Astrup, Nikolai to Peterssen, Eilif. Letter, 1908-10-08. Digital archive

Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Peterssen, Eilif

1908-10-08

Ms.fol.3578-66566, Nasjonalbiblioteket

24 Pages

Transcription: Tor Martin Leknes

Translation: Francesca Nichols

Transcription

Aalhus den 8^de oct 08

Kjære Hr. Eilif Peterssen!

Undskyld, at jeg plager Dem; – jeg er bleven

frataget mit stipendiùm paa grúnd af

helt ud lögnagtige sladderhistorier, som er

bleven lavet om mig af nogen forhenværen-

de venner i Christiania – historier som blev

lavet förend jeg endnú havde faet en öre

af Henrichsens legat; (de som har lavet

historierne har formodentlig staaet i den formening,

at jeg allerede havde faaet stipendiet údbetalt, og

de har derfor skyndt sig at lave historier i tide for

at skade mig).

Jeg reiste i slutten af december forrige aar

til England – og jeg arbeidede og studerede

meget flittigt til udover vaaren – og jeg

syntes selv, at jeg havde meget kunstnerisk

údbytte af min udenlandsreise – mine

daarlige lunger kom sig ogsaa meget, og jeg

glædede mig nú til at kunne faa stúdere

helt i ro en lang tid i údlandet; thi jeg stod i

den formening, at jeg som alle andre malere

skulde have stipendiet i mindst 2 aar (enkelte

har endog havt Henrichsens legat i 3 aar). –

Men da jeg havde en kone at ùnderholde og

lidt gjæld, som jeg krævedes haardt for – og da jeg

ikke fandt mig helt berettiget til at brúge

af stipendiet til at dække disse private

udgifter med, – saa fik jeg istand en udstilling i

Bergen i vaar i haab om, at jeg derved skúlde

faa dækket disse mine private udgiftsposter. –

Jeg tok mig da en snartúr til Norge for at

se min egen udstilling, – hvortil jeg med stor

bekostning havde faaet samlet omtrent alt,

hvad jeg havde malt af ældre og nyere billeder.

Jeg maatte lade andre besörge afhentning hos

billedeierne i Kristiania og omegn, og ligeledes maatte

jeg lade andre besörge afhentning og indramning

af billeder, som jeg havde staaende rúndt om paa

bygderne her paa vestlandet – medens jeg var i

udlandet – naar saa asúrance, fragt, lagring

i Bergen o.s.v. kom til blev det en noksaa dyr

udstilling for mig. – Da jeg saa kom til Bergen

ordnede jeg i hast mine private udgiftsposter og

solgte mesteparten af mine billeder – deriblandt

mange gode – til spotpriser, og jeg fik derved al min

gjæld betalt og saa meget til overs, at min kone

iallefald kúnde have levet deraf i ½ aar medens

jeg var i udlandet. Jeg glædede mig nú til, at jeg

endelig skulde faa stúdere en tid i údlandet i fred

for gjældskrav og ökonomiske sorger, – men jeg fik

ikke brúge min retoùrbillet til England, thi stipendet

blev mig frataget, uden at der blev givet mig nogen

grund derfor. Jeg gik hele mai og vented forgjæves

paa svar fra legatbestyrelsen om, hvorvidt jeg

fik legatet igjen – og endelig fik jeg gjennem

nogle bedrestillede slegtninge i Christiania

höre utvetydige udtalelser om at mit "private

liv" skúlde være af den beskaffenhed, at jeg

ikke kunde tilstaaes stipendiet saa længe

som andre –

Jeg har nú i sommer gaaet og ærgret mig syg

over dette – jeg har gaaet og studeret og spekúleret

paa, hvad jeg skal gjöre – jeg har skrevet til kjen-

dinge i Christiania forat faa greie paa, hvorledes

disse ondskabsfulde ord om mit "private liv" skúlde

tydes – og hvori dette mit private livs údskeielser

skulde bestaa. – Jeg synes jeg har fört et saa

skikkeligt liv, som det kan fordres af noget

menneske – jeg giftede mig rigtignok ifjor med

en lidt vel úng pige – hún var 15 aar – men

jeg synes ikke at dette skúlde være en i den grad

úmoralsk gjerning, at jeg af den grúnd skúlde næg-

tes at faa mit stipendiúm saa længe som andre.

