Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Meyer, Hans Jacob
1921-01-04

Transcription:

Tor Martin Leknes

Translation:

Francesca Nichols

Page

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Transcription
Translation

Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Meyer, Hans Jacob
1921-01-04
Brevs.295-66538, Nasjonalbiblioteket

17 Pages

Transcription: Tor Martin Leknes

Translation: Francesca Nichols

Transcription

                  Kjære Hr. Meyer!

Jeg skùlde længst skrevet og takket Dem

tùsinde gange for all Deres elskværdig-

hed, – for jùlepresenterne til börnene,

og först og fremst for Deres storslagne 

jùlepresent til mig – nemlig at De har

betalt regninger paa 122,07 hos Neùmann

for mig, – og naar jeg ikke har takket Dem

för, – kommer det af, at jeg har gaaet

i stor ùvisshed, – om jeg kùnde tage imod

en slig gave, og særlig har

jeg været ùsikker, fordi jeg derved

kom i den vanskelige sitùation, at jeg

ikke – ùden at synes utaknemlig, – kùnde

paapege en feil eller forglemmelse i Deres

regning eller opgjör – De har nemlig glemt

200 kr. som jeg skùlde have, og som jeg

senere skal forklare nærmere om.

                   

Naar jeg nù derfor modtager Deres

gave med min inderligste tak – saa

haaber jeg, at De ikke tager mig det

fornærmeligt op, at jeg foreslaar at

vi "halverer" de 200 Kr. som er ùdeglemt

paa Deres regning, – slig at det altsaa

kùn blir 100 – et hùndrede, – som mang-

ler i regnskabet. – Jeg har gaaet og

spekulert paa, hvordan jeg skùlde klare

at ordne dette ùden at fornærme

Dem, – haaber at jeg har fùndet en

lösning.

De 200 kr., som De har glemt

paa Deres regning, – er nemlig det

belöb, som vi (paa Vasenden) blev 

enige om, at jeg skulde have, forat

anvende en tid til forsök paa at

male en ny smaajentefigùr (i den

gamle manèr); – rigtignok sa

jeg, at jeg intet skùlde have, hvis

det mislykkedes, – eller hvis De var

misfornöiet med figùren, – saa den maatte

borttages (isaafald fik jeg jo tage den bort-

kastede tid paa mig selv).

De 500 Kr., som De har opfört paa

regningen, var jo paa en maade 

ùdenfor vort mellemværende, da

de jo egentlig hörer ind ùnder de 2000,

som De vilde betale mor for billedet,

og det var mor, som vilde, at jeg

skulde have denne fjerdepart af hendes

penge, – baade som min (– arveret –) andel i 

billedet – (efter far's önske skùlde

jeg have alle billederne igjen – efter

mine forældres död); – altsaa baade

for dette og for at jeg skulde holde

de andre brödre skadeslöse med 

et eller flere billeder i stedenfor dette

billede, som alle de ældre söskende

helst vilde have, – for denne saks

skyld var det, at mor vilde, at jeg

skùlde have en fjerdepart af, hvad

hùn fik for billedet – (og det var alt-

saa ikke nogen betaling for arbeidet

med den nye figùr et.c.). –

Forresten skylder jeg mor mesteparten

af disse 500, – som jeg nù maa betale

hende igjen, – saa snart jeg kan. –

Naar jeg derfor forlangte de 200 Kr. for at

gjöre et alvorligt forsök paa at male

en ny figùr, – saa var det væsentlig,

fordi jeg ikke havde nogen anden for-

tjenste af handelen – (og jeg havde jo

ingen interesse have af at handelen

kom istand heller) – ùden de 200 Kr.,

vilde jeg da have kastet bort min tid –

uden noget vederlag (ökonomisk), og det

kunde jeg jo ikke godt gjöre af hensyn

til min kone og mine börn, – særlig i en

vanskelig tid, – jeg syntes ogsaa, at det

var det mindste, jeg kunde forlange, hvis

det lykkedes, – jeg tog jo ogsaa den resiko:

– intet at faa for arbeidet, hvis det mis-

lykkedes, – (og jeg havde sandelig ikke den

simpleste "arbeiders" daglön i den tiden).

