Letter
4 Pages
Transcription: Turid Hagelsteen
Translation: Francesca Nichols
Transcription
Kjære Höst!
Undskyld at jeg plager Dem
kùn nogle ord i all hast –
Jeg blir pantet af firmaet –
Kullberg & Co’s maskinforret-
ning Kristiania – jeg har tid-
ligere kjöbt næsten alt, hvad
jeg behöver til Kjökken og
gaardsredskab hos Hr. Kullberg,
som er en taalmodig mand –
denne gang er han kanske
ikke hjemme eller död, –
turde jeg plage Dem med at
ringe ham op og ùdbede lidt
henstand – eller ifald Hr. Kla-
venes skulde have kjöbt nogle
af mine træsnit, vilde De da
"tröste" Hr. Kullberg med at
penge var i vente eller ifald
der var nok, – da dække de
Kr. 303’40, som det gjælder; –
jeg har tilladt mig at henvise
ham til Dem angaaende min
ærlige vilje til at betale, og
haaber da ifald intet af træ-
snit skulde være solgt, at De
vil give mig god attest saa
længe.
Jeg har faaet brev fra Hr.
Didrik Andersen Bergen om
at sende ind billeder eller træ-
snit, da der stadig er forespörg-
sel hos ham efter mine ting;
men det vil vel gaa som
det gik i vinter, – da Kaland
sagde, at at der var slig efter
spörgsel; – jeg sendte som De
veed mit bedste og nærsagt
Kaland fandt det ùdmærket,
men men da var der ikke
længer nogen efterspörgsel
af Kjöbere. Kaland overlod det til
Korsvold og jeg fik först stort
afslag i prisen og saa beholdt
Korsvold et par hùndred (efter
eget sigende – kanske han fik
mere end han sa).
Nei Dere er jo de eneste, som
virkelig har gjort noget for
mig med hensyn til salg – og
Opp ned tekst øverst: Her blir ikke vaar – isen ligger metertyk
og megen sne. Vi er ræd for ùaar.
jeg vil derfor heller ikke
sende noget til udstilling
hos Hr. Didr. Andersen ùden
at raadföre mig med Eder först.
Ja ùndskyld dette rodede brev
posten ventes straks her.
Vi er nogenlunde friske, men
mangler jo adskilligt, – værst
er det for mel, – det er den
gamle sorg.
Træffer De Hnr. Rom, maa
De hilse ham fra mig, – jeg traf
ham og talte et minùt med
ham paa kùnstnerfesten – og saa
fik jeg se hans ùdmærkede bil-
leder paa "statens" – han er inde
paa noget at det personligste jeg har
seet i vor tids famling. Med den
bedste hilsen fra Engel og mig
Deres hengivne Astrùp
Translation
Dear Höst!
Forgive me for bothering You
just a few words in haste –
I am being foreclosed by the firm –
Kullberg & Co’s machinery establishment
[in] Kristiania [Oslo] – I have pre-
viously purchased almost everything, that
I need for the kitchen and
farming tools from Hr. Kullberg,
who is a patient man –
this time he is perhaps
not at home or dead, –
dare I bother You to
phone him and request a little
postponement – or in the event Mr. Kla-
venes may have purchased some
of my woodcuts, would You then
"mollify" Hr. Kullberg with the knowledge that
the money was on its way or in case
it was enough, – then cover the
Kroner 303’40, which is the sum in question; –
I have permitted myself to refer
him to You regarding my
honest intention to pay, and
hope in case none of the wood-
cuts have been sold, that You
will in the meantime give me a good
recommendation.
I have received a letter from Hr.
Didrik Andersen Bergen asking
that I send in pictures or wood-
cuts, as he receives constant inqui-
ries about my things;
but matters will probably end
as they did this winter, – when Kaland
said, that that there was great
demand; – I sent as You
know my best and so to speak
Kaland found it to be excellent,
but but then there were no
longer any inquiries
from Buyers. Kaland entrusted it to
Korsvold and first of all I received a large
decrease in price and then
Korsvold retained a couple of hundred (according
to his own report – perhaps he received
more than he said).
Well You are in fact the only ones, who
have actually done something for
me with regard to sales – and
Upside down text at top: Spring is long in arriving here – the ice is still a metre thick
and there is much snow. We fear a bad year for the crops.
I will therefore not
send anything to the exhibition
at Mr. Didr. Andersen’s without
consulting You first.
Well forgive this chaotic letter
the postman is expected any second here.
We are relatively healthy, but are
lacking many things, – worst
of all flour, – it’s the same
old grief.
If You meet Hnr. Rom,
You must greet him from me, – I met
him and spoke for a minute with
him at the artists banquet – and later
I saw his excellent pic-
tures at the "government exhibition" – he is into
something that is the most personal I have
seen amidst the fumbling attempts of our times. With
best greetings from Engel and me
Your devoted Astrùp