Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Aslaksen, Edvard Waldemar
1908-11

Transcription:

Tove Kårstad Haugsbø

Page

  • 1,
  • 2,
  • 3,
  • 4,
  • 5,
  • 6,
  • 7,
  • 8
Transcription
Translation

Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Aslaksen, Edvard Waldemar
1908-11
Brevs.295-331568, Nasjonalbiblioteket

8 Pages

Transcription: Tove Kårstad Haugsbø

Transcription

       Kjære Hr. Aslaksen

Jeg veed ikke, hvorledes jeg skal takke

Dem for Deres brev og for pengene og

bestillingen, jeg skùlde have skrevet

til Dem for længe siden, men mit

daarlige bryst har forværret sig nù i höst- 

og vinterkùlden, saa at jeg for tiden er

lidet skikket til at skrive et ordentlig

brev. Först maa jeg faa lov at bede

Dem om ikke at blive fornærmet, om

jeg ser mig nödsaget til at sende Deres 

penge tilbage; thi jeg har intet af saa

god kùnstnerisk værdi, at jeg vil tilbyde

Dem det – jeg har maattet skille

mig med de sidste rester, jeg havde af

skisser og billeder, da jeg var i pengeknibe

nù i höst – jeg har igjen nogle stùdier, 

som jeg nok selv kan være glad i, og som 

kan have værdi for mig som kùnstnerisk

seet gode stùdier – men de egner sig ikke

for at hænge paa en væg sammen med

"færdige" billeder – den stùdie, jeg har af et

St. Hansbaal, kan kanske betragtes som

et billede – men den vil jeg De skal

have som en foræring, og den skal blive sendt

Dem, saa snart jeg blir saa frisk, at jeg kan

faa arbeidet en kasse til at sende den i

– jeg bor nemlig paa et afsidesliggende sted, 

og det er vanskeligt for mig at faa tag i 

alt, som behöves af materialer – jeg kùnde

nok rùlle den omtalte studie sammen og

sende den pr. post, men billeder pleyer lide

saa meget ved saadan forsendelse, at jeg ansaa

det heldigst at faa den sendt i kasse og

opspændt paa ramme. Jeg bor som sagt 

saa afsides, at jeg vanskelig kan faa folke-

hjælp til dette arbeide – jeg bor gùdske lov

i mit eget hùs, det er lidet – ikke fùldt

3 m. i hver kant – men det er nù alligevel

mit – det har oprindelig været en sæterhytte

– og saa har jeg gùdske lov en liden kone som

steller for mig – saa jeg har ingen nöd – doktoren

var hos mig for for et par dage siden og gav 

mig en sterk medicin, som skùlde fri mig fra

all <tùbercelkim>, sagde han. Jeg har ingenting

brùgt af Deres penge endnù, da jeg har faaet nogen

penge, som jeg skùlde have for et billede i Bergen

– jeg har ùdestaaende for flere andre billeder ogsaa; 

