Letter
13 Pages
Transcription: Tor Martin Leknes
Translation: Francesca Nichols
Transcription
Kjære Hr. Meyer!
Hvor snildt det er af Dem at skrive
til mig igjen, – trods jeg har forsömt baade
at gjengjælde hilsener, brev og endog for-
sömt at takke for Deres genereùse jùlegave
til mine börn. Tùsend tak for alt dette!
De er jo saa altfor snild mod mig.
De er (med ùndtagelse af konsùl J. Grieg og
Dr. Kreyberg), den eneste kùnst mæcenat, –
jeg har trùffet, – som har kùnnet vise en
– ofte ùventet – forstaaelse af en kùnstners
– ofte barokke – naturell. De har behand-
let mig hensynsfùldt – i höiere grad, end
jeg paa nogen maade kùnde vente – eller
fortjente.
Jeg har nok tænkt mange gange paa
at svare Dem, – og naar det ikke har blevet
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noget af det hidtil, – saa har det – (for
at være ærlig) – sin egen særlige aarsak
i dette: – Deres spörgsmaal om "Rævebjölle-
træsnittet". –
Jeg har nemlig forbandet mig paa det
gang paa gang, – og lovet mig selv: at dette
tryk (som jeg da har arbeidet paa) skal blive
"det absolut sidste tryk" af disse elendige
plater, som har "kastet sig" – og forandret sig
i alle mùlige retninger, – saa at de har
skaffet mig et slid og arbeide, – som ikke
staar i noget-somhelst forhold til det
"kunstneriske" resùltat af et tryk. Og jeg har alt
havt "moralsk" mod til at sige "nei" til et
par "bestillere". Först satte jeg prisen op – for at
slippe flere bestillinger, (jeg solgte det jo fra
först af (1915) for Kr. 600), men fik alligevel
bestillinger. – (En af dem, som kjöbte det
dengang er bùden 1000 kr. igjen for sit tryk, men
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vil ikke sælge). Saa satte jeg prisen op i
800 kr., – men fik alligevel bestillinger; – (af
disse har jeg dog kùn ùdfört to – nemlig
et til dr. Kreyberg, – der som "gammel kùnde"
næsten havde "fordring" paa mig – til at skaffe
et sligt tryk). Jeg har i dette træsnit som
i alle mine andre stadig sökt at lave
"variationer"; – det vilde jo blive alt for
kjedeligt og ùkùnstnerisk, om man skùlde
lave alle tryk like; – naar en maler har
seet et motiv i mange stemninger, – saa
finder han aldrig paa at "lave" to billeder
fuldstændig like af samme motiv, – deri-
mod har de fleste kùnstnere stor interesse
af at variere et motiv efter de forskjellige
indtryk, som (han de) har havt; – (han de) lærer – og
udvikles af det. Anderledes er det med
den "grafiske" kùnst; – med ùndtagelse af
Mùnck, – der like som jeg – "varierer", – saa
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lader de fleste maskinen besörge "mang-
foldig-gjorelsen", og da blir jo alle tryk
saa godt som "like". Variationerne af mit
Rævebjölle-træsnit kan jeg for enkelheds
skyld dele i to hovedgrùpper (det er jo
og let at gjöre, da der bare har været trykt 6 – seks
stykker; – deraf gik det ene (prövetrykket) i Bergensbran-
den). – (Disse 6 tryk representerer et aars arbeide)
Disse to grùpper kan jeg nærmest karakteri-
sere som: et lyst, lett, med ùdpræget træ-
snit-teknik – og kanske lidt tyndt og "spædt"
i stemningen, – det andet mere tungt, dypere
i farven, mere likt maleriet (i Nationalgalle-
riet). Ja denne beskrivelse er jo meget ùfùldstæn-
dig. Den sidste af disse to slags tryk har Dr.
Kreyberg og samleren Maschmann – Oslo. Den förste
slags tryk har Kramer, som fik det förste fær-
dige tryk – efter at alle plater var færdig skaarne.
Jeg nævnte, at jeg kùn havde trykt 2 tryk, siden
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jeg satte prisen op til 800. Det ene af disse var
altsaa, som nævnt, til Dr. Kreyberg, og det
andet var til Dr. Schmit – Nestun (?); – dette
sidste tryk var af den förste slags tryk, – altsaa af
den "lyse grùppe", – (lignende Kramers tryk).
