Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Ditlev Martens
Rom
Ingen udskrift.
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Thorvaldsen bears witness to Martens’ diligence and talent and warmly recommends him for financial support.
Jeg griber med største Fornøielse Leiligheden at kunne give min Anbefaling til Hr. Martens.
Hans udmærkede Flid forbunden med hans Vedholdenhed i sine Studeringer til Uddannelsen af sine Kundskaber i sit Fag har tilfulde tiltrukket sig min høieste Tilfredshed og Beundring.
Jeg har seet med største Glæde hans viste ArbeiderI her i RomII, som have lagt for Dagen de største Prøver paa hans sjeldne Talent og vist os hvad vi kunne vente af denne flittige Kunstner.
Jeg kan derfor ikke Andet end ønske ham alt mueligt Held og som høist værdig anbefale ham paa det Bedste til Opmuntring og UnderstøttelseIII.
Rom d. 29de. August 1827.
A Thorvaldsen
With the greatest pleasure do I seize the opportunity to be able to give my testimonial to Martens.
His excellent diligence in connection with his persistence in his studies for the education of his knowledge in his profession has fully attracted my satisfaction and admiration.
With the greatest pleasure I have seen his works shown here in Rome, which have displayed the greatest proofs of his rare talent and shown us what we might expect from this diligent artist.
Therefore I cannot but wish him all possible success and strongly recommend him as highly deserving encouragement and assistance.
Rome, August 29th 1827
A Thorvaldsen
[Translated by Karen Husum]
The letter has torn along the fold in the middle and has been glued together (by a museum conservator).
NN
Koncipisten er endnu ikke identificeret.
Last updated 27.02.2017
Martens came to Rome at the end of 1825, but his works from the first years in Rome are not known, so it is uncertain which works Thorvaldsen is referring to here. Martens has probably brought the painting Inside the Frauenkirche in Munich from 1825 (Aros) with him from his journey to Rome, and c. 1826 he made studies in Thorvaldsen’s workshop in Piazza Barberini, which four years later were used for the watercolour Pope Leo XII Visits Thorvaldsen’s Studio near the Piazza Barberini on St. Luke’s Day 18. 10.1826 from 1830, Dep.18. When Thorvaldsen wrote the recommendation, Martins had just come back from a long journey through Naples to Sicily and Calabria; he describes the journey in a long letter dated 4.7.1827, in which he writes that he drew the antique temples on his way. It is quite likely that Thorvaldsen was shown these drawings when Martens returned to Rome.
Ditlev Martens lived in Rome from the end of 1825 until 1837, so he had been there a little more than 18 months when Thorvaldsen wrote this recommendation.
It is not known whom Martens intended to ask for financial support. Frederik 6. gave Martens a monthly allowance of 20 rix-dollars 1820-24. Fonden ad usus publicos gave him support in 1825, 1828 and 1832, and he received 240 rix-dollars a year 1825-27 from the King’s “Privy Purse”.