King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Thorvaldsen enjoyed a close friendship over the years, and in the 1830s Ludwig made a vain attempt to persuade Thorvaldsen to settle in Munich, where he was even willing to build a museum for him. During a visit to Thorvaldsen’s studio in 1829, the king appointed the sculptor a knight commander with the words, “Soldiers distinguish themselves in battle, the artist with his works.”