Hvilken af Disse tryk, De har seet, – og hvil-
ket der er bedst, kan jeg ikke vide eller selv
afgjöre. Kramer paastaar, at Dr. Kreyberg's er
bedst. Jeg har ofte tænkt at finde – eller
forsöke – en forbindelse af begge slags, – slik
at jeg valgte ud det, jeg fandt bedst i begge
slags stemninger; – men, det tùnge – mere male-
ri lignende – vil da faa hovedvegten paa sin
side; – thi det gaar ikke an at "blande" to stem-
ninger, – uten at en af dem faar overvegten –
(alt maa jo, – selv om det er en overgang fra en til
en anden stemning, – dog indordnes ùnder den ene
hovedstemning). Ja dette höres jo nærmest ud
som noget slùdder – vil De vel sige, – og jeg ind-
römmer, at jeg udtrykker mig daarligt. –
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Jeg havde nù mest lyst til at brænde op
disse platerne til "Rævebjöller"; – de har skaf-
fet mig saa mange ærgrelser, – de har nemlig
i tidens löb forandret sig: – nogen har "videt
sig ùd" – andre har "krympet", – saa-at en tryk-
ning af dem blir en stadig "flyttning" af
papiret, – endog paa samme plate, – for at
faa de usleste detailler til at passe sammen
fra den ene plate til den anden, – saa jeg ofte
er rent fortvivlet, – og gang paa gang gaar
en tryk rent "i vasken"; – (og en à to ùkers
arbeide er da gjerne spildt), – fordi jeg har
glemt en liden flyttning af en plate, – en flytt-
ning, som var höist paakrævet paa grùnd för-
nævnte "ùdvidelse" eller "krympning". Papiret
har ogsaa en en viss tilböielighed til ùdvidelse
ùnder en saa langvarig – og delvis "haard" – trykning
paa hver eneste ⸋ millimeter, – og det vil da blive
for stort – for ùdvidet til at passe til de sidste
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plater, (som da altsaa blir for smaa). –
Den stadige törring af trykket mellem de for-
skjellige plater og trykninger – tager jo ogsaa
megen tid, – jeg brùker jo nemlig oljefarver, –
medens de fleste andre kùnstnere helst brùker
vandoplöselige farver, – der jo er lidt lettere at
trykke med, – men jeg gaar ùd fra, at naar jeg
"slider" saa meget med mine tryk, som jeg gjör,
saa vil jeg ogsaa gjerne have et solid materiale
at arbeide med, saa at mine tryk om for-
nödent kan taale en vask, – om stöv o.lign. i
tidens löb skulde sætte sig paa dem; og (en "vask") dette er jo
helt udelukket, naar man brùker gelatin- lim-
eller klister-farver – (som er det almindelige). –
De forstaar af alle disse jeremiader, som
jeg nù har plaget Dem med, – at jeg svært
nödig trykker dette træsnit, – men De kan
jo indvende, at De ogsaa er "gammel kùnde"
ja endog ældre "kùnde" – end et par af dem,
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som jeg alt har leveret dette træsnit til.
Og med tanke paa dette, gik jeg igang
med et tryk straks efter, at jeg havde
faaet Deres förste brev derom, – men jeg
har maattet lægge det tilside – paa grùnd
af denne "malerskolen" her i Förde; – den op-
tager jo næsten all min tid, – men vil De
have den taalmodighed med mig, som De
saa ofte har vist, – saa skal jeg forsöke,
om jeg endnù en gang kan faa noget ùd af
disse platerne; men send mig et par ord
om, hvilket tryk De har seet af dette træsnit;
det kunde være en liden "pekepind" for mig, – selv
om jeg, som nævnt, aldrig liker at lave to tryk
akkurat like; – (man maa jo altid gjöre et
forsök paa "fremgang"; – men om det blir bedre end
noget tidligere – er jo en anden sak). –
Kort sagt, – jeg har nù atter taget fat paa dette
træsnit og vil forsöke at lave Dem et tryk af
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"Rævebjöller"; – og som en af mine bedste
og ældste "kùnder", – skal De ikke betale mer
end 600 kr. (den oprindelige pris), – men lad
ingen andre – end Kramer – vide dette! –
Men De vil kanske finde – ogsaa dette – mer
end dyrt nok, – jeg synes næsten selv det samme,
– men et par maaneders tid gaar næsten med,
– selv om intet "gaar feil". I det tryk, jeg er
begyndt paa er der endnù intet trykt feil,
men der gjenstaar saa meget, – og enkelte ting
maa trykkes op igjen, da jeg har været for meget
forsigtig og har trykt med for svak farve, –
man blir jo nervörs at erindre tidligere
"kalamiteter". Ja, dette tryk, maa altsaa
betragtes som et forsök! Gaar det galt, – ja
saa maa De atter ùndskylde mig, – – og vente
til næste höst eller vinter; – thi jeg orker ikke
at tage fat paa et nyt nù straks igjen, hvis dette
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nù skùlde mislykkes. Med denne reservati-
on – haaber jeg, De ikke blir sint paa mig.
