At the beginning of the 19th century, the Danish diplomat Herman Schubart and his wife were among Thorvaldsen’s important patrons and friends. Thorvaldsen frequently worked at their country seat of Montenero near Livorno, which he also often portrayed. Schubarts were the enthusiastic recipients of several of Thorvaldsen’s drawings – and one of the motifs of which they wrote in their letters home to Denmark was this one of Prometheus.
