1.8.1818

Sender

Bertel Thorvaldsen

Sender’s Location

Rom

Information on sender

Rødt laksegl med utydeligt præg.

Recipient

C.F. Hansen

Recipient’s Location

København

Information on recipient

Udskrift: Til S. T. / Hr. Etatsråd Hansen / Rider af Dannebroge & c. / à / Kiøbenhavn

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Abstract

Thorvaldsen looks forward to embracing C.F. Hansen in Copenhagen soon. He characterizes the sculptor Hermann Ernst Freund as a fine and hard-working person and has recommended the architect Jørgen Koch to travel to Greece.

Document

Rom den 1e August 1818.

Skiøndt min Haand endnu er for svagI til at kunne skrive et langt Brev, maae jeg dog min dyrebare Herr EtatsRaad takke Dem med faa Ord, for Deres venskabelige SkrivelseII[.] i DenIII til Bygnings ComissionenIV vel underette Dem om, at jeg snart tør Haabe at omfavne Dem e KiøbenhavnV og dette glæder mig inderlig. FreundVI er et haabefuldt ungt Meneske, som der kan blive noget af med Tiiden thi han er god, og stræbsom. KochVII finder en Lejlighed at reise til Grækenland og har jeg tilraadet ham denne nyttige Reise – – –

Nu farvel til vi sees

A. Thorvaldsen

Oversættelse af dokument

Rome, August 1st 1818.

Although my hand is still too weak to write a long letter, I must, my dear Etatsraad [titular Councillor of State] thank you in a few words for your friendly letter[.] the one for the Building Commission will inform you that I dare hope soon to embrace you in Copenhagen and this pleases me sincerely.
Freund is a promising young man, who may succeed in time as he is a fine and hard-working person. Koch finds an opportunity to go to Greece and I have advised this profitable journey – – –

Now good-bye for the present,

A. Thorvaldsen


[Translated by Karen Husum]

General Comment

There exists an almost identical draft of this letter.
The letter was acquired by Thorvaldsens Museum in 1936 from a descendant of C.F. Hansen together with 86 other letters til arkitekten, jf. THM j.nr. 5, 11/1936.

Document Type

Færdigt egenhændigt dokument

Archival Reference

m28A I, nr. 7

Thiele

Ikke omtalt hos Thiele.

Subjects

Persons

Commentaries

  1. Thorvaldsen had suffered from pneumonia and depression in the summer of 1818.

  2. Cf. letter dated 20.6.1818 from C.F. Hansen to Thorvaldsen.

  3. I.e. the letter dated 1.8.1818 from Thorvaldsen to Slotsbygningskommissionen.

  4. I.e. the Building Commission for Christiansborg
    Palace    .

  5. Thorvaldsen had decided to go to Copenhagen in 1819, cf. the subject The Journey to Denmark, July-October 1819.

  6. The Danish-German sculptor Hermann Ernst Freund.

  7. The Danish architect Jørgen Koch, who went to Greece and Istanbul.

Last updated 18.08.2016