9.5.1818

Sender

Bertel Thorvaldsen

Sender’s Location

Rom

Recipient

Christian 8.

Recipient’s Location

København

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Abstract

Draft of a letter dated 9.5.1818.

Document

Rom den 9^de May 1818 –

I det jeg aflægger min underdanigste Taksigelse for det naadige Brev^I hvormed Deres Kongelege Høyhed har beæret mig den 11^te April, henholder jeg mig aldeles til Indholden af den Skrivelse^II, som Hs Exe Baron v Schubart^III i Dag afsender. Han har fuldkommen tolket mine Tanker, og det vilde være overflødigt at tilføye noget, da han bestemt har forsikkret Deres Kongelige Høyhed om, at mit Arbejde^IV vil blive en Original, og ey en Gjenpart^V, saa at De, saavelsom det Danske Publicum kan være aldeles beroeliget i denne Henseende.
Jeg kunde ikke vælge en Talsmand end den gode og ædle Baron, som ynder mig, som elsker Kunsten lidenskabelig, og som er gienemtrængt af de varmeste Følelser for Deres Kongelige Høyhed

underdanigst
A. Thorvaldsen

Oversættelse af dokument

Rome, May 9^th 1818 –

Giving my most humble thanks for the favour of April 11^th with which Your Royal Highness has honoured me I refer entirely to the content of the letter which His Excellency Baron v Schubart sends today. He has explained my thoughts perfectly and it would be unnecessary to add anything as he certainly has assured Your Royal Highness that my work will be an original and not a copy, so that you as well as the Danish public may be completely assured in this respect.
I could not choose a spokesman but the kind and noble baron, who appreciates me, who passionately loves the arts, and who is filled with the warmest feelings for Your Royal Highness,

Most humbly,
A. Thorvaldsen

[Translated by Karen Husum]

General Comment

The letter is in Thorvaldsen’s hand, but it has been composed by Herman Schubart.

See also the final and almost identical letter dated 9.5.1818.

Document Type

Egenhændigt udkast

Archival Reference

m35 I, nr. 3

Thiele

Det færdige brev er gengivet hos Thiele II, p. 373-374.

Subjects

Alexander Frieze, Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen
Alexander Frieze, Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo
Commission for Christiansborg
Commission for the Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen

Persons

Herman Schubart

Works

Alexander den Stores indtog i Babylon, marts 1812 - juni 1812, inv.nr. A503

Commentaries

The letter Thorvaldsen refers to here was dated 7.4.1818 and not, as it says, 11.4.
The mistake is probably due to the fact that Herman Schubart has composed the letter, and that he himself received a letter from Christian Frederik 11.4.1818, cf. the copy in Herman Schubart’s archives, the Correspondance with the King and the Royal Family 1802-1831, the National Archives.
Cf. letter dated 9.5.1818 from Herman Schubart to Christian (8.) Frederik.
The Danish baron and diplomat Herman Schubart.
I.e. the marble version of Alexander the Great’s Entry into Babylon (the Alexander Frieze), cf. A503, which was wanted for Christiansborg Palace.
In a letter dated 7.4.1818 Christian (8.) Frederik expressed his concern regarding the idea of acquiring the Alexander Frieze for the King’s new Christiansborg Palace: He felt that the idea had been compromised the fact that a private person (Giovanni Battista Sommariva) had also commissioned the Alexander Frieze in marble – so was the King just getting a copy?
Christian Frederik therefore asked Thorvaldsen to create an entirely new frieze with a new subject in order to avoid any embarrassment to the King.

Last updated 10.09.2017