The bust of Crown Prince Christian Frederik (1786-1848) was modelled when the prince and his wife came to Rome while engaged on a prolonged journey abroad (1818-22). In his quality of Chairman of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, the intelligent and well educated prince acquired great importance for fine art. It was, however, especially the artists whom he got to know in the group centred on Thorvaldsen who came to enjoy his patronage. Under the name of Christian 8, he became the last absolute King of Denmark in 1839.
