it is unlikely there will be an opportunity to

have any exhibition.

I will attempt to do the best

I will nevertheless ask You in advance not

to be angry with me, if I should fail this

year as well to achieve a totally satis-

factory result – it will in any case most likely be my

last attempt with this motif – it is not

a good thing to “become bored” with a task.

I have several such motifs in my head, motifs

that I have painted many times, but I am

dissatisfied with their execution – I don’t feel I

have solved the task and have a “bad conscience”

and a strong urge to “scrape it away” and paint over it

again, - I have “scraped away” several pictures also

this year, - which I might have easily made a pretty

penny on, had I not been afraid of this

“bad conscience” – it is tempting during these

times of terrible inflation to “make” art for the sake of money, -

but an artist must never do that. –

Accept once again my heartfelt thanks!

Your grateful

Nikolai Astrup

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