Letter
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
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
"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
De bedste hilsener fra os alle
til frùen! Med tak for alt!
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
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
"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
With best wishes from all of us
to Your wife! With thanks for everything!