Og skùlde det hænde, at De blev mis-
fornöiet med denne tryk, saa skal jeg love
at gaa igang med en ny til hösten eller vin-
teren, – jeg skal ikke give mig over, förend
De har faaet en tryk, som De er fornöiet
med; – De skal altsaa bare "sige fra om De ikke liker den altsaa", – jeg
blir ikke det mindste fornærmet over det;
Angaaende pennetegninger og exlibris (som jeg
nù har en helt bùnke skisser af), saa skal jeg
faa lov at komme tilbake til dette senere.
Jeg har ligget syk et par dage her i Förde hos
Dr. Bydal – og er saa vidt oppe igjen og maa
indhente det forsömte paa skolen, saa De maa
undskylde skrift og stil, som fölge af min
nervösitet og rastlöshed, – jeg eier jo ikke rigtig
min tid selv nù, da jeg skal "agere" skolemester.
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Skolen gaar bra, – vi har en ùdmærket og
vakker model – 16-17 aar gl., – som vi har
faaet fra det ene af de to akademier i Oslo.
Og saa har jeg tre-fire meget begavede elever,
som skaffer mig glæde, – – og 7-8, som
nærmest er til at fortvivle over, – og det er
jo disse man desværre maa spendere mest
tid paa; – jeg gik med paa dette "foretagende"
med "malerskole" – i haab om selv at faa an-
ledning at stùdere lidt "akt"; – men det blev lögn;
tiden strækker ikke til, – og det er ùmùlig selv
at arbeide og stùdere ùnder den stadige forstyrrel-
se, som det skaper – at maatte se paa andres
arbeide og stadig sætte sig ind i andres syn paa
tingene. Da er det lettere at "trykke" lidt i mel-
lemstùndene; – (man er saa passelig sint til at
være energisk). Men alle eleverne er meget
fattige, saa det blir jùst ikke noget lùkrativt
foretagende: – paa to maaneder snart – har jeg kùn
havt ca. 20 kr. pr. elev – og de fattigste har
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jeg tænkt at betale disse penge igjen, naar
skolen slutter; (medens skolen varer, vil De
lett föle det som en fornærmelse, – og det
kan have indflydelse paa stùdiet). –
Man maa jo ogsaa gjöre noget for sine brödre
i kùnsten; – og det koster dem nok – allige-
vel – med modelpenge, ophold, farve- og tegne-
materialer osv. – Kùnde jeg bare til gjen-
gjæld give dem nogen lærdom og raad, som
var hjælp i! – Jeg har ofte samvittighedsnag over
ikke at kùnne evne nok i den retning. –
Angaaende billederne til Erpecom, – vilde jeg
gjerne faa vide lidt om motivvalg e.t.c. –
De kjender kanske hans smag? Ja, mere der-
om senere. Lev da vel! – og hils Deres
frùe med hjærteligste tak fra mig og familie
Hils Deres sönner, om De er hjemme!
Bedste hilsen Deres
Adr. Dr. Bydal
Förde Sfj.
Translation
Dear Mr. Meyer!
How kind of You to write
to me again, – despite my having neglected both
to return your greetings and letters and even neglec-
ted to thank You for Your generous Christmas gift
to my children. Many thanks for all this!
You are much too kind to me.
You are (with the exception of consul J. Grieg and
Dr. Kreyberg), the only art patron, –
I have met, – who has been able to show an
– often unexpected – understanding of an artist’s
– often baroque – nature. You have treat-
ed me with consideration – to a greater degree, than
I might in any way expect – or
deserve.
