The Thorvaldsen Letter Archives

Homage poems, love letters and large art contracts – Thorvaldsen’s letter collection is a priceless source of knowledge about both daily life and art in the world famous sculptor’s life.

Thorvaldsen’s wax seal.

Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen contains a huge collection of some 4500 documents and letters from, to and about the world-famous sculptor. In these letters, we meet Thorvaldsen’s family, Danish and foreign friends, outstanding European cultural figures, princes, aristocrats, artists, art-lovers and clients who were in touch with the best known Danish artist in the first half of the 19th century.

The Digital Letter Archives Open

The digital version of the letter archives opened on Thorvaldsen’s 238th birthday, 19.11.2008, and its address is: http:brevarkivet.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk/en/

The Main Source of Our Knowledge of Thorvaldsen

The Thorvaldsen Letter Archives are the primary source of our knowledge of Thorvaldsen’s life and work. Here, anyone interested in Thorvaldsen can read everything from his correspondence with his fiancée to his diary entries, letters he exchanged with fellow artists, business letters and poems and speeches in honour of the great sculptor.

The documents not only extend our knowledge of Thorvaldsen’s works, but they also give an invaluable insight into the artistic, social, linguistic and political conditions of the time. For national and international Thorvaldsen scholars the archives will be a mine of materials which for many years to come will be able to generate materials for articles, books, exhibitions and much more.

Newly-Developed, Internet-Based Work of Reference

Now the letters are being published in their original languages, Danish, German, Italian, French etc. in a user-friendly work of reference. At the same time they are being provided with explanatory commentaries, illustrations, registers, search tools, reference articles etc. Publication will take place on a continuous basis until 2011.

The project is supported by the Velux Foundation and has been developed in collaboration with the Oncotype design group.