Dertil kom, at jeg jo havde lidt udgif-

ter ogsaa: bl. a. til ny solid blindram-

II

me – lidt til lim og farver og

ca. 30 Kr. til transporten af billedet

(– nemlig: kjörsel til Förde (2,50) og

assùrance og fragt paa dampskibet

27,30); – den sidste post var jo

ùrimelig dyr; – men det var værdi-

angivelsen, som bestemte den (2000); –

det var midt ùnder forhandlingerne

om eventùel storstreik, og jeg syntes

derfor, at jeg maatte assùrere i alle-

fald det gamle billede (som jeg ikke

selv eiede) til 2000; – thi det var

ellers ikke godt at vite, hvor det

havnede ùnder en plùdselig

trafikstands, og iallefald var der

all sandsynlighed for dengang, at det

uden assùrance ikke kom frem för 

jùl, – naar det derimod var assù-

reret maatte D./ S. selskabet sörge

for, at det kom frem sammen med post

og andre "presserende" saker (pr. motor-

baat, som man havde i reserve i

paavente af storstreiken).

Men alt dette er bagateller, som jeg

aldrig havde tænkt at nævne, og jeg

stryker som nævnt ogsaa det ene

af de 200 kr. for mit höstarbeide,

fordi De er saa genereùs at ville

forære mig en slig stor julegave og

samtidig lægger Kr. 50 paa mit

prisforlangende for pennetegninger.

Jeg sendte Dem "Jùninat ved præste-

gaardshaven" – træsnittet – ca. 8 dage

för jùl, – det er altsaa foræring

til Dem og frùe, – haaber det er

kommen vel frem, – jeg havde

ikke "flad" pap at pakke i og maatte

derfor "rulle" det, – noget som jeg

ellers nödig gjör med kùnstværker, –

men, hvis det straks blir indrammet

har "rùllingen" ingen skade gjort

haaber jeg; – jeg er spændt paa 

at höre, om det kom frem uden

"rynker", folder eller "brett"; og om De

likte det, – jeg har gjort mig

all mùlig ùmak med at trykke

dette træsnit "pent", og jeg lod det

törre næsten mellem hver eneste

pladeskiftning (7 plader), – men

det blir jo ikke altid bedst, naar

man gjör sig mest ùleilighed heller.

Dog var jeg ganske vel fornöiet med

trykken selv. Der er noget ved

dette træsnit, som de fleste tidligere

har misforstaaet; – folk flest har

troet, at det "röde" fjeld i baggrùn-

den, – er belyst af "solnedgangens röde

straaler", – dette er feilagtigt, –

det er en "röd" tone, som midt-

nattes – (i sidste halvdel af jùni) – ofte

viser sig paa sydfjeldene i en fjeld-

bygd, – det er antagelig det samme,

som man i Schweitz kalder

"alpeglöden"; – jeg har vistnok

ofte tidligere "trykt" dette for sterkt, –

men det virker ogsaa i natùren svært

intenst om end "dybt" – eller mere

mörkt end solnedgangens "rödme",

(som jo indtræffer meget tidligere

paa kvelden).

Vi er altsaa færdig med alt i

vort opgjör – tilbake staar bare

de omtalte 200 kr. som jeg alt-

saa slaar halvdelen af paa, –

saa det nù bare er 100 – hundred

kroner – igjen – og saa "Rùsti" ja –

De vilde altsaa ifölge Deres telegram

tage "Rùsti" for mit tilbùd (600 Kr.)

Naar jeg nù tilbyder Dem at slaa

af Kr. 100 paa dette ogsaa, – haaber

               3

jeg at De ikke er fornærmet paa

mig, for at jeg fölte trang til at

paavise feilen i deres regning – for

at ùndgaa nogen misforstaaelse

mellem os; – paa denne maade

slaar jeg af 200 i alt, – det blir da

det samme belöb, som De havde

glemt, – og de 200 gaar saaledes

ud af sagaen, – og jeg glemmer 

den ogsaa herefter, og skal al-

drig nævne dem hverken for Dem

eller andre.

