John Russell
Woburn Abbey
Brevet har været lukket med et rødt laksegl, motivet er utydeligt.
Poststemplet “ANGLETERRE”, “CH[xx]BERY”, “15MAGGIO”, “FO24” (hvor O desuden indgår i tallet 106, som står lodret), samt yderligere to runde poststempler; ulæselige, da de er stemplet oven i hinanden.
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Udskrift: Italy / Le Monsieur / Monsieur le Chevalier Thorwaldsen / à Rome.
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
John Russell thanks Thorvaldsen for his help with the restoration of some antiques which his brother William Russell bought for him in Rome. He also mentions that he has sent a book with engravings and descriptions of the Woburn Abbey Marbles and hopes that he will soon be able to send him a supplementary volume.
Woburn Abbey.
April 26th. 1824.
Sir,
My Brother, Lord William RussellI, informs me of your kind attentions in superintending the restorationII of some Antiquities Which he has purchased for me at Rome, & I request you will accept my sincere thanks for this mark of yr. kindness. – I trust you shal not fail to recieve a Copy of the Outline Engravings, & Description of my MarblesIII, which I sent to you last year, & I am in hopes that it will not be long, before I am enabled to send you a Supplement of this WorkIV, which I flatter myself may merit yr. attention. – It will afford all your friends much pleasure to see you in England, & to show you everything worth yr. notice in this country.
I remain Sir,
with perfect esteem
Yr. faithful & obedient Servant
Bedford.
Last updated 01.02.2016
Afsenderens bror William Russel.
Thorvaldsen havde tilsyneladende indvilliget i at være tilsynsførende ifm. Giuseppe Pacettis restaurering af nogle antikker, som William Russell har købt i Rom på vegne af sin bror, jf. brev af 7.4.1824 og referenceartiklen herom.
Det drejer sig et fornemt katalog over genstandene i skulpturgalleriet på Woburn Abbey, jf. referenceartiklen herom. Kataloget blev udgivet af John Russell i 1822 under titlen Outline Engravings and Descriptions of the Woburn Abbey Marbles, jf. Thorvaldsens bogsamling inv. nr. M51. Thorvaldsen modtog tilsyneladende allerede bogen året forinden, jf. brev af 16.6.1823.
Supplementet findes ikke i Thorvaldsens bibliotek, og det vides derfor ikke med sikkerhed om han nogensinde modtog det.