Mine daarlige lunger har nægtet mig brúgen

af alkohol i de senere aar – saa nogen úd-

skeielser i den retning, skal det heller ikke

være – jeg stod i det norske totalafholdsforbúnd,

baade för og efter at jeg blev meddelt stipendiet,

og jeg lod mig först udskrive deraf, straks för jeg

drog til údlandet – I hele den tid jeg var i

údlandet nöd jeg et eneste glas spiritúosa i et

sygdomstilfælde. Jeg har skrevet og forespúrgt

flere af mine kjendinger i Christiania og

de veed kún at bekræfte, at der i Christiania

gaar adskillige rygter om mit "private liv",

der skal være saa slet, at stipendiet maatte

fratages mig – (dette skal ogsaa være bleven bekræftet

ved forespörgsel paa höiere hold).

Det er jo ærgerligt saaledes baade at blive sat

paa bar bakke efter at have gjort sit yderste

for at faa dækket sin gjæld og paa et tidspúnkt,

da man er afskaaret fra at söge noget

andet stipendiúm. Werenskiold sagde ifjor;

at jeg stod som nr. I til statens stipendiùm;

men da jeg samtidig allerede var indstillet

som nr. I Henrichsens legat, – saa blev

selvfölgelig statens stipendiùm givet til en

anden. – Det var da bedre, om jeg slet

ikke havde faaet Henrichsens legat, naar

dette atter skulde fratages mig, förend den

sedvanlige tid var úde; thi havde jeg ikke

stolet paa, at jeg nu havde Henrichsens

legat i aar, saa havde jeg selvfölgelig sögt et

andet stipendiúm ivaar enten "Hoùens" eller

"statens", og en af disse havde jeg da sikkerlig

faaet; thi jeg stod for túr til at faa en af dem.

Nú derimod fik jeg ikke engang underetning om,

at stipendiet var mig frataget, og jeg fandt saa-

ledes ikke paa at söge noget andet i tide – og

da jeg endelig ad privat vei fik vide, at en anden

var indstillet til mit stipendiúm – ja saa

var ogsaa de andre stipendier forlængst bortgivne

paa de sedvanlige 2 aar.

Nú kan jeg altsaa ikke faa noget andet stipen-

diúm paa 2 aar. – Men det ærgerligste af

det hele er, at man ogsaa skal faa sit gode

navn og rygte údskjæmt úden grúnd – saa at

jeg for fremtiden vel kan være sikker paa

ikke at faa nogen af de andre stipendier heller.

Atpaa til skal jeg faa ufortjente irettesættelser

af mine slegtninge som aldrig har hjúlpet

mig, men som nú dog finder grúnd til at harme

sig over at have i sin familie en person om

hvis "private liv", der kan tales offentligt; thi

alskens lögnagtige historier fortælles nú om mig

i Christiania – blandt andet en om, at jeg skúlde

ligge paa et (navngivet) hotel med en elskerinde

og brúge mit stipendiúm der i drik og svir.

Jeg boede rigtignok i 3 dage paa samme

hotel ("Vasenden"), som hverken havde öl-

eller vinret end sige brændvinsret. Min kone

var med mig der, og vi spiste 2 maaltider pr.

dag – (saa ingen skúlde beskylde os for nogen over-

daadighed) – drikkevarer blev ikke smagt (hotellets

eier har senere oplyst mig om at saadanne ikke

fandtes i hotellet paa den tid). Jeg har hverken

för eller senere boet paa samme hotel – og

dengang jeg altsaa boede der de 3 dage,

havde jeg endnù faaet en öre af stipendiet.

