Eleonore Christine Harboe (b. Copenhagen 1796, d. Rome 1860)
Portrait of Bertel Thorvaldsen in the robes of the order of Academia di San Luca. Presumably 1830s. Inscribed on the back of the canvas: After Eckersberg painted by Eleonora Harboe. Oil on canvas. 94×75 cm.
Eleonora Christine Harboe painted all her life and was specialized particularly in copying the old Dutch and Italian masters. From 1856 on she lived in Rome until her death in 1860.
Eckersberg painted Thorvaldsen in 1814 (Emil Hannover no. 147), that one was exhibited at Charlottenborg in 1815 and it was donated to Kunstakademiet (the Royal Academy of Fine Arts) by the painter, where it still remains. Furthermore exists a replica from 1832 at the National Museum in Stockholm and another one from 1838 at the Glyptotek.
Eckersberg has not only repeated himself, other artists have diligently copied the known and admired painting. Thorvaldsen's Museum has since 1890 been in the possession of Christian Vogel von Vogel Stein's version of the portrait, painted in Rome in 1814, at the same time as Eckersberg's painting and even a young Købke has found inspiration in the portrait and copied the upper part in 1828.
Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.
Paintings, 24 November 2015