Letter
4 Pages
Transcription: Tor Martin Leknes
Translation: Francesca Nichols
Transcription
Sandalstrand 3/4 1918
Kjære frù Höst!
Kùn nogle ord i all hast, da posten
er ventedes hvert öieblik. Jeg sender
idag nogle tryk til Dem – det skal være
alle de som De mangler, tror jeg – er der
mod formodning flere, De mangler – saa
maa De sige fra – De har jo nù betalt
for dem og mange tryk til, – naar jeg faar
lovet flere tryk af nye træsnit, skal
jeg sende Dem af de förste trykkene til valg.
Jeg har været daarlig og nervös, siden jeg kom
hjem – jeg er derfor bange for at disse tryk
ikke – trods megen ùmag – er saa gode, som de
bùrde være til Dem –
Jeg sender et nyt tryk af "Kverngang" (De kan
gjerne sætte en bedre tittel paa om De synes) – – jeg
tænkte mig muligheden af, at De kanske ikke
var helt fornöiet med nogen af de 3 forrige,
som jeg sendte Dem til valg, – skùlde De finde
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dette bedre kan De jo bytte, – hvis ikke kan
kanske dette gaa ind i en af de 2 serier, som De talte
om.
Nù kommer jeg nok til at plage Dem, som
saa ofte för: jeg lovede Ravensberg et tryk
af hver af illùstrationerne, som jeg har lavet til
H.E. Kinck. – Nù trykte jeg to af hvert træsnit af
disse illùstrationer i den tanke, at De mùligens
kùnde bryde Dem om at have et exempl. af hvert,
De behöver jo ikke at spendere væggeplads paa dem, –
men jeg tænkte, at De kanske kùnde have interresse
af at have en complet samling af alt det, jeg har
prodùceret i træsnit; – nù vilde jeg lade Dem
vælge blandt disse illustrationerne – og tænkte
derfor, at De kanske kùnde faa overbragt til
Ravensberg de, som De ikke valgte – Ravensberg
behöver jo ikke at vide noget om, at De har valgt
ùd först; – af "Bygdetyvens död" sender jeg kùn
et, da jeg vidste, at De havde det för, – skulde De
imidlertid synes bedre om dette, kan De bytte.
Det blir vel neppe andre, som kommer til at have
disse tryk – (ùden Kinck, som jeg har tænkt at
trykke en serie til, naar jeg faar bedre tid).
Af "Jùlenatten" sender jeg Dem en tryk i farver, om
De bryder Dem om den, – den blir vistnok et ùnicùm,
da de plader, jeg har lavet til nù siden, var af raat
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træ og har vùndet sig slig ùnder törringen, at de
vistnok ikke kan bruges mere ùden store vanskeligheter.
"Rakler" har jeg gjort flere forsög med at trykke
paa grönt papir, som jeg har farvet grönt men det er
som De ser ùmùlig, at opnaa det samme, som
paa "grönt papir"; – den tryk jeg sender er vel
ikke god nok til en af de to serier – kanske
de to helst bör være blaa?
Af fiskeren sender jeg Dem kùn et exemplar,
da jeg ikke tror der er nævneværdig forskjel
paa de forskjellige tryk, – den er lett at trykke
og lett at faa lig de andre tryk, – liker De den
bedre ùden den röde tone, saa skal jeg straks
sende en i bare sort og hvidt, – men jeg forstod
Dem saa sidst, at De likte bedst den med den
rödlige tone, – (den farve er for mit indre öie
noget af lùften ved havet eller sjöstranden).
Saa har jeg lavet et nyt træsnit af kornstaur,
– de 3 tryk, jeg sender, er nærmest prövetryk,
da pladerne ikke er ganske færdige, men det
blir omtrent ùforandret, som det er nù, – jeg veed
ikke om det er bedre eller daarligere end det
"lille" kornstaur, – men dette lille er begyndt at blive
saa fuldt af maling og sprækker, – det var
mit förste forsög i træsnit, – (det og lidet selv-
portræt var ùdfört hösten 1904 – og jeg var bare
24 aar og meget ùvidende om træsnittets
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teknik; de var skaaret i tynde plader af dem, som
gùtter bruger til lövsagsarbeide, – derfor har det
altid kostet mig möie at faa gode tryk af "lidet
kornstaùr" – det "store" kornstaùr er meget let at
trykke, naar jeg nù faar skaaret væk alt overflödigt
træ. Naar jeg sender 3 tryk, var det i haab om, at
De vilde tage imod det ene som afbetaling paa, hvad
jeg skylder Dem, – og de andre to kunde kanske
gaa ind i "de 2 serier"; – (hvis træsnittet imidlertid
blir bedre skal jeg sende nye). Jeg synes bedst om
det tryk, som er trykt paa det tynde halvklare
papir, – men det bör have graa pap til ùnderlag.