Jeg har overhovedet ikke boet paa noget andet

hotel i de sidste 4 aar úndtagen paa

Missionshotellet i Bergen – og der faar man

som bekjendt heller ingen spiritúöse drikke,

ja man har endog strenge forbud opslagne paa

alle vægge om ikke at medtage den slags

varer indenfor hotellet – ligesom hotellets besty-

rer er en ivrig totalist der nöie efterser, at

ingen der har smagt spritúöse drikke faar

komme indenfor hotellets vægge.

Angaaende historien om, at jeg skúlde havt

en "elskerinde" med mig, – saa kan det nok

tænkes, at min kones únge alder kan have givet

anledning til "snak"; men det har hidtil

syntes mig útroligt, at dette kúnde give anled-

ning til en slig lögnagtig historie. Men jeg

har nú faaet vide, at to ~~únge~~ malere, som har

været mine gode venner, med hvem jeg hidtil

aldrig har havt noget udestaaende – og som jeg

ofte har laant eller rettere sagt givet penge –

– den ene endog flere húndrede kroner – disse

2 venner, som har boet hos mig gratis i Jölster –

den ene endog aaret rúndt i flere aar – disse

to skal (som tak for at jeg altid har vist mig

som en god ven mod dem); nú have lavet en

skandalhistorie om mig –, at jeg skúlde ligge

paa "Vasenden" hotel og sætte mit stipendium over-

III

styr der (antagelig paa grúndlag af ovennævnte

historie). Den ene af disse to venner har

været uforsigtig nok til at fortælle denne

historie til en anden af mine venner og han

tilföiede samtidig, at han vilde benytte sig

af denne historie paa höiere hold – og derved

hindre mig fra at faa anden del af stipendiet

– og NB – dette sagde han förend jeg endnú

havde faaet en öre af stipendiet. Dette blev

mig först udbetalt af en bank i Bergen, da

jeg kom did for at reise til údlandet. Ingen af

disse mine forhenværende venner fik dog

stipendiet – sjönt de nok sögte det – mit sti-

pendiúm blev derimod givet til en ⁽^Karsten⁾, hvis

"private liv" er saa offentligt kjendt, at

man nok kúnde hake sig ved det, om man

vilde.

Det er forresten ikke förste gang, jeg er bleven

uretfærdigt behandlet i Christiania –

saaledes ved Thaùlowprisens úddeling. Thaúlow

skrev til meg et par dage för han döde – ja

jeg har endnú hans brev, hvori han siger, at han

júst havde seet mine ting paa den norske

údstilling i Kjöbenhavn, og han siger om disse:

"Deres Udstilling i Kjöbenhavn var údmærket og

interesserede mig i höi Grad. Jeg holder Dem

og Solberg for de Betydeligste af vore Unge." –

Thaúlow skrev videre, at han önskede, at

jeg skúlde have den af ham opsatte Thaúlow-

pris, og han havde skrevet til Christiania og

gjort henstilling til komiteen, at jeg skulde

faa samme – og han tilföiede i sit brev, at

jeg kúnde være sikker paa at faa den. –

Imidlertid döde Thaúlow, og der blev intet

hensyn taget til hans önske ved den straks

paafölgende úddeling af Thaúlowprisen, som

de únge Christianiamalere delte sig imellem.

Jeg er for tiden daarlig i mine lúnger og

taaler ikke at arbeide úde – jeg har ogsaa,

som De vil forstaa, taget mig meget nær af

disse historier om mit "private liv" – de har

ikke alene betaget mig al arbeidslyst, men

ogsaa idetheletaget lysten til at befatte

mig med kúnsten – naar man forúden at

taale súlt i aarevis og paadrage sig sygdom for

kunstens skyld ogsaa skal risikere sit gode

navn og rygte.