Det blir altsaa bare 600 Kr. som

staar os imellem nù nemlig:

Rùstis selportrait 500

For mit arbeide 100

600

Jeg synes da selv, at jeg har været billig

overfor Dem. – De er jo ogsaa en

"gammel kùnde" af mig nù, og jeg

vil föle mig smigret, om jeg faar

lov at betragte Dem som ven, – og

overfor venner maa man jo være

saa billig som mùligt, og jeg

vil ogsaa være det herefter, om

De skulde ville kjöbe endnù mere

af mig for exempel en liden

pennetegning, fx. den lille penne-

tegning paa hvilken jeg blev "antagen"

som illùstratör af Björnson (det

var 4 tegninger forresten: et træsnit

en kultegning og to pennetegninger)

den ene af pennetegningerne har

maleren Henrik Lund, som var vildt

begeistret for den, den anden skal

jeg sikkert have selv, – det er den bedste,

om den end er liden, – (i samme

störrelse som den skùlde staa i boken)

– hvis jeg finder den, skal jeg faa

lov at fòrære Dem den, – jeg siger

"hvis", – jeg er sikker paa at have den,

(har nylig seet den), – men jeg

maa lede, thi naar man bor paa

to steder, kommer man aldrig i orden, –

jeg har været inde paa Myklebust og

ledt, men det er mange penneteg-

ninger, jeg ikke finder, – jeg er ræd

for, at en familie, som fik bo i

mine huse der, – af vanvare eller

ùforstand har ödelagt en hel del

af dem, – jeg kan iallefald ikke nù i

en fart – i det korte dagslys – finde

dem alle blandt mine haùger af

löse skisser eller "notater" og akt-

stùdier, – jeg har ogsaa flere gange

brændt en hel del "rusk", og noget

af lidt værdi kunde da kanske fulgt

med, – det tager forresten slig forbandet

lang tid for mig at se igjennem

gamle ting og notater; thi motiver –

– længst forglemte – vaakner plùdselig

igjen og pirker ved min onde sam-

vittighed, – minder og tanker kom-

mer i affect og jeg blir siddende

og se ind i min "indre verden" –

istedenfor at lede efter det jeg skal.

Skùlde træsnittet ikke være helt

tilfredsstillende, – skal De bare sige

fra – og ikke bryde Dem om det

gamle ordsprog om at "se given

hest paa tænderne"; – thi ifald

noget kùnde tænkes at blive bedre

eller passe bedre efter Deres smag i

senere tryk af det samme, skal De

have fuld adgang til at bytte. De nævnte

i höst noget om at sende Dem træsnit,

for at Deres venner kunde faa kjöpe

                    4

om de vilde, ("bare farvetryk", tror

jeg De sa'), – i saafald havde De

jo anledning at bytte, baade dette og

andre, om De skulde önske, – men

forelöbig blir det vel intet af, at

jeg "trykker", – jeg har tænkt paa

"reisen", og först maa jeg da se at bli

helt fornöiet med "de meget omtalte"

billeder, som jeg endnù selv ser

mangler ved; – særlig "rabarbrabilledet",

som jeg antagelig maler helt om, da

kvindefigùren staar "fladt" i billedet og

er for stor; – trærene paa haùgen i bag-

grùnden (omkring eller nedenfor hæggen)

er ogsaa for "tynde" eller svage, – der er

for liden fyldighed baade i farve og form,

og for lidet luft og helhed i stemningen. –

Der maa komme mere vaar og skinnende

löv i naturen, mere jorddamp af varm jord

– nù er det bare figùren, som lyser; – thi

landskabet er "matt" og næsten trist,

figùren staar næsten i sollys og land-

skabet næsten i graaveir; – jeg har

heldigvis nogle smaa studier fra det

samme landskab, og jeg kan derfor anta-

gelig klare at omarbeide billedet

til noget bedre og fyldigere; – det er

nemlig "fladt". 

"Sommernat i tùnjölet" ("slukten"),

eller hvad jeg skal kalde det billede,

som frùen likte, (det med löen til

höire), – det er jeg næsten ræd for at

gjöre noget veed – (endskjönt der mangler

noget); thi det er en sensibel stem-

ning. – Jeg er sterkt forkjölet for tiden

og her er ogsaa lidet om dagslyset, –

det var derfor ogsaa umuligt at efter-

komme Deres telegram "för jùl". Jeg

vil heller ikke "fùske fra" mig i en

fart, – det kan til nöd tillades i en

skisse, – den kan ofte ikke forbedres ved

flid ùden at tabe sin friskhed. –

Kultegningen hörte til denne kategori.