og saa er jeg for tiden gjældsfri mand – saa jeg skùl-

de ikke have nogen grùnd til at beklage mig – 

og alligevel gaar jeg utaknemlige djævel her og

beklager mig, fordi jeg j ikke fik et stipendiùm

– men nù skal mine kjære slegtninge faa

höre fra mig – jeg skal sende dem skrivelsen

fra stipendiekomiteen – hvori staar at "stipendie

komiteen intet ùfordelagtigt har hört om mit "priv-

ate liv". – Jeg er saa forarget over, at jeg skùlde skrive

baade til Dem, Werenskiold, Krohg og andre om dette

skidt-stipendiet – naar det alligevel ikke angik

mit "private liv". Det er natùrligvis en eller

anden af de ùnge malerne, som har forùndret sig 

over, at jeg ikke fik stipendiet igjen – og saa har 

de fremsat en hypothese om, at mit private liv

maatte have hindret mig fra at faa stipendiet

igjen – og saa har en anden hört dette og bragt

det videre som den virkelige aarsag – og saaledes

er historien opkommet. – Kjære hr. Aslaksen, jeg

vil gjerne være en selvhjùlpen mand, og jeg har

fölelsen af, at De sendte mig disse penge væsentlig

bare for at hjælpe mig – isaafald maa jeg faa lov

at sende dem tilbage – vil De imidlertid gjerne

have nogle billeder af mig – saa maa jeg bede

Dem give mig lidt tid – jeg skal da, saasnart jeg

blir saahvidt frisk, faa samlet, hvad jeg endnù

har staaende hist og her paa bygden af studier, 

og kùnde jeg deriblandt finde en to tre stykker

som jeg med god samvittighed kùnde lade Dem faa

for saa mange penge – saa skal jeg gjöre det – finder

jeg imidlertid, at jeg ikke har ting, som er gode nok, 

sender jeg pengene tilbage – skùlde jeg imidlertid se mig

nödsaget til at forgribe mig paa Deres penge

i mellemtiden, skal jeg i allefald sende Dem

nogle studier i pant, indtil jeg holder en

ùdstilling i Kristiania, og De selv kan vælge 

ùd, hvad De vil af mine billeder. Sneen er

kommen her nù, – men hvis jeg blir saa frisk

kùnde det jo hænde, jeg kùnde faa malt et

vinterlandskab ogsaa – til Dem – jeg har rigtignok

bare malt et eneste vinterlandskab för – og det

blev indkjöbt til det galleri, som skal opprettes

i Bergen. Men jeg vil i det længste forsöge

ikke at brùge noget av Deres penge, förend jeg

jeg ser, om jeg kan skaffe Dem fùld valùta

for dem. Hvis jeg kan faa udlaant tilstræk-

kelig mange af mine billeder, vil jeg forsöge at

faa istand en udstilling i Christiania i Janùar

eller febrùar, – men jeg kan ikke vente

at mine billed-eiere vil finde sig i at laane 

ùd sine billeder saaledes gang paa gang. – 

Nù laante jeg mine vigtigste ting ùd til den 

ùdstilling, som "gruppe 1" af norske kunstnere

holdt i Kjöbenhavn; – jeg blev indvalgt

som yngste medlem i denne gruppe, hvori

der kùn var to unge kunstnere, og jeg syntes

jeg maatte deltage i udstillingen, naar man gjor-

de saa megen ære paa mig, – men jeg havde

ikke en öres fortjeneste deraf – tvertimod havde

jeg 40 kr. ùdgift for min deltagelse i udstil-

lingen. Nù laante jeg igjen mine billeder ùd

til Bergens ùdstillingen ivaar – saa nù tör

jeg næsten ikke bede mine billedeiere om, at

faa laane billederne ùd oftere – men jeg

blir vel næsten nödt til at gjöre et forsög; 

thi hvis jeg skal gjöre mig haab om at faa

Statens stipendiùm til vaaren, maa jeg vel

holde en ùdstilling forinden i Christiania – 

Nù veed jeg heller ikke om Statens stipen-

diùm er ledigt til vaaren, saa det er hjælp

i at söge det – thi jeg veed ikke om den, 

der nù har det – har havt det i to aar

til vaaren, eller om det er det förste aar, han 

har det – isaatilfælde vil jeg aldrig i verden

söge det; – saa vidt jeg veed er det Ødegaard

som har Statens stipendiùm iaar, og han har 

det vistnok for förste gang iaar. 

I det jeg haaber, at jeg enten maa finde

nogen arbeider til Dem, eller at jeg maa faa

anledning at male noget til Dem i den

aller nærmeste fremtid – saa maa jeg atter

faa lov at takke Dem paa det hjærteligste for

Deres venlighed mod mig. Det var kjedeligt, 

at jeg ikke udstillede i Christiania ivaar

i stedenfor i Bergen – thi jeg gav væk flere

af mine billeder der – billeder som jeg

vilde have havt meget större glæde af

have givet Dem; – ligeledes solgte jeg mange

billeder for halve – ja lige ned til fjerdedelen

af de priser, som jeg paa forhaand syntes, jeg

havde sat lavt nok – og blandt disse var

der sikkerlig billeder, som De vilde have likt, 

og som jeg da heller kunde have solgt for

en billig pris til Dem end til hvilketsom-

helst ubekjendt menneske i Bergen. 

Ja atter tak! – og ùndskyld, at jeg ikke

for öieblikket har noget andet end den

omtalte St. Hansbaalstùdie, og kanske nog-

le andre studier at sende Dem – men hvis De

ikke faar noget andet end den omtalte

St. Hans stùdie – saa er det fordi jeg ingen 

stùdier finder, som er Dem værdige – og isaa-

fald maa jeg faa lov at sende Dem pengene

tilbage. 