Man skal ikke med nogen ret kúnne beskyl-

de mig for at have brugt af mit stipendiúm til

andet end mine stúdier, af sparsommeligheds

hensyn lod jeg endog min kone være igjen oppe

i en fjeldbygd, hvor hún kúnde leve billigt, medens

jeg var i údlandet. Jeg kan ogsaa skaffe bevidnelsen

fra samme hotel Vasenden, hvor sladderhistorierne

concentrerer sig om – og fra stedets prest, kirke-

sanger, lærer, postaabner o.s.v. eller hvem man

vil af troværdige mænd paa stedet om, at der

intet har været at udsætte paa mit "private

liv" i de 4-5 sidste aar, jeg har været fast

bosiddende her. Jeg havde forresten aldrig troet,

at Christiania magistrat, eller hvem der har

med legatúddelingen at gjöre – tog hensyn til alskens

lögnagtige sladderhanke og deres historier, úden at

úndersöge sagen nöiere. Dette har jeg ogsaa lyst

at sige rette vedkommende – naar jeg kún vidste

hvem disse var (ordene "privat liv" skriver sig fra

vel underrettet hold).

Jeg er lei af Christiania og af de únge

Christianiamalere, som ikke gjör andet end

at skúle til hinanden og være syge af mis-

undelse, hvergang en faar et stipendiúm, og da

de til stadighed opholder sig i Christiania har

de god anledning til at sidde paa Grand og

lave lögnagtige skandalhistorier, som bedst

kunde passe paa dem selv. – Jeg er lei af

dem – og derfor har jeg bestemt mig paa ikke

oftere at gaa dem iveien – jeg streiker herefter

og údstiller ikke i Christiania – da reiser jeg

i nödsfald heller ned til en af kobbergrúberne

her paa vestlandet og sliter som simpel arbeider

alt det jeg orker – saa længe mit daarlige

bryst taaler det – saa at min stakkars lille

kone ikke skal súlte saa længe jeg er i live.

For min families skyld og for mit eget gode

IIII

navns og rygtes skyld og for múlige senere

ansögninger af stipendier – har jeg tænkt at

söge retslig bistand, forat jeg iallefald kan

faa dementeret rygtet om mit "private liv"

og den lögnagtige historie fra hotellet o.s.v.

Hvis De skúlde have hört noget om

disse historier i forbindelse med mit

private liv og stipendiet, vilde jeg være

Dem meget taknemlig, om De vilde sende

mig nogle linier derom. Ligeledes vil-

de jeg være Dem meget taknemlig,

om De vilde give mig en anbefaling

til et lidet danskt-norsk stipendium,

hvoraf der hvert aar pleyer údeles 200 kr.

til to nordmænd – jeg har engang havt 125 kr

af dette stipendium – senere har jeg hört,

at man pleyer at at faa dette stipendiúm

i 3 paa hinanden fölgende aar – men da jeg

dengang ikke vidste det, sögte jeg det ikke oftere

Det heder vistnok "det Hjelmstjerne Rosencro-

neske legat." Det er múligt, at det er

forsent at söge dette legat i aar, men da

det er det eneste, jeg fortiden kan söge

maa ^jeg forsöge det, og jeg vilde da være Dem

meget taknemlig for en anbefaling, der

særlig tog sigte paa nævnte legat –

jeg skal, om De önsker det, ikke benytte

denne anbefaling til noget andet stipen-

diúm.

I det jeg beder Dem úndskylde, at jeg

har plaget Dem med mit lange og

vidtlöftige brev, haaber jeg snart at

faa höre fra Dem

Deres ærbödige og hengivne

Nikolai Astrup

Adr.

Aalhús

Söndfjord

P.S.

Jeg tillader mig at vedlægge katalog og nogle

avisúdklip fra min sidste údstilling nú ivaar. 5 af mine

gamle billeder blev af eierne solgt til over 4 dobelte

priser og flere af mine billeder er senere solgt af andre

med adskillig fortjeneste. D.S.

Katalog: I det følgende er kun Nikolai Astrups påskrift transkribert.

1 ---- solgt for 90.