Jeg forsögte at retoùchere lidt paa

den ved at skrabe lidt med penne-

kniven, hvor fernissen havde lagt sig

tykkest, – og fik ogsaa væk de værste

ùgjevnheder; – jeg maatte jo bruke fer-

nis istedenfor "fixervand" paa grùnd

af dette herlige "forbud" mod sprit,

(som er den vigtigste bestand-del af

fixervandet). Forresten tænkte jeg

ikke paa at behandle denne kul-

tegning saa særligt skaansomt, da

jeg kun tænkte at brùke den som

en "arbeidstegning" til et træsnit, og

jeg ahnede jo mindst af alt, at den

skùlde havde hos Dem.

Naar jeg særlig tænkte paa Dem med den

store pennetegning, var det for en del

fordi, jeg erindrede mit löfte til Dem

om at male blomsterne tydeligere paa

hæggen i billedet fra Sùnde (det med

Kari i röd kjole), – da var det jo svært

praktisk at have stùdier til blomsterne

og deres stillinger lige ved haanden. – Hr. Ska-

gens udtalelser om vandflader aficerer

mig lidet, men skùlde jeg ved gjensyn

se noget i samme retning, skal jeg retoù-

chere og forbedre, – det er jo ikke ùmùligt,

at billedet, som var ugjevnt malt – snart

tykt og snart tyndt – kan have taget

en viss eftermörkning ("<nadùnckeln>"),

og dètte optræder först paa steder, som er

tyndt malt, – (som vandet delvis vistnok

var); – de forskjellige dele kan da en tid

skille sig fra hinanden i "dybde", og det

kan jo virke ùheldigt, förend det "samler" sig

igjen.

Ja saa vil jeg da önske Dem et

rigtigt godt aar; – og saa önsker mine

særlig Kari – at faa takke Dem hjær-

teligst. Med de bedste önsker for

Dem og Deres familie. Deres forbùndne

Nikolai Astrup

De bedste hilsener fra os alle

til frùen! Med tak for alt!

Konvolutt, framside:

Recomanderes.

Til

Hr. Capt H. J. Meyer

Vetrlidsalmenning 27

Bergen

Translation

Dear Mr. Meyer!

I should have written long ago and thanked You

a thousand times for all Your kind- 

ness, – for the Christmas presents to the children,

and first and foremost for Your grand

Christmas present to me – that is, that You have

paid bills in the sum of 122.07 at Neùmann’s

for me, – and the reason I have not thanked You

before, – is because I have remained 

in great doubt, – whether I could accept

such a gift, and I have been unsure

especially, because I thereby

found myself in the difficult situation, where I

could not – without seeming ungrateful, – 

point out a mistake or oversight in Your

calculation or statement – You have in fact forgotten

200 kroner which was due to me, and which I

will explain in detail later.

When I therefore now accept Your

gift with my sincerest gratitude – I 

do hope, that You do not take offence

with me, when I suggest that

we "reduce by half" the 200 kroner that is omitted

in Your account, – so that it is thereby

reduced to 100 – one hundred, – that is miss-

ing in the statement. – I have

speculated about, how I might be

able to remedy this without offending

You, – and hope that I have found a

solution.

The 200 kroner, which You have omitted

in Your account, – is in fact the

sum, that we (at Vasenden) agreed 

upon, that I should have, in order

to spend time experimenting on

painting a new figure of a little girl (in the

old manner); – admittedly I

said, that I should not have it, if

it failed, – or if You were

dissatisfied with the figure, – so that it should be

removed (in which case I would take the 

wasted time upon myself).

The 500 kroner, which You have included in 

the statement, was in a way 

outside the bounds of our unsettled matters, as

they in fact belong under the 2,000,

which You intended to pay mother for the picture,

and it was mother, who wanted me

to have this sum representing one fourth of her 

money, – both as my (– inheritance –) share of 

the picture – (according to father’s wishes 

all of the pictures should be returned to me – after

the death of my parents); – therefore both

because of this and because I would compensate

my other brothers with 

one or more pictures instead of this

picture, which all of the older siblings

would have preferred to have, – it was

due to this matter, that mother wanted me

to have a fourth of what

she received for the picture – (and it was there-

fore in no way payment for the work

on the new figure etc.). –

Incidentally I owe mother most

of these 500, – which I am now obliged to

repay her, – as soon as I can. –

When I thus demanded the 200 kroner for

making a serious attempt at painting

a new figure, – it was essentially

because I would have no other benefit

from the arrangement – (and I had

no interest have in initiating the

arrangement either) – without the 200 kroner,

I would have thus wasted my time –

without any compensation (financial), and I

could not very well do that for the sake

of my wife and my children, – especially during

difficult times, – and I also felt, that it

was the least I could demand, if 

it succeeded, – I also took the risk:

– of receiving nothing for the work, if it 

failed, – (and I can truly say that I had less than

the lowest "worker’s" daily wage at that time). 