I have thought many times to
answer You, – and the reason nothing has come
2
of it until now, – has – (to
be honest) – to do with
this: – Your request regarding the "Foxglove
woodcut". –
I have cursed
again and again, – and promised myself: this
print (which I worked on then) shall be
"the absolute last print" from these wretched
blocks that have become "warped" – and distorted
in every possible direction, – so that it has
become a drudgery and a labour, – which does not
in any way correlate with the
"artistic" outcome of a print. And I have even
had the "moral" courage to say "no" to a
couple of "buyers". First I raised the price – in order to
avoid additional commissions, (I sold it from the
start (1915) for 600 kroner), but nonetheless received
commissions. – (One of them, who purchased it
back then has been offered 1,000 kroner for his print, but
3
will not sell it). Then I raised the price to
800 kroner, – but received commissions anyway; – (of
these I have nevertheless only executed two – i.e.
one for dr. Kreyberg, – who as an "old client"
nearly had "claims" on me – to obtain
such a print). I have with this woodcut as
with all my others continuously strived to create
"variations"; – for it would be too
boring and artistically unsatisfactory, if one were to
make all the prints alike; – when a painter has
seen a motif in many atmospheres, – he
would never resort to "making" two pictures
of the same motif completely alike, – on the other
hand most artists have a great interest
in varying a motif based on the different
impressions, which (he they) have had; – (he they) learn – and
develop through this. It is different with
"graphic" art; – with the exception of
Mùnck, – who like myself – "varies", – while
4
almost everyone else allows the machine to provide for the "dupli-
cations", and then all the prints are
as good as "the same". The variations of my
Foxglove woodcut I can for the sake of
simplicity divide into two main groups (and it is
easy to do, as there have only been printed 6 – six
of them; – of which one (the artist’s proof) was lost in the Bergen
fire). – (These 6 prints represent one year’s work)
These two groups I can almost charac-
terise as: luminous, light, with a distinctive wood-
cut technique – and perhaps with a slightly thin and "faint"
atmosphere, – the other with a heavier, deeper
palette, more like the painting (in the National gal-
lery). Well this description is of course very incom-
plete. The last of these two types of prints are in the possession of
Dr. Kreyberg and the collector Maschmann – Oslo. The first
type of print is in the possession of Kramer, who received the first com-
pleted print – after the carving of all the blocks was completed.
I mentioned that I had only pulled two prints from it, from the time
5
I raised the price to 800. One of these
went, as mentioned, to Dr. Kreyberg, and the
other was for Dr. Schmit – Nestun (?); – this
last print was of the first type of print, – that is of
the "luminous group", – (similar to Kramer’s print).
Which of these prints, You have seen, – and which
of them is best, I cannot know or determine
myself. Kramer claims, that Dr. Kreyberg’s is
best. I have often thought of finding – or
attempting – a combination of both types, – by
choosing what I found best in both
types of atmospheres; – yet, the heavy one – more similar
to painting – would then have the advantage on its
side; – for it is not possible to "mix" two atmos-
pheres, – without one of them dominating the other –
(everything must, – even if there is a transition from one to
another atmosphere, – nevertheless conform to one of the
major atmospheres). Well this almost sounds
like nonsense – You will perhaps say, – and I ad-
mit, that I express myself poorly. –
6
I wanted more than anything to burn
these blocks for "Foxgloves"; – they have cau-
sed me so much exasperation, – they have with
the passing of time been disfigured; – some have "ex-
panded" – others have "shrunk", – so a print-
ing of them requires constant "adjusting" of
the paper, – even on the same block, – in order to
get the most inane details to fit together
from one block to another, – so that I am often
in utter despair, – and over and over again a
print ends up "down the drain"; – (and one or two weeks’
work is then wasted), – because I have
forgotten a little adjustment of a block, – an adjust-
ment, which was very necessary because of the afore-
mentioned "expansion" or "shrinking". The paper
also has a tendency to expand somewhat
during such a lengthy and somewhat "harsh" printing
on every single ⸋ millimetre, – and will thus be
too large – too expanded to fit the last
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blocks, (which are then too small). –
The continuous drying of the print between the var-
ious blocks and printings – also takes
a long time, – I use oils you see, –
while most other artists prefer to use
water-soluble paints, – which are somewhat easier to
print with, – but I assume, that when I
"labour" as hard on my prints, as I do,
then I also wish to have a solid material
to work with, so that my prints will if neces-
sary tolerate a wash, – if dust and the like in
the course of time should settle on them; and (a "wash") this is
totally out of the question, when one uses gelatine, glue
or adhesive paints – (which is most common). –
You understand from all these laments, which
I have now tormented You with, – that I very
reluctantly print this woodcut, – but You can
object, that You are an "old client"
and an even an older "client" – than a couple of them,
8
whom I have delivered this woodcut to.