4 ---- afbetaling paa gjæld

5 ---- do

6 ---- solgt for 100

9 ---- afbetaling paa

gjæld

11 ---- solgt for 50

12 – " – 50

13 – " – 50

14 – 100

18 50

19 50

21 50

23 100

24 100

25 10

27 givet bort

28 200

29 50

32 givet bort

33 50

34 200

35 25

36 50

38 200

39 givet bort

for skyldige

rammer

45 100

46 20

48 – afbetaling paa

gjæld

51 50 kr.

Translation

Aalhus 8^th Oct. 08

Dear Mr. Eilif Peterssen!

Forgive me for disturbing You; – I have been

deprived of my stipend due to

outright spurious rumours, which have

been fabricated about me by some for-

mer friends in Christiania [Oslo] – rumours that were

created before I had received as much as one penny

of the Henrichsen endowment; (those who have fabricated

the rumours have presumably been of the conviction

that the stipend had already been paid out to me, and

they have consequently hastened to fabricate rumours in time

to harm me).

At the end of December last year I travelled

to England – and I worked and studied

very diligently throughout the spring – and I

felt that I had gained considerable artistic

benefits from my trip abroad – my

poor lungs also improved greatly, and I

was looking forward now to being able to study

in total peace for a lengthy period abroad; for I was of

the conviction that I, like all the other painters,

would have the stipend for at least 2 years (some

have even received the Henrichsen endowment for 3 years). –

But since I had a wife to support and

some debts, which I was pressed to repay – and as I

did not feel that I was totally justified in using

a portion of the stipend to cover these private

expenses, – I arranged an exhibition in

Bergen this spring in the hope that I could thereby

cover these private expenditures of mine. –

I then made a brief trip to Norway in order to

see my own exhibition, – for which at great

expense I had been able to collect more or less everything

that I had painted including older and more recent pictures.

I was forced to entrust to others the task of collecting [the pictures] at

the homes of the owners in Kristiania [Oslo] and the vicinity, and I likewise

had to allow others to collect and frame

the pictures that I had placed around various

villages here in Western Norway – while I was

abroad – when the insurance, shipping, storage

in Bergen e.t.c. was calculated it was a rather expensive

exhibition for me. – When I eventually arrived in Bergen

I hastily took care of my private expenditures and

sold most of my pictures – including

many good ones – very cheaply, and I was consequently able to

pay all of my debts and [had] so much to spare, that my wife

could have lived off it for at least half a year while

I was abroad. I now looked forward to being

able at last to study abroad for a while in peace

from debt claims and financial worries, – but I was

not able to use my return ticket to England, since the stipend

was taken from me, without my being given

any explanation. I spent all of May waiting in vain

for a response from the endowment trustees, whether

the endowment would be returned to me – and I finally

heard, via some well-to-do relatives in Christiania [Oslo],

unambiguous pronouncements claiming that my "private

life" was of such a nature, that I

could not be granted the stipend for as long

as others –

I have consequently spent the summer worrying myself sick

over this – I have spent time calculating and speculating

on what to do – I have written to acquaint-

ances in Christiania [Oslo] in order to find out how

these spurious rumours about my "private life" should

be interpreted – and what these private extravagances

might possibly consist of. – I believe that I have led as

proper a life, as can be expected of any

human being – it is true that I was wed last year

with a girl that was a bit too young – she was 15 years old – but

I do not believe that this is such an immoral

act that I should for this reason be de-

nied receiving my stipend for as long as others.

My poor lungs have prevented me from consuming

alcohol in the past years – so there have

been no excesses in that sphere

either – I was a member of the Norwegian total abstinence union,

both before and after I was granted the stipend,

and I only withdrew from the same, immediately before leaving to

travel abroad – During the entire time I was

abroad I partook of one single glass of spirits in a

situation where I was ill. I have written and inquired with

several of my acquaintances in Christiania [Oslo] and

they can only confirm that many rumours are in circulation

there in Christiania regarding my "private life",

which is supposedly so degenerate that I was deprived

of my stipend – (this has also been confirmed

in response to inquiries higher up).