Added to that, I had a few ex-

penses as well: among other things for a new solid sup-

II

port – a little for glue and paints and

about 30 kroner for shipping the picture 

(– to be exact: driving to Förde (2.50) and

insurance and freight by steamboat

27.30); – the last entry was

unreasonably expensive; – but it was the specified

value which determined it (2,000); –

it was in the midst of the negotiations

regarding a possible big strike, and I therefore

thought, that I had to insure at

least the old picture (which I did not

own myself) for 2,000; – for it was

impossible to know, where it might

end up during a sudden

halt in traffic, and in any case it was

very possible back then, that

without insurance it would not arrive before 

Christmas, – on the other hand if it was in-

sured the steamship company had to

guarantee, that it arrived together with the mail

and other "pressing" things (by motor-

boat, which they had in reserve in

case of a big strike).

But these are all trifles, which I

had never thought of mentioning, and as

mentioned I also cancel one

of the 200 kroner items for my work in the autumn,

because You are so kind as to

bestow on me such a large Christmas gift and

at the same time add 50 kroner to the

price I asked for the pen drawings.

I sent You "A night in June in the

vicarage garden" – woodcut – about 8 days

before Christmas, – it is a gift

for You and Your wife, – hope that it

has arrived, – I did not

have "flat" cardboard to pack it in and had

to therefore "roll" it up, – which under normal

circumstances I am reluctant to do with artworks, –

but, if it is immediately framed

the "rolling" will not have caused any damage

I hope; – I am anxious 

to hear, whether it arrived without

"wrinkles", folds or "creases"; and whether You

liked it, – I have done my

utmost in printing

this woodcut "neatly", and I allowed it

to dry between nearly every single

change of blocks (7 blocks), – but

the result is not always best, when

one creates the most inconvenience for oneself either.

Nevertheless I was pretty well satisfied with

the print myself. There is something about

this woodcut, that many have hitherto

misunderstood; – most people have

thought, that the "red" mountain in the back-

ground, is lit by "the red rays of sunset", – this is mistaken, – 

there is a "red" hue, which around

midnight – (in the last half of June) – often

appears on the southern mountains in a mountain

hamlet, – it is probably the same,

as what one in Switzerland calls the

"Alpine glow"; – I have it seems

often "printed" it too strongly in the past, –

but its effect in nature is also very

intense if not "deep" – or darker

than the "blush" of sunset,

(which occurs much earlier

in the evening).

We are thus finished with everything regarding

our account – the only thing remaining are

the above-mentioned 200 kroner which I 

hereby cancel half of, –

so that there are now only 100 – one hundred

kroner – remaining – and then there is [the painting by] "Rùsti" –

You wish according to Your telegram

to have "Rùsti" for the amount I offered (600 kroner)

When I now offer to deduct 100

kroner from this as well, – I hope

3

that You are not offended with

me, because I felt the need to

point out the mistake in your statement – in

order to avoid any misunderstanding

between us; – in this manner

I deduct 200 in all, – that is

the same amount, which You had

forgotten, – and the 200 are thus

a thing of the past, – and I will  

forget it hereafter, and nev-

er mention them again either to You

or anyone else.

What remains between us now

is therefore only 600 kroner:

Rùstis self-portrait 500

For my work 100

600

I myself think, that I have been reasonable

towards You – You are also an

"old patron" of mine now, and I

I would be flattered, if I am

permitted to consider You as a friend, – and

towards friends one must be

as reasonable as possible, and I

will also be so hereafter, in the event

that You might wish to buy even more

from me for example a little

pen drawing, e.g.. the little pen

drawing for which I was "hired"

as illustrator of Björnson (there

were 4 drawings by the way: a woodcut

a charcoal drawing and two pen drawings)

one of the pen drawings is in the possession

of the painter Henrik Lund, who was wildly

enthusiastic about it, the other I will

undoubtedly keep myself, – it is the best,

although it is little, – (the same

size as it would have appeared in the book)

