Fra H. J. Meyer

        BERGEN AGENT A/S

SKIBSMÆGLERE

BERGEN den 9/8 1921

        Kjære Herr Astrup!

               Mange tak for Deres lange og meget under-

holdende og interessante brev samt for de til-

sendte tegninger. Specielt min bedste tak for

de 3 tegninger, som De forærer mig, og som jeg

meget gjerne vil ha. Disse tegninger faar

betydelig foröget interesse ved det ledsagende

brev. Især er skildringen af "likdansen" glim-

rende. Jeg er ikke i tvivl om at De har de

störste betingelser for at kunne udgive et umaa-

deligt interessant værk af

bygdeskildringer ledsaget af

Deres ypperlige billedkunst. Jeg

skulde inderlig önske at Deres

helbred vilde levne Dem kræfter

og energi til at udföre et saa-

dant værk! Det vilde sikkert

bli blandt de bedste i sit

slags – enestaaende nærmest.

   Jeg kan ikke nok sige hvor stor

pris jeg sætter paa Deres venlighed

ved at forære mig disse bille teg-

ninger – samt "ùnicum"et af

en radering, og takker Dem atter

paa det bedste.

Jeg kommer antagelig til

at beholde endel af de andre

tegninger ogsaa, – specielt tænker

jeg paa de 3 förste af "En glad

gut". De övrige vil jeg forsöge

at afhænde for Dem saa godt

jeg kan. Forelöbig har Engelsen

dem alle – samt Deres brev –

til gjennemsyn. Engelsen tror

jeg er den af mine venner, som

har mest intens interesse

for Deres kunst. – Neumann

II

er ude og reiser, men det med hans regning paa

Dem behöver De ikke at ængste Dem for. – Jeg

vil gjerne De skal sende flere tegninger, samt de

to tryk De taler om, jeg haaber at faa dem

anbragt hos mine venner. – Jeg glær mig til

at se "Tungjölet", – nu blir det jo heller ikke

saa længe för vi kommer til Vasenden

som vanlig – den 24^de er det meningen, –

og da træffes vi sikkert forhaabentlig.

   Jeg var i banken og talte med bankchef Tor-

stenson. Han lovede at drage omsorg

for at der blev skrevet til Dem di-

rekte fra banken. Dette har De for-

modentlig allerede faaet, saa det skul-

de være iorden. Den "lap" De taler

om fra stipendiekomiteen medfulgte

ikke Deres brev. De maa ha overseet

at vedlægge den. –

At kjöbe valuta til Dem i det

"beleilige" öieblik skal De ikke bede

mig om. Det er et altfor vanskeligt

og ansvarsfuldt hverv. Oprigtig talt

forstaar jeg heller ikke rigtig det hel-

dige i at kjöbe pesetas, men hvis

De er bestemt paa at det er den

slags valuta De vil ha, synes jeg

De skulde skrive til banken og

bede den kjöbe for Dem til ikke

höiere end f. ex. 80 öre, – eller

hvilken grændse De selv maatte

bestemme. – (Jeg skulde bare önske

De havde kjöbt francs sidst vi talte

om dette spörgsmaal, thi francen har

steget meget siden da.) – Jeg skriver

igjen saasnart jeg har faaet gjort noget

med tegninger. – Det var 2 deilige bil-

leder Ørvig fik gjennem Kramer for 1300

kr. tilsammen. Især det med alpeglöden,

som jeg har i farvetryk, skulde jeg gjerne

havt. Det er fortryllende, og solglandsen

i vinduerne paa den gamle præstegaard

er mesterlig. Aa det er skjönt!!

   Undskyld hastværket. De bedste

hilsener, og vel mödt snart !

Deres forbundne

H. J. Meyer

From H. J. Meyer

BERGEN AGENT A/S

SHIPPING AGENT

BERGEN 9/8 1921

Dear Mr. Astrup!

Many thanks for Your long and very enter-

taining and interesting letter as well as for the

sent drawings. And special thanks for

the 3 drawings, which You give me, and which I

am very happy to have. These drawings gain

considerably more interest thanks to the accompanying

letter. The description of the “cadaver dance” is particularly bril-

liant. I have not the least doubt that You are

supremely qualified to publish an immeasur-

ably interesting volume of

village depictions accompanied by

Your exquisite visual art. I

sincerely wish that Your

health will allow You the strength

and energy to perform such

a task! It would surely

be among the best in its

genre – quite exceptional.

   I cannot express how much

I appreciate Your kindness

in giving me these pict draw-

ings – as well as the “one of a kind”

etching, and thank You once again

sincerely.

I will most likely

keep some of the other

drawings as well, – I’m thinking in particular

of the first 3 of “A happy

boy”. The remainder I will try

to sell for You as best

I can. For the time being Engelsen has

them all – together with Your letter –

for inspection. Engelsen believes

that among my friends I am the one, with

the most intense interest

in Your art. – Neumann

is out travelling, but when it comes to what You owe

him[,] You need not be anxious about it. – I 

Would like You to send additional drawings, as well as the

two prints You speak of, I hope to have them

sold to my friends. – I look forward

to seeing “Tungjölet”, – and now it is not 

long until we arrive at Vasenden

as usual – the 24^th is the plan, –

and then we will certainly meet I hope. –––

   I was at the bank and spoke with the bank director Tor-

stenson. He promised to see to

it that a letter is written to You di-

rectly from the bank. This you have pre-

sumably already received, so that should

be in order. The “slip of paper” You speak

of from the grants committee was not included

in Your letter. You must have forgotten

to enclose it. –

To purchase currency for You at an

“opportune” moment You must not ask

me to do. It is too difficult

and responsible a task. To be honest

I don’t quite understand the advant-

age of buying pesetas, but if

You are certain that is the

type of currency You wish to have, I think

You should write to the bank and

ask them to buy it for You for no

more than 80 öre for example, – or

whatever limit You might 

decide yourself. – (I just wish that

You had bought francs when we last talked

about this subject, for the franc has 

increased considerably in value since then.) – I will write

again as soon as I have done something 

with the drawings. – Those were 2 lovely pic-

tures Ørvig received through Kramer for Kr. 1300

in total. In particular the one with the alpine glow,

which I have in a coloured print, I would have liked

to have. It is enchanting, and the reflection of the sun

in the windows in the old vicarage

is consummate. Oh how exquisite it is!!

   Forgive my haste. Best

wishes, and see you soon !

Your obliged

H. J. Meyer