It is therefore very frustrating both to be left

destitute after having done one’s utmost

in order to cover one’s debts, at the same time

that one is cut off from applying for any

other stipend. Werenskiold said last year;

that I was nominated as no. I for the government stipend;

but since I was simultaneously nominated

as no. I for the Henrichsen endowment, – the government

stipend was of course given to someone

else. – It would have been better had I not received

the Henrichsen endowment at all, when

it would be taken away from me again, before the

customary period had expired; for had I not

counted on the fact that I still had the Henrichsen

endowment this year, I would have obviously applied for

another stipend either "Hoùen’s" or

"the government’s", and I would have surely received

one of these; since it was my turn to receive one of them.

Now, on the other hand, I was not even informed

that the stipend had been taken away from me, and I thus

did not think of applying for another before the deadline – and

when I finally via private means found out that someone

else was nominated for my stipend – well by then

the other stipends had also been given away

for the customary 2 years.

Now I cannot receive any other stipend

for 2 years. – But the most irritating thing

of all, is that one shall have one’s good

name and reputation spoiled without reason – so that

I in the future can be certain

not to get any of the other stipends either.

In addition I have to be submitted to unwarranted

reprimands from my relatives, who have never helped

me, but who now nevertheless find reason to be indignant

over having a person in their family, whose

"private life", is subject to public discussion; for

all kinds of spurious stories are now being told about

me in Christiania [Oslo] – among other things one in which I was

supposedly staying at a (named) hotel with a lover

and using my stipend on drink and carousing.

It is true that I stayed 3 days at that same

hotel ("Vasenden"), which did not have a license

to sell either beer or wine not to mention spirits. My wife

was together with me there, and we ate 2 meals per

day – (so no one can accuse us of any extra-

vagances) – no drinks were tasted (the hotel’s

owner has since informed me that nothing of the kind

existed in the hotel at that time). I have neither before

nor since lived in the same hotel – and

at the time I lived there for those 3 days,

I had yet to receive one penny of the stipend.

I have not lived in any other hotel

in the past 4 years with the exception of

the Mission hotel in Bergen – and there as everyone

knows one is not offered any alcoholic beverage,

one is even met with strict admonitions on placards

on all the walls not to bring that type of

beverage into the hotel – just as the hotel’s man-

ager is an avid teetotaller, who takes great pains to ensure

that no one who has imbibed alcoholic drink is allowed

inside the hotel’s walls.

Apropos the story about how I supposedly had

a "lover" with me, – it could well

be that my wife’s young age may have provided

cause for the "gossip"; but I still

find it unbelievable that this could provide

cause for such spurious rumours. But I

have recently found out that two ~~young~~ painters, who have

been my good friends, whom up until now

I have never had a score to settle with – and to whom I

have often lent, or more precisely, given money –

– one of them as much as several hundred kroner – these

2 friends, who have lived gratis in my home in Jölster –

one of them indeed all year round for several years – these

two it seems (in gratitude for having always

behaved as a good friend towards them); have now fabricated a

scandalous rumour about me –, that I presumably slept

at "Vasenden" hotel and squandered my stipend

III

there (presumably based on the afore-mentioned

rumour). One of these two friends has

been careless enough to tell this

story to another friend of mine and he

added at the same time that he would make

this story known higher up – and thereby

prevent me from receiving the second half of the stipend

– and NB – he said this before I had yet

received one penny of the stipend. This was first

paid out to me by a bank in Bergen, when

I arrived there in connection with my departure abroad. Yet none

of these former friends received the

stipend – although they surely applied for it – my sti-

pend was given instead to a certain ⁽^Karsten⁾, whose

"private life" is so publicly known, that

one could easily find fault with it, if one

had the desire.

It is by the way not the first time that I have been

treated unfairly in Christiania [Oslo] –

such as the case with the Thaulow prize. Thaúlow

wrote to me a few days before his death – in fact

I still have his letter, where he writes that he

had just seen my things at the Norwegian

exhibition in Copenhagen, and about these he writes:

"Your exhibition in Copenhagen was excellent and

interested me greatly. – I consider You

and Solberg as the most Significant among our Young [painters]." –

Thaúlow wrote further, that he wished for

me to have the Thaúlow prize, which he established

himself, and that he had written to Christiania [Oslo] and

made his recommendation to the committee, that I should

receive the said stipend – and he added in his letter that

I could count on receiving it. –

In the meantime Thaúlow died, and no

consideration was given to his wish at the immediately

ensuing awarding of the Thaúlow prize, which

the young Christiania painters distributed among themselves.