– if I find it, I shall take the

liberty of presenting it to You, – I say

"if", – I am sure that I have it,

(have recently seen it), – but I

must make a search, for when one lives in

two places, one never gets organised, – 

I have been at Myklebust to

search, but there are many pen

drawings that I cannot find, – I am afraid

that a family, that was allowed to live in

my cabins there, – either out of carelessness or

folly have destroyed a good deal

of them, – in any case I cannot now on

the spur of the moment – in the short light of day – find

them all among my piles of

loose sketches or "notes" and nude

studies, – I have also several times

burned a whole lot of "rubbish", and something

of a certain value may have gone

with it, – incidentally it takes such a damned

long time for me to look through

old things and notes; for motifs –

– long ago forgotten – suddenly awaken

again and prod at my guilty con-

science, – memories and thoughts are

stimulated and I remain sitting

there staring into my "inner world" –

instead of searching for what I intended to.

Should the woodcut not be

satisfactory, – You only have to say

so – and don’t concern Yourself with the

old proverb about "looking a gift

horse in the mouth"; – for in case

something might possibly be better

or better suit Your taste in

subsequent prints of the same, You shall

have full occasion to exchange it. You mentioned

this autumn something about sending You woodcuts,

so that Your friends could buy something

                        4

if they wished, ("only coloured prints", I believe

You said), – in that case You would have

the opportunity to exchange, both this one and 

others, if You wish, – but

for the time being there won’t be much 

"printing" on my part, – I have thought about

"the journey", and I must first be

completely satisfied with "the often mentioned"

pictures, which I myself still see

have flaws; – in particular "the rhubarb picture",

which I shall probably paint completely over, since

the female figure appears "flat" in the picture and

is too large; – the trees on the hill in the back-

ground (around or below the bird cherry)

are also too "thin" or weak, – there is

too little lushness both in colour and form,

and too little air and cohesiveness in the atmosphere. –

There should be more spring and translucent

foliage in the landscape, more damp vapour from the warm soil

– now only the figure shines; – because

the landscape is "matt" and somewhat sad,

it’s almost as if the figure stands in sunlight and the land-

scape in overcast weather; – fortunately

I have some small studies from the

same landscape, and I can therefore pro-

bably manage to rework the picture

to achieve something better and more lush; – it is

in fact "flat". 

"Summer night in tùnjölet" ("valley"),

or whatever I should call the picture,

that Your wife liked, (the one with the barn on

the right), – I am almost afraid to

do anything with it – (even though it lacks

something); for it has a delicate atmos-

phere. – I have a bad cold right now

and there is also little daylight here, –

it was therefore also impossible to act

on Your telegram "before Christmas". Nor

do I wish to "skimp it" in a 

hurry, – this can at worst be allowed in a

sketch, – it can rarely be improved with

diligence without losing its freshness. –

The charcoal drawing belonged to this category.

I attempted to retouch it a 

bit by scraping it a little with the pen-

knife, where the varnish had settled at its

thickest, – and also managed to remove the most

uneven areas; – I had to use var-

nish instead of "fixative water" due

to this lovely "prohibition" against alcohol,

(which is the most important component of

fixative water). Incidentally I

did not intend to treat this charcoal

drawing particularly gently, as

I merely thought of using it as

a "working drawing" for a woodcut, and

I hadn’t the faintest idea, that it

would end up with You.

When I thought in particular of You with regard to the

large pen drawing, it was in part

because I remembered my promise to You

to paint the flowers on the bird cherry more

distinctly in the picture from Sùnde (the one with

Kari in the red dress), – then it was of course very

practical to have studies of the flowers

and their arrangements conveniently at hand. – Mr. Ska-

gen’s statements about the surface of the water do not

affect me much, but should I upon seeing it again

discover something along that line, I will re-

touch and improve it, – it is not impossible,

that the picture, which was unevenly painted – now

thick now thin – may have darkened

a bit over time ("<nadùnckeln>"),

and this occurs first in places that are

thinly painted, – (as the water evidently partly

was); – the various parts can then over time

separate from each other in "depth", and that

may indeed seem unfortunate, before they "merge"

again.

Well I would like to wish You a

very good year; – and then my family

Kari in particular – wishes to thank You most warm-

ly. With best wishes to

You and Your family. Sincerely Yours

Nikolai Astrup

With best wishes from all of us

to Your wife! With thanks for everything!

Envelope, front:

Registered.

To

Capt. H. J. Meyer

Vetrlidsalmenning 27

Bergen