Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Jørgen Knudtzon
Rom
Ingen udskrift, da det drejer sig om et udkast.
Dateringen fremgår af brevudkastet.
Thorvaldsen writes that he has been very busy working and showing his workshop to English visitors. For the same reason he will have to postpone his planned visit to Denmark. He writes that all the commissioned marble works are just being finished and will soon be shipped off together, cf. the portrait busts of Jørgen Knudtzon, A230, Alexander Baillie, A262, and Hans Carl Knudtzon, A231, and the reliefs Hector with Paris and Helen, cf. A499, Cupid and Bacchus, cf. A408, and Venus, Mars and Cupid in the Smithy of Vulcan, cf. A419. He recommends putting off buying some of the antique objects which Alexander Baillie wants until the many visitors have left Rome, and the prices have hopefully dropped again.
Rom, i Mai 1817.
Undskyld, kjære Hr. Knudtzon! at jeg først nu besvarer Deres kjære BreveI, men De ved jo selv, hvor sjeldent mine øvrige Arbeider tillade mig at komme til Skriverbordet;II om Sommeren gaae Dagene for det meste hen i mit StudioIII, og naar de ere tilende, er baade Haanden og Sindet træt, og den sidste Vinter er Deres SpaadomIV gaaet i Opfyldelse. Rom var og er endnu tildels opfyldt med Englændere, og selv disse borttage mig fast mere end den Tid, som levnes mig for mine Arbeider. Ja, jeg er derved kommet saameget i Gjæld med Arbeide, at jeg er nødt til at opsætte min Reise til KjøbenhavnV, som jeg dog vist havde agtet at foretage i dette Foraar.
BusterneVI samt de øvrige ArbeiderVII til Dem, ere alle færdige paa meget lidet nær, undtagen Deres yngre Broders BusteVIII, som jeg dog endnu førend jeg modtog Deres sidste BrevIX, paa min egen Haand havde begyndt paa at udføre i Marmor. Ved Arbeidernes samtlige Afsendelse, som snart vil gaae for sigX, skal jeg lade Dem vide, hvordan De staar med UlrichXI.
Hvad nu Tomba d’Agrippa angaar, samt den antike VaseXII, da vil jeg meget raade til, for det første at se Tiden an, til færre Fremmede opholde sig i Rom, thi da der af denne Slags nu for Tiden kjøbes meget, ere ogsaa Priserne stegne uhyre derpaaXIII. Tilgiv min Korthed, som ovenanførte Aarsager maa undskylde. Hils Deres Broder paa det Bedste, og vær selv ret inderlig hilset fra
Deres hengivne
Jeg maa endnu tilføie dette Ønske, at Deres Længsel efter Italien snart maatte bringe Dem tilbage hertil.
Rome, May 1817
Dear Mr Knudtzon, I apologize for not answering your dear letters until now, but you do know, how rarely my other works permit me to get to the writing desk; in summer I mostly pass the days in my studio, and when they are finished, both the hand and the mind is tired, and the latest winter your prediction has come true. Rome was and still is partly full of Englishmen and even these almost take away more than the time, which is left me for my works. Now, by this I have come so much behind with my work that I must postpone my journey to Copenhagen which I certainly had intended to make this spring.
The busts as well as the other works for you are all finished less very little, except for your younger brother’s bust, which even before I received your latest letter, however, on my own initiative I had started to execute in marble. I shall let you know your position with Ulrich at the dispatch of all the works, which will take place soon.
Now, as for Tomba d’Agrippa, as well as the antique vase, I shall much advise you for the present to wait and see until fewer foreigners are staying in Rome, for because much of this kind is bought for the time being prices have also gone up immensely. Forgive my brevity which the above mentioned reasons must excuse. Give my best regards to your brother and much love to you, from
yours ever
I must add yet this wish, may your longing for Italy soon bring you back here.
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Lauritz Kruse
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Hans Carl Knudtzon, Tidligst marts 1816 - Senest maj 1816, inv.nr. A231 |
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Jørgen Knudtzon, Tidligst marts 1816 - Senest maj 1816, inv.nr. A230 |
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Alexander Baillie, Tidligst marts 1816 - Senest maj 1816, inv.nr. A262 |
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Amor drikker af Bacchus' skål, Tidligst 1810, inv.nr. A408 |
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Venus, Mars og Amor i Vulkans værksted, Antagelig 1810, inv.nr. A419 |
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Hektor hos Paris og Helena, december 1809, inv.nr. A499 |
Last updated 09.01.2017
I.e. Knudtzon’s letters of 3.4.1816, 20.6.1816 and 20.11.1818. Knudtzon also wrote to Thorvaldsen 15.3.1816 and 19.3.1816, but at that time the Norwegian was still in Rome, which he left 19.3.1816.
It was not just too much work that often prevented Thorvaldsen from answering letters quickly – the sculptor also suffered from dyslexia, cf. the related articles Thorvaldsen’s Spoken and Written Language and Thorvaldsen’s Letter Writing Process.
In fact, Thorvaldsen had several workshops in Rome, cf. the related article about Thorvaldsen’s Workshops.
See also Jørgen Knudtzon’s letters of 20.6.1816 and 20.11.1816, in which he writes that several of his English acquaintances are going to visit Rome, cf. Thorvaldsen’s later description of English visitors.
Not until 14.7.1819 did Thorvaldsen begin his first journey to Denmark since he left the country in 1796, cf. also the related articles The Journey to Denmark, July-October 1819 and The Stay in Denmark 1819-20.
I.e. marble versions of the portrait busts of Jørgen Knudtzon cf. A230, and Alexander Baillie, cf. A262, which he modelled during their visit to Rome in the spring of 1816.
I.e. the marble versions of the reliefs Hector with Paris and Helen, cf. A499, Cupid and Bacchus, cf. A408, and Venus, Mars and Cupid in the Smithy of Vulcan, cf. A419.
I.e. the marble version of the portrait bust of the Hans Carl Knudtzon, cf. A231, who, on behalf of his parents, commissioned the execution in marble in letter of 20.11.1816. Today the bust is in the Museum of Science at the NTNU (the Technical and Scientific University of Normay), Trondheim, Norway.
I.e. probably Knudtzon’s letter of 20.11.1818, which is the latest known letter in the correspondence.
It did not take place all that soon. Knudtzon did not receive the reliefs Hector with Paris and Helen, 1809, cf. A499, and Cupid and Bacchus, 1810, cf. A408, and the busts until the spring of 1828, cf. his letter of 14.5.1828.
Knudtzon received the third relief, Venus, Mars and Cupid in the Smithy of Vulcan, cf. A419, shortly before 16.6.1829, cf. letter of this date and workshop accounts of January to May 1828.
The Danish-German consul J.C. Ulrich. Ulrich acted as agent for the payment and shipping of the works that Knudtzon and his English contacts commissioned from Thorvaldsen.
Thorvaldsen had been asked to get some antiques for Alexander Baillie, cf. Knudtzon’s letters of 19.3.1816 and 20.6.1816. See these letters for a closer description of the desired objects.
It is not known whether Thorvaldsen ever helped Baillie acquire the desired antiques.