My lungs are at present in a poor state and I

am not in any condition to work outdoors – I have also,

as You can understand, been very offended by

these rumours about my "private life" – they have

not only robbed me of all my desire to work, but

even the desire to concern myself with

art at all – when in addition to

suffering hunger for years and incurring illness for

the sake of art, one must also risk one’s good

name and reputation.

One cannot with any amount of truth ac-

cuse me of having used my stipend for

anything other than my studies, for the sake of

frugality I even left my wife up

in a mountain village, where she could live inexpensively, while

I was abroad. I can also obtain proof

from the afore-mentioned hotel Vasenden, which the rumours

are concentrated around – and from the local priest, can-

tor, teacher, postmaster, e.t.c. or anyone at

all amongst the reliable men from the place, that there

has been nothing irregular about my "private

life" in the past 4-5 years that I have been living

here. In fact I would never have thought

that Christiania’s [Oslo] magistrate, or whoever is

responsible for delegating the endowment – paid heed to all kinds

of slanderous gossipmongers and their fabrications, without

investigating the matter more closely. This I would also like

to say to the persons involved – if only I knew

who they were (the words "private life" implies that they

must stem from well-informed sources).

I am tired of Christiania [Oslo] and of the young

Christiania painters, who do nothing more than

look at one another with suspicion and become sick with

envy, every time someone is awarded a stipend, and since

they are constantly staying in Christiania they

have ample opportunity to hang out at Grand [Café] and

fabricate scandalous rumours, which are

best suited to themselves. – I am tired of

them – and I have therefore decided that I will no

longer meet them halfway – from now on I am going to strike

and not exhibit in Christiania – at worst I will

go instead down to one of the copper mines

here in West Norway and toil like a common labourer

as hard as I can – for as long as my weak

lungs endure it – so that my poor little

wife shall not go hungry as long as I am alive.

For my family’s sake and for the sake of my

IIII

own good name and reputation and possible future

stipend applications – I have thought of

seeking legal assistance, so that I can at least

disprove the rumour regarding my "private life"

and the spurious story from the hotel e.t.c.

If You have by chance heard some of

these rumours regarding my

private life and stipend, I would be most

grateful to You, if You would send

me a few lines about it. I would

likewise be very grateful to You,

if You would give me a recommendation

for a little Danish-Norwegian stipend,

which normally awards 200 kroner annually

to two Norwegians – I once received 125 kroner

from this stipend – I have later heard,

that it is customary to to receive this stipend

3 years in a row – but as I

did not know this at that time, I did not apply for it again[.]

It is called "The Hjelmstjerne Rosencro-

nesk Endowment." It is possible that it is

too late to apply for this endowment this year, but since

it is the only one that I can apply for at present

I must make an attempt, and I would be most

grateful to You for a recommendation, which

is addressed in particular to the afore-mentioned endowment –

I shall not, if You so wish, make use of

this recommendation for any other sti-

pend.

As I beg Your pardon for

disturbing You with my long and

rambling letter, I hope to receive

a prompt reply from You

Your respectful and devoted

Nikolai Astrup

Addr.

Aalhús

Söndfjord

P.S.

I permit myself to enclose a catalogue and a few

newspaper clippings from my latest exhibition this past spring. 5 of my

old pictures were sold by their owners for over 4 times

their price, and several of my pictures have been sold by others

at a considerable profit. D.S.

Catalogue: In the following only Nikolai Astrup's handwriting is transcribed.

1 ---- sold for 90.

4 ---- debt repayment

5 ---- ditto

6 ---- sold for 100

9 ---- debt

repayment

11 ---- sold for 50