Kjære Kramer!

Som dù kanske har seet af aviserne, har

jeg paataget mig at holde en malerskole

i Förde. Som dù kanske kan tænke dig, er

jeg gaaet med paa dette – hovedsakelig for, at

jeg haabede samtidig at faa anledning til 

selv at stùdere lidt "akt" (noget som en maler

burde gjöre mindst en gang for aaret). –––

Det blev jo længe, förend jeg skrev denne gang,

men her har været saa meget sykdom i 

hùset, at vi tildels har maattet "vaake" baade

dag og nat; – alle börnene har efter tùr været

næsten halvdöde – særlig Kristian, som ikke

er sterk. Den mindste er nù værst. Saa er her

en stadig "hjemsökelse" – eller "besökelse" af alskens

emisærer og agenter, – særlig de sidste er plagsomme, 

da de ùten videre "lægger sig til" her. Júlen er

jo slem med bygdefolk ogsaa, – særlig kvinderne, 

som nù har faaet "mùseùms-galskapen" – og alle söker

at overtræffe hinanden i at finde ùt, hvorledes den 

ældste "jölstradragt" saa ùd, – og jeg skal være sak-

kyndig konsùlent; – det fornöieligste er at höre, hvor

ùenige og "eitrende" sinte de er paa hinanden, og

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har en af dem fùndet <noget>, som er ældre end

en anden, – og har bragt det til torvs (til Förde-mùseet)

saa er der "aabrygskap" avindsyke, eller hvad vi 

<kalde> det, – og de hater hinanden. Ja stadig ùfred har

her været af folk – meget værre end om somrene, – og 

kreditorerne blir jo ogsaa nærgaaende nù; – alt öker, 

jeg selv "minker". Og nervene – ja dem tör jeg ikke

snakke om. –––

Ja det var altsaa "et godt aar!" jeg vilde önske dig

og dine med "tak for det gamle!" – og tusend

tak for æplene til börnene! – Jeg har havt et træsnit

af "Seljekallen" ("Vaarnat og Seljekall") hængende siden 

för jùl med tanke paa Hjördis, – men veed ikke, om 

hùn kanske heller vilde foretrække noget andet; – 

denne tryk synes Engel er en af mine bedste af dette

træsnit. Kunde dù faa vite, hvad hùn helst vilde like?

Kanske kommer jeg til at lage et nyt, som hùn vilde

like bedre, – jeg har jo saa mange planer. –––

Ja denne skolen kommer jo lidt i veien for mangt, – 

men jeg havde lovet det alt – for snart 2 aar siden. 

Men jeg kommer jo nù betydeligt nærmere Bergen 

og kan ta mig en snartur af og til. –––

Men nù kommer jeg og plager dig: Vi har faaet löfte

paa en "modelpige" fra Svarstads & Onsagers aka-

demi – en "övet" model altsaa – og naar hùn 

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nù kommer til Bergen, hvor hùn er ùkjendt, 

tænkte jeg at bede dig möde op paa jernbane-

stationen og "geleide" hende til amtsbaaten (Förde-

baaten), – skùlde der ikke gaa direkte baat

samme dag, var dù kanske saa venlig at take

dig af hende – og skaffe hende hotel et.c, indtil 

baat gik direkte. Alle hendes utgifter til reise

etc. gaar paa "malerskolens" regning. – Og du be-

höver ikke at være bange for at hilse paa hende, 

da hùn er et skikkeligt menneske, – jeg har nemlig

betydet Onsager, at vi ikke vil ha en "gatepike", 

som mùligens kùnde indlede bekjendtskab med Förde-

ùngdommen og bringe "malerbanden" i vanry, – vi har

nemlig faaet leie "festsalen" i skolehùset, – og prest og 

andre aùtoriteter er os forelöbig meget bevaagne. 

Dù vilde gjöre os alle og den begyndende "maler-

skole en stor tjeneste, om dù kùnde tage dig af den-

ne modellen, – saa hùn ikke straks fik et altfor 

slett indtryk af vestlandet og dets malere. Hvis 

dù har liden tid, – var kanske Aagot saa snild at

hjælpe os med dette. Kanske dù ogsaa til exempel 

i Paasken eller Pintsen kùnde være med paa lidt

akt studiùm – kanske ogsaa Aagot havde lyst paa

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et lidet "kùrsùs". – Vi faar med en mand, som 

har stùderet anatomi, – og som jeg selv haaber at

lære lidt af, – han modellerer og har laget en "ana-

tomi mand", som jeg haaber vi faar laane. Der blir i alt

ca. 14–15 elever, hvis alle kommer; – men der er jo

sykdom over alt, og et par har meldt utsættelse – 

paa grùnd af "inflùenzaen", – som iaar gaar

værre end nogensinde her i Söndfjord, – (mange döde alt)

Ja, jeg er jo lidt spændt paa, hvordan det skal gaa

med denne "malerskolen", – om den, – som dù sa 

engang ifjor: "skal forhaabentlig blive et aarligt

tilbagevendende faktùm", eller om det blir "fjasko". 

