Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Meyer, Hans Jacob
1918-06-18

Transcription:

Tor Martin Leknes

Translation:

Francesca Nichols

Page

  • 1,
  • 2,
  • 3
Transcription
Translation

Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Meyer, Hans Jacob
1918-06-18
Brevs.295-66516, Nasjonalbiblioteket

3 Pages

Transcription: Tor Martin Leknes

Translation: Francesca Nichols

Transcription

Hr. Capt. Meyer

Tak for Deres venlige brev og for

Deres venlige sending af Jùles Wernes værker, –

jeg har faaet 2 hefter. – Det er altfor

elskværdig af Dem. Tusend tak!

Angaaende soleibilledet, – saa har jeg fartet

rùndt hele bygden for at finde en rigtig

vakker soleiemyr – eller et sted, hvor der

var mange soleier samlet; – mit gamle

soleie-motiv med det gamle "tun" i bag-

grùnden er rent ödelagt af opdyrkning, –

myren er veikt og törlagt, og da forsvinder

de store masser af soleier; – – thi disse kræver

at jorden er baade ùsedvanlig "fed" og usedvan-

lig "vandsyg"; – man fandt dem derfor för i

gule masser nedenfor gamle "tun", hvor alt

gjödselvandet fra fjösene randt ned i myren.

Nù har jeg nok fùndet nok af soleier iaar

ogsaa, – men det er vanskeligere at finde en

                                       II

god baggrùnd og mellemgrùnd – og jeg liker ikke

at tage at tage forgrùnden fra et sted og baggrùnden

fra et andet sted, – jeg maa se det sammen

for at se, hvor "varmt" eller "koldt", det skal staa

mod hinanden – nù begynder soleierne at fare, –

men jeg har i arbeide 4 billeder med soleier,

for at De kan have noget vælge i, og jeg gaar

kanske igang med et femte, som jeg har seet paa;

jeg plantet hjem soleier paa min gaard for at

kùnne have dem mod den baggrùnd, jeg önsker,

og har havt disse planter liggen i jord for at

"sinke" dem, – de er endnù ikke helt ùdsprùngne.

Men skùlde det nù vise sig vanskelig,

trods alt dette, at faa et tilfredsstillende

billede istand, – saa har jeg flere smaa skisser

som De kan se og mùligens vælge ùd noget

til et andet aar; – naar jeg paa forhaand vid-

ste, hvorledes De likte motivet forövrigt, var

det lettere at bestemme sig – nù har jeg lige-

som havt formeget at vælge imellem, trods

tidens fattigdom paa soleier. En agronom

miströstede mig med at "soleirnes tid forhaabentlig

snart var forbi for altid, de var ensbetydende med vanstel". Med

de bedste hilsener er jeg Deres forbùndne

Nikolai Astrup

Konvolutt, framside:

Til

Hr. Capt. H Meyer

Vetrlidsalmenning 27

Bergen

Translation

Captain Meyer

Thank You for Your kind letter and for

Your generous sending of Jùles Werne’s works, –

I have received 2 booklets. – It is much

too kind of You. Thank you very much!

As for the marigold picture, – I have wandered

around the whole village to find a truly

beautiful marigold marsh – or a spot, where there

were many marigolds gathered; – my old

marigold motif with the old "farmstead" in the

background is totally destroyed by cultivation, –

the marsh is thin and drained, and then the large

masses of marigolds disappear; – – for they demand

that the soil is both exceptionally "rich" and has 

excessive "seepage"; – that is why one found them in

masses of yellow below old "farmsteads", where all

the manure from the cowsheds ran down into the marsh.

Now I have found enough marigolds this year

as well, – but it is difficult to find a

                                             II

good background and middle ground – and I do not like

to take to take the foreground from one place and the background

from another place, – I must visualise it together

in order to determine, how "warm" or "cold" they should be

in relation to each other – now the marigolds are beginning to disappear, –

but I have 4 pictures of marigolds in progress,

so that You can have something to choose between, and I will

perhaps begin a fifth, which I have observed;

I transplanted marigolds on my farm in order to

be able to have them against a background of my liking,

and have had these plants lying in the earth so that

they can take “root”, – they have not sprung up quite yet. 

But if it turns out to be difficult,

despite all this, to manage to create a

satisfactory picture, – I have several small sketches

that You can have a look at and choose something from

for another year; – If I knew in advance, 

how You would prefer the rest of the motif, it

would be easier to decide – this time I have in a

way had too much to choose between, despite

the present paucity of marigolds. An agronomist

discouraged me by saying that "hopefully the era of marigolds will

soon be over forever, they were synonymous with neglect". With

best wishes I am Yours sincerely

Nikolai Astrup

Envelope, front: 

To

Captain H. Meyer

Vetrlidsalmenning 27

Bergen