor, about this, as I am now planning to use this sum as well as what else I have acquired. For it is my intention to have a monument cast in bronze representing Victoria life-sized on a chariot drawn by two or four horses. Besides I have many other works, which I have executed or will execute in marble at my own expense. When I to this add my collection of antique and modern objects of art, increasing daily, then instead of money I hope to leave a rather select collection, by which also after my death I hope to work for beauty and an extension of a genuine refinement. – I have the honour with sincere gratitude for Your Royal Highness’ kindness to me most humbly to sign myself
[Translated by Karen Husum]
This is the fifth and final draft of the letter dated 4.2.1827, see the comments on the contents there.
See also the related articles Thorvaldsen’s Letter Writing Process and Thorvaldsen’s Spoken and Written Language.
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Karyatide, 1813, inv.nr. A55 |
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Karyatide, 1813, inv.nr. A56 |
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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 |
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Christian (8.) Frederik, Antagelig 7. januar 1821 - Antagelig 13. januar 1821, inv.nr. A753 |
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Caroline Amalie, Tidligst 30. december 1820 - 1821, inv.nr. A754 |
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Caroline Amalie, 1827, inv.nr. A164 |
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Victoria, 1827, inv.nr. A48 |
Last updated 04.11.2016
This sentence has been omitted in the finished letter dated 4.2.1827.