Mest afhænger nù alt af modellen, – om hùn liker

sig her i Söndfjord – landets værste regnhùl", – saa vi 

kunde faa beholde hende en tid. Naar det vaares skal her

og males landskab, – og stillebensstudier kommer vi 

kanske til at drive med straks – jeg har derfor ikke

sendt mit stilleben (i "det gyldne snit"), – da det kùnde

benyttes lidt som "anskùeligheds" materiale. Jeg skal 

da bede Onsaker telegafere til dig et par dage, för

afsendelsen af modellen fra Oslo. Saa maa dù leve

vel og – være saa inderlig snild at gjöre os denne

tjeneste, – "din lön i himmelen skal vorde stor." Ja hils

saa hele familien fra alle her

Din Astrup

P.S.

Nettop som jeg skùlde sende mit brev med

denne kjedelige epistel – fik jeg dit brev – tusend

tak! – Penge i Sandal ogsaa!, ser jeg af en gùl 

postlap. Men hvad skal jeg gjöre med Kreyberg, 

som har skrevet til frù Höst – hùn solgte

jo trykken ifjor straks efter at jeg var i Bergen

– eller rettere medens jeg var der, og Engel fik 

pengene, – jeg har selvfölgelig glemt at fortælle

dig det, medens dù var her i sommer. – Jeg faar

sende et telegram idag til hende, om at

det er en misforstaaelse. –––

Ja posten gaar straks, og der var meget

at tale om: Smörret var natùrligvis en 

foræring til "lilleper". 

Rödbrùn maling til hùset, – nei men 

vil dù virkelig det? Brùk den heller

indvendig, hvis dù alt har kjöbt den – jeg

skal male alle dine vindùer om dù vil – 

hvite naturligvis, – de har nemlig lidt

adskillig ùnder transporten, og er stygge –

Der er ogsaa sölet cement og kalk ud over

indvendig – (vistnok af gùtter) – men vi skal 

faa vasket, og jeg tænkte at foreslaa dig

at male indvendig i rùmmene med lim-

farve – da kan man siden pröve sig frem, 

om hvad der er vakkert, og saa siden male

med olje, – hvis man liker en farve. 

Udvendig har man nogenlùnde graat overalt

<udtagen> paa indre side, og den kùnde da

males graa, – eller lad hele huset være

hvidt, – jeg skal faa han i Øiane til 

at male det billig, hvis dù vil. –––

Angaaende blokkerne ^{med blokken har det ingen hast.} ("taljer") var det nettop

de store, jeg havde lyst paa, – smaa dùer ikke; 

jerntaljer har jeg havt för, – det er noget

skrap, som rùster væk paa kort tid og ödelæg-

ger alle taùg. Ja nù hùsker jeg ikke mere.

Jeg har ikke sovet de sidste nætter saa hjernen

er tom, – det er nervösitet – (med 16–17000 kr. i 

gjæld er det ikke saa let at ùndgaa nervösiteten). 

Ja saa maa dù atter have tak og leve vel med

hele din familie. Bedste hilsen Din 

Astrùp

Dear Kramer!

As you may have seen from the newspapers, I

have taken upon myself to direct a painting school

in Förde. As you may perhaps imagine, I

have agreed to do this – mainly because

I hoped at the same time to have the opportunity to 

study “nudes” occasionally (something a painter

should do at least once a year). ¬¬–––

It took a long time, before I wrote this time,

but there has been so much sickness here in 

the house, that we have at times had to “keep watch” both

day and night; – all the children have one after the other 

nearly been close to death – especially Kristian, who is

not strong. The youngest is worst now. And then there has been

a steady flow of “hauntings” – or “visits” by all sorts of

emissaries and agents, – the latter in particular are irksome 

as they without so much as a by-your-leave “settle in” here. Christmas is

of course flooded with village folk as well, – especially the women, 

who have now contracted the “museum madness” – and everyone tries

to outdo one another in finding out, what the 

eldest “Jølster costume” looked like, – and I am supposed to be an ex-

pert consultant; – it is most entertaining to hear, how

they disagree and how “irascibly” angry they are with each other, and

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if one of them has found <something>, that is older than

someone else, – and has brought it to market (to the Förde museum)

it results in a “lovers ” spat, or whatever we 

<should call> it, – and they hate each other. So there has been a disruption

here by visitors – much worse than during summers, – and 

the creditors have also become more intrusive now;– everything increases, 

while I “shrink”. And the nerves – well I don’t dare 

talk about them. –––

Well it was in fact a “happy new year!” I intended to wish you

and your family with a “thanks for the old one!” – and many

thanks for the apples for the children! – I have had a woodcut

of “Willow goblin” (“Spring night and Willow”) hanging since 

before Christmas with Hjördis in mind, – but am not sure, whether 

she might perhaps prefer something else; – 

this print Engel thinks is one of my best of this

woodcut. Could you find out, what she would prefer?