"Vaarnat og seljekall" er jeg enig med Dem i, at det
ikke er noget heldigt træsnit, – jeg sender 4
tryk, men de er vel alle lige daarlige, synes De
vel, – det er et motiv, som maa males – egner sig vist
ikke for træsnit; – det ene af trykkene er trykt uden
sidste plade – Engel syntes det var bedst slig, – det er
jo adskillig anderledes end de andre, og önsker De at
at beholde det og en af de andre ogsaa, er det mig
en glæde. "Bonde" har jeg desværre ödelagt – heldigvis
havde jeg en prövetryk – som sendes – men den er ikke
helt god – skal forsöge engang at male bonden, som er ùde
i den graalyse sommernat og "lùrer paa veiret". Ja dette blev
et hastværks brev. – Her gaar det sent med vaaren, sneen
ligger rùndt hùsene med bare flekker som vokser for dagen.
Börnene er friske og springer ùde hele dagen. Og jeg maa til at
bryde op den lovbefalte jord til ager. Med de hjerteligste hilsener
fra Engel og mig til Dem og familie – Deres hengivne Astrup
Translation
Sandalstrand 3/4 1918
Dear Mrs. Höst!
Just a few words in haste, as the postal service
is expected any second. I am sending
a few prints to You today – they should be
all of those You are missing, I believe – if contrary
to expectation there are more, that You are lacking – then
You must say so – for You have paid
for them and many more prints, – when I have
made more prints of new woodcuts, I shall
send You some of the first prints for selecting.
I have been poorly and nervous, since I returned
home – I am therefore afraid that these prints
are not – despite great exertion – as good, as they should be for You –
I am sending a new print of "The Milling Weather" (You can
give it a better title if You wish) – – I
thought of the possibility, that You might
not be completely satisfied with some of the last 3,
which I sent You to select from, – should You find
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this one better You can switch them, – if not then
perhaps this one can be included in one of the 2 series, that You spoke
of.
Now I am going to trouble You, as
so often before: I promised Ravensberg a print
of each of the illustrations, that I have made for
H.E. Kinck. – I have now printed two of each of these
woodcut illustrations with the idea, that You might
consider having an example of each,
You need not sacrifice wall space for them, –
but I thought, that You might perhaps be interested
in having a complete collection of everything, that I have
produced in woodcut; I thought You might
choose among these illustrations – and I therefore
thought, that You might perhaps then forward to
Ravensberg the ones, that You did not choose – Ravensberg
does not need to know, that You have chosen
first; – of "The Death of the Village Thief" I am sending only
one, as I knew, that You already had it, – should You
on the other hand like this one better, You can switch them.
It is not likely that others will want to have
these prints – (other than Kinck, for whom I plan to
print a series, when I have more time).
Of "Christmas Eve" I am sending You a print in colour, in case
You like it, – it will most likely be one of a kind,
as the blocks, I have made until now, were of raw
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wood and became warped in such a way while drying, that they
evidently cannot be used any more without great difficulties.
"Catkins" I have made several attempts to print
on green paper, which I have coloured green but as
You see it is impossible, to achieve the same [result], as
on "green paper"; – the print that I am sending is perhaps
not good enough for one of the two series – perhaps
these two should rather be blue?
Of the fisherman I am sending You only one example,
as I don’t think there is any significant difference
between the different prints, – it is easy to print
and easy to make similar to the other prints, – if You like it
better without the red hue, I will immediately
send one in black and white only, – but I understood
last we spoke, that You preferred the one with the
reddish tone, – (that colour is to my inner eye
similar to the air by the ocean or seashore).
I have also made a new woodcut of stook,
– the 3 prints, I am sending are more like trial proofs,
as the woodblock is not quite completed, but it
will be fairly unaltered, from how it is now, – I don’t
know if it is better or worse than the
"small" stook, – but theis small one has become
so full of paint and cracks, – it was
my first attempt at woodcut, – (it and a little self-
portrait were executed in autumn 1904 – and I was only
24 years old and ignorant about the woodcut
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technique; they were carved out of thin boards, the kind
boys use for jigsaw work, – that’s why
it has always been arduous for me to achieve good prints out of "small
stook" – the "large" stook is very easy to
print, now that I can carve out all the superfluous
wood. When I send 3 prints, it is in the hope, that
You will accept one of them as an instalment on what
I owe You, – and the other two might perhaps
be included in "the 2 series"; – (however, if the woodcut
is improved I will send new ones). I prefer
the print that is printed on the thin semi-clear
paper, – but it should be mounted on a grey board.
"Spring Night and Sallow" I agree with You is
not a very good woodcut, – I am sending 4
prints, but they are all as poor, You might well
think, – it is a motif that should be painted – not quite suitable
for woodcut; – one of the prints is printed without the
final block – Engel thought it was best like this, – it is
admittedly quite different than the others, and if You wish
to keep it and one of the others as well, it would be
my pleasure. "The Farmer" I have unfortunately destroyed – luckily
I had a trial proofs – which is being sent – however it is not
very good – will attempt one day to paint the farmer, who is out
in the grey light of a summer night "sniffing the weather". Well this was
a rushed letter. – Spring is late in arriving here, the snow
still lies around the houses with only patches that grow by the day.
The children are in good health and run around outdoors all day long. And I must
plough the regulated land into arable fields. With warmest wishes
from Engel and me to You and Your family – Your devoted Astrup