Deres i taknemlighed

forbùndne

Nikolai Astrup

Adr. Myklebùst

Sandal

Söndfjord

Translation

Dear Mr. Aslaksen

I don’t know, how to thank

You for Your letter and for the money and

the commission, I should have written

to You long ago, but my

poor lungs have worsened in this autumn 

and winter cold, so I am not at present 

in any condition to write a proper

letter. First of all I must be permitted to ask

You not to be offended, if

I feel obliged to return Your 

money; for I have nothing of 

adequate artistic value, that I might offer

it to You – I was forced to part with

the last vestiges, that I had of

sketches and pictures, when I was in dire straits

this autumn – what remains are a few studies, 

which I am fond of myself, and which 

can be valuable to me as studies

having artistic quality – but they are not suitable

to hang on a wall together with

“finished” pictures – the study, that I have of a

Midsummer Eve bonfire, may perhaps be considered

a picture – but this one I want You to

have as a gift, and it will be shipped

to You, as soon as I am well enough

to construct a crate to send it in

– you see I live in a remote location, 

and it is difficult for me to get hold of 

everything, that is needed in the form of materials – I could

roll the mentioned study up and

send it via the post, but pictures [normally] suffer

so much from such a shipping method, that I thought

it best to send it in a crate and

stretched on a frame. I live as mentioned 

in such a secluded place, that it will be difficult for me to hire 

help for this work – I live thank God

in my own house, it is small – not quite

3 m. on each side – but it is nevertheless

mine – it was originally a mountain dairy cabin

–and then thank God I have a little Mrs. who

takes care of me – so I suffer no neglect – the doctor

visited me a a couple of days ago and gave 

me a strong medicine, which is meant to cure me of

all [the tuberculin], he claimed. I have not 

used any of Your money as yet, since I have received some

money, that was owed to me for a picture in Bergen

– I also have outstanding sums for several other pictures; 

and in addition I am a debt-free man at the moment – so I should

not have any reason to complain – 

and yet here I am ungrateful devil 

complaining, because I I did not receive a grant

– but now my dear relatives will 

hear from me – I will send them the letter

from the scholarship committee – where it states that “the scholarship

committee has not heard anything unfavourable about my ‘pri-

vate life’”. – I am so exasperated about having to write

to You, Werenskiold, Krohg and others about this

shitty grant – when it has nothing to do with

my “private life”. It was obviously one or

other of the young painters, who have wondered 

why, I did not get the grant once again – and so have 

put forth the hypothesis, that my private life

must have prevented me from getting the grant

a second time – and then someone else heard this and passed

it on as the real reason – and that is how

the story originated. – Dear mr. Aslaksen, I

very much wish to be a self-sufficient man, and I have

the feeling, that You sent me this money in essence

only to help me – in which case I must be permitted

to return it – if You on the other hand would like

to have some pictures from me – then I must ask 

You to give me some time – I will then, as soon as I

am sufficiently recovered, and [can] gather, what I still

have of studies stored here and there in the village, 

and might among them find one two three pieces

that I in good conscience might let You have

for this amount of money – then I shall do it – If 

on the other hand, I find that I do not have anything, that is good enough, 

I will return the money – should I nevertheless be 

forced to raid Your money 

in the meantime, I will at least send You

a few studies as security, until I have an

exhibition in Kristiania , and You can choose, 

what You wish among my pictures. The snow has

arrived here, – but if I recover enough

perhaps I might also be able to paint a

winter landscape – for You – I have in truth

only painted one single winter landscape previously – and it 

was bought up by the gallery, that is being established

in Bergen. But I will try as long as possible

not to use any of Your money, until I

I see whether I can obtain full compensation for You

in exchange for them. If I succeed in borrowing e-

nough of my pictures, I will try to

put together an exhibition in Christiania in January

or February, – but I cannot expect

the owners of my pictures to put up with lending 

out their pictures like that over and over again. – 

I recently lent my most important things to the

exhibition, which “Group 1” [comprised of] Norwegian artists

held in Copenhagen; – I was selected

as the youngest member of this group, among whom

there were only two young artists, and I felt that

I had to take part in the exhibition, since they be-

stowed so much honour on me, - but I did

not make one öre’s profit from it – on the contrary I

had 40 kr. in expenses for my participation in the exhibi-

tion. I also lent out my pictures

to the Bergen exhibition this spring – so now I dare

not ask the owners of my pictures to

allow me to borrow the pictures once again – but I

will be obliged to make an attempt; 

because if I am to have any hope of receiving the

Government grant this spring, I will have to

have an exhibition beforehand in Christiania – 

I don’t even know if the Government 

grant is available in the spring, so there is an advantage

in applying for it – because I don’t know if whoever, 

has it now – will have had it for two years

in the spring, or whether it is the first year, he 

has it – if that were the case I would never ever

apply for it; – as far as I know it is Ødegaard

who has the Government grant this year, and he 

evidently has it for the first time this year. 

In the hope, that I either can find

some works for You, or that I am

able to paint something for You in the

very near future – I must again

be permitted to thank You most heartily for

Your kindness towards me. It is a shame, 

that I did not exhibit in Christiania this spring

instead of in Bergen – because I gave away several

of my pictures there – pictures that I

would have had much more pleasure in

giving to You; – I likewise sold many

pictures for half – even down to a quarter

of the prices, that I thought in advance, I

had set low enough – and among these

were very good pictures, that You would have liked, 

and which I might have sold at

a cheap price to You rather than to any 

random stranger in Bergen. 

Well thanks again! – and forgive me, for not

having anything more at present than the

mentioned Midsummer Eve study, and perhaps some

other studies to send You –but if You

do not receive anything more than the mentioned

Midsummer Eve study – it is because I have not 

found studies, that are worthy of You – and in that

case I must be permitted to return Your money. 

Your grateful and

                 obliged

                  Nikolai Astrup

Adr. Myklebùst

               Sandal

                   Söndfjord