Maybe I will make a new one, that she might

like better, – I have so many plans you see. –––

Well this school does get a little in the way of many things, – 

but I have already promised to do it – almost 2 years ago. 

Yet I will now be considerably closer to Bergen 

and will be able to make a quick visit now and then. –––

Well now I am going to trouble you: We have been promised

a “girl model” from Svarstads & Onsager’s aca-

demy – and “experienced” model that is – and when she 

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arrives in Bergen soon, where she is unfamiliar, 

I thought to ask you to come to the train

Station and “escort” her to the county boat (the Förde

boat), – in case there is no direct boat running

the same day, would you perhaps be so kind as to take

care of her – and obtain a hotel room for her, etc., until 

there was a direct boat. All of her travel expenses,

etc. should be charged to the “painting school’s” account. – And you need

not be afraid to meet her, 

as she is a decent human being, – I have in fact

signalled to Onsager, that we do not want to have a “woman of the street”, 

who might become acquainted with Förde’s

youth and bring “the painter class” in disrepute, – we have

actually rented the “festivity room” in the schoolhouse, – and the priest and 

other authorities are thus far quite aware of us. 

You would do us all and the nascent “painting

school a great service, if you could take care of this

model, – so that she did not immediately get a very 

bad impression of West Norway and its painters. If 

you are too busy, – perhaps Aagot would be so kind as to

assist us in this matter. Perhaps you might also for example 

during Easter or Whitsunday join in a little

nude study – perhaps Aagot might also wish to

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take a little “course”. – There will be a man joining us, who 

has studied anatomy, – and whom I myself hope to

learn a little from, – he models in clay and has made an “ana-

tomical man”, which I hope we will be able to borrow. In total there will be

approx. 14–15 pupils, if everyone comes; – but there is

sickness everywhere, and a couple of them have reported deferment – 

due to “influenza”, – which this year has spread

worse than ever here in Söndfjord, – (many dead already)

Well, I am a little nervous about, how things will go

with this “painting school”, – whether it, – as you mentioned 

once last year: “will hopefully be an annually

repeated occurrence”, or whether it will be a “fiasco”. 

Most everything depends now on the model, – whether she enjoys

being here in Söndfjord – the worst rain pit” in the country, – so that we 

might keep her here for a while. When spring arrives there will

also be landscape painting, – and still life studies we will 

perhaps begin with immediately – I have therefore not

sent my still life (the one with “the golden section”), – as it might

be used as “graphic” material. I will 

ask Onsaker to telegraph you a few days before

the model is sent off from Oslo. May you live

well then and – be so extremely kind as to do us this

favour, – “for great is your reward in heaven .” Well say

hello then to the whole family from everyone here

Your Astrup

P.S.

Just as I was about to send my letter with

this boring epistle – I received your letter – many

thanks! – Money in Sandal as well!, I see from a yellow 

postal slip. But what shall I do with Kreyberg, 

who has written to Mrs. Höst – she indeed sold

the print immediately after I was in Bergen

– or rather while I was there, and Engel received 

the money, – I have of course forgotten to tell

you this, while you were here this summer. – I will have

to send a telegram to her today, explaining that

it was a misunderstanding. –––

Well the postman is just leaving, and there is much

to talk about: The butter was naturally a 

gift for “little per”. 

Red-brown paint for the house, – is it possible 

you really want that? Use it instead

indoors, if you have purchased it – I

will paint all your windows if you wish – 

white naturally, – they have in fact suffered

considerably during the transport, and are a sorry sight –

Cement and lime have also been spilled on the floor

indoors – (reputedly by boys) – but we will 

have it cleaned up, and I thought of proposing to you

to paint the interior of the rooms in dis-

temper – then one can later try out, 

what is attractive, and then afterwards paint

with oil, – if one likes a colour. 

On the exterior one has more or less grey everywhere

<except> on the inside, and that could then

be painted grey, – or let the entire house be

white, – I will hire the chap in Øiane 

to paint it cheaply, if you wish. –––

Concerning the blocks (“tackle”) ^{with the blocks there is no hurry.} it was precisely

the large ones, I wished to have, – small ones are unsuitable; 

iron tackle I have had before, – it’s just 

rubbish, that becomes rusted in no time and des-

troys all the ropes. Well now I don’t remember anything more.

I have not slept for the past few nights so my brain

is empty, – it’s the anxiety – (with 16–17000 kr. in 

debts it is not so easy to avoid anxiety). 

Well thank you once again and live well along with

your entire family. Best wishes Your

Astrùp