And with this in mind, I began working
on a print immediately after I had
received Your first letter regarding it, – but I
have had to put it aside – due to
this "art school" here in Förde; – it oc-
cupies nearly all my time, – but if You
are patient with me, as You
so often have been – I shall see,
if I can once more extract something out of
these blocks; but send me a few words
about which print You have seen of this woodcut;
it might serve as a small "hint" for me, – even
though I, as mentioned, never like to make two prints
exactly alike; – (one must always make an
attempt at "progress"; – but if it turns out better than
anything earlier – this is of course a different matter). –
In short, – I have once again taken up this
woodcut and will attempt to make You a print of
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"Foxgloves"; – and as one of my best
and oldest "clients", – You shall not pay more
than 600 kroner (the original price), – but do not
let anyone else – aside from Kramer – know about this! –
But You will perhaps find – this too – more
than expensive, – I almost feel the same myself,
– but almost a couple of months’ time goes into it,
– even when nothing "goes wrong". In the print, that I have
begun there are no mistakes so far,
but a lot remains, – and certain things
must be printed up again, as I have been too
careful and printed with paint that is too faint, –
one becomes nervous by remembering earlier
"calamities". Well, this print must therefore
be considered an experiment! If it goes wrong, – well
then You must forgive me once again, – – and wait
until next autumn or winter; – for I haven’t the energy
to begin a new one right away, if this
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should fail now. With this reserva-
tion – I hope, You will not be angry with me.
And if it turns out, that You became dis-
satisfied with this print, then I shall promise
to begin a new one in the autumn or win-
ter, – I shall not give up, until
You have received a print, which You are satisfied
with; – You must therefore only "say so if You do not like it", – I
won’t be the least offended by it;
As for the pen drawings and ex libris (which I
now have a whole pile of sketches of), I must
be permitted to come back to them later.
I have been ill and in bed for a couple of days here in Förde at
Dr. Bydal’s – and have barely stood up again and must
catch up on the lost time at school, so You must
forgive my handwriting and style, which is the result of my
anxiety and restlessness, – I don’t really own
my own time now, as I must "act" like a schoolmaster.
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The school is going well, – we have an excellent and
beautiful model – 16-17 years old, – who came
to us from one of the two academies in Oslo.
And then I have three or four very gifted pupils,
who bring me pleasure, – – and 7 or 8, who
nearly bring one to despair, – and it is
these one must unfortunately spend the most
time with; – I agreed to this "undertaking"
of the "art school" – in the hope of having the op-
portunity of doing some "nude" drawings; – but it was a lie;
there isn’t enough time, – and it is impossible to even
work or study during the constant disrup-
tion, which is created – by having to look at the
work of others and constantly having to penetrate another person’s
view of things. Then it is easier to do a little "printing" during
the breaks; – (one is sufficiently angry to
be energised). But all the pupils are very
poor, so it is not exactly a lucrative
undertaking: – for nearly two months now – I have only
earned approximately 20 kroner per pupil – and the poorest among them I
12
have thought of paying the money back to, when
the school ends; (while the school lasts, they might
easily find it insulting, – and that
might have an influence on their studies). –
One must do something for one’s brothers
in art; – and it costs them enough – any-
way – with fees for the model, room and board, paints and drawing
materials etc. – If only I might in ex-
change give them some knowledge and advice, that
was helpful! – I often have a guilty conscience for
not having enough expertise in that respect. –
As for the pictures for Erpecom, – I would
very much like to know a little about the choice of motifs etc. –
Perhaps You are familiar with his taste? Well, more about
that later. Live well! – and greetings to Your
wife with sincerest thanks from my family and me
Greetings to Your sons, if they are at home!
With best wishes Your
Adr. Dr. Bydal
Förde Sfj.