Hans Dahlerup [da], her captain, and Alexander Wilde, then a junior lieutenant, have both described the voyage in their memoirs.

Another 65 boxes of artworks, maonly for installation in the Church of Our Lady and Christiansborg Palace, both of which were under reconstruction after fires, had been transported to Denmark onboard the corvette Galathea in 1833.

In 1835 Bellona had been sent to Livorno to pick Thorvaldsen and more of his artworks up, but the sculptor had with short notice decided to postpone his own return to Denmark.

Alart and St. Croix would then continue to the Danish West Indies, whereas Flora, a naval training ship for midshipmen, was supposed to follow Rota all the way.

[5] The sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau, who had just graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, was onboard as a passenger.

[6] The four ships departed from Copenhagen on 11 May 1838 but lost contact with each other when they encountered a snow storm from Ene off the coast of Norway.

The situation did not improve in the Bay of Biscay, where foul weather and treacherous currents only permitted St. Croix to follow Rota.

[,,,] I had taken my uniform on to show my official errand and to pay due honor to the man whom the king had decided to pick up by a warship.

There was someonethere with him, and seemingly a little embarrassed to receive me "en dishabillé", he wanted to grab a jacket in a hurry, but stayed at my urging as he was, and we would soon agree on everything.

Dahlerup describes their arrival in his memoirs: As the boats approached the ship, the flags were hoisted, and when everybody had come on board, where I and the officers received them at the Jacob's ladder, while the whole crew in festive attire was lined up in front, I embraced Thorvaldsen and welcomed him on Danish ground, whereupon I turned to the crew and said: "Let us wish our highly acclaimed Countryman Welcome among us!"

In mid September, Rota was forced to anchor at Ellekilde Hage due to tailwind and storm at sunset.

She remained there for a few days as the foul weather continued until being towed to Copenhagen by a steamship on 17 September[4] The trip through the Sound became a true triumphal procession, even though it was foggy.

Both from the Danish and Swedish coasts, it was crowded with boats full of festively dressed people shouting hurray and throwing flower wreaths into the water.

On 17 September at 16-17 the frigate anchored at Kastelspynten: "It was no easy matter for my large and wide chalup with its long oars to make its way through the bustling crowd of boats, fully packed with ornate gentlemen and ladies.

That evening there was a torchlight procession.What remained of Thorvaldsen's extensive collections in Rome was transported back to Denmark by ship in 1839 (Galathea, capt.

[3] From 9 March 1849 until 13 September 1849, Eckersberg has also created a drawing of Rota and four other Danish frigates fitting out in Copenhagen in the spring of 1849.

Alexander Wilde, who served as a junior lieutenant on the same voyage, has described it in Erindringer om Jerichau og Thorvaldsen ombord paa Fregatten Rota 1838 (1884).

Eckersberg chose the moment when a rainbow appeared behind the ships and boats, and made a study of it, and although Thorvaldsen could only be glimpsed at, he liked it and ordered this painting.