27.6.1831

Sender

H.W. Bissen

Sender’s Location

Rom

Information on sender

Rester af segl.
Poststempler: ROMA og Stato pontificio og T.T. HAMBURG 19. Juli. 31.

Recipient

Just Mathias Thiele

Recipient’s Location

København

Information on recipient

Udskrift: An / den Herrn J. Thiele, / Professor und Secretair der Königlichen Akademi der schönen Künste in / Kopenhagen / Danimarca. / pr: Hamborgo

Dating based on

Dateringen fremgår af brevet.

Abstract

The commentary for this letter is not available at the moment.

Document

Rom den 27 Juni 1831.

Kjære Thiele!

Med stor Glæde setter jeg mig ned for at melde dig at nu endelig engang dine Tegninger ere færdige. De ere 17 Blade som Du efter Thorvaldsens Üdring, ved Friis veed alt om hvad der behøves. Jeg har pakket dem ind og bringer dem nu idag paa Posten; ogsaa haaber jeg at Du efter 6 Uger skulde være i Besiddelse af dem ligeledes haaber jeg at Du vil være fornøiet med dem, jeg har i det mindste efter Omstændighederne gjort mig alt muelig Umage og jeg tror at de ere bedere end de første jeg sente Dig. Nu troer jeg ellers at jeg har tegnet alt, thi ogsaa de senere Ting har jeg tegnet ligesom de kom fra hans Haand, f.E. en fortreffelig køn position Minerva der tilkjender Ulysses Achilles Vaaben, som ogsaa en Satyr der lærer en ung Faun at spille på Flauten, som jeg har tegnet efter Leeret. – De vil more Dig. Jeg tager mig den Frihed at lægge en liden Tegning af en Skizze jeg har gjort efter Kunstforeningens Obgave, til dine og beder Dig at overlevere den til Vedkommende. Sidst da jeg sendte dine Tegninger herfra angav jeg en Priis for at være sikkert ifald de skulde gaaet tabt, men maaskee har Du derfor maatet betalle meer end ellers og i saa Henseende har jeg tænkt at angive dennegang ingen eller kun en ubetydelig Priis. – Ventelig har Dit Verk ikke havd nogen Forsinkning for Tegningernes Skyld, det vilde giøre mig ond og naar det ogsaa var saaledes saa haaber jeg dog at Du vil tilgive mig da jeg ikke uden Grund har sølet saa længe med Affindingen –

Du har nu vist allerede for meer end 14 Dage siden modtaget mit første Brev hvori jeg laaver Dig at skrive meer og udførligere med Tegningernes Afsendelse, men dette Løvte holder jeg nok neppe, for det første, for ikke at opholde titnævnte Tegninger længere og for det andet, beste Thiele, maa jeg sige ligefrem at jeg intet veed hvad jeg kunde skrive Dig, saa eensfomigen og ubekient med vad der staar stort sniger sig mit Liv til det uendelige Hav, som en Flod igjennem Sumper; kun usselheder viste jag at volde Dig naar jeg ikke vilde tale om de politiske Omvæltninger, og herom siges der det er beder at tie end at give Hjertet Luft i fuld Strøm – – Tiden kommer vel ogsaa hvor man sikkert kan tale om det Hjertet banker for –

Da jeg altsaa ikke andet kan skrive om saa vil jeg, for ikke at afsende Brevet førend, opregne dig hvad jeg har gjort og hvad jeg har i sinde at gjøre – og siden besvære dig med Bønner og Commissioner. – Bysten for Kongen af Baiern er da endelig bleven heelt fertig og udpillet – Thorvaldsens Byste venter paa mig præpareret i et fortræffeligt Stykke Marmor, og om Gud vil skal den være efter 2 Maaneder paa Reisen til Kjøbenhavn. Paa Figuren til Hambroe bliver der arbeidet stærkt i Marmor, og den vilde være længer frem naar jeg før havde kunde faa et Stykke Marmor der var got. Det klinger leuerligt at der i det store Rom ikke skulde findes et Marmor til en liden Figur, men det er dog sand. Et Stykke har jeg allerede maade kastet væk fordi det fald daarlig ud, men det andet der arbeides nu paa synes at være meget smukt. Jeg har ordentlig faat frygt, thi skulde det blive ved saadanne, var der ikke megen Profit ved at være Billedhugger, jeg har allerede tabt nok ved det første. – Endelig, endelig er da ogsaa med Guds Hjælp Figuren til Prinzen bleven færdig og sendes af i disse Dage, og en svær Steen er falden mig fra Hjærtet, men der ligger een paa inu: Jeg har for denne Figur kun faaet 200 Sc. og har paa meer ikke andet Sikkerhed end Thorvaldsens og Randsaus Lövder og Prindsens Generøsitet. Hvad det vil sige veed Du naar der ingen er der kan tale sig af Sagen. – Omendskønt Thorvaldsen roser Arbeidet saa gider jeg dog ikke faldet ham besverlig, men har besluttet at holde mig til Prindsen allene, thi jeg indseer vel at Arbeidet er grumme svag som det første jeg fuldendte, og at det vilde være ubeskeeden at fordre. Men til Dig kjære Thiele siger jeg at der paa min Ere er meer Arbeid end ved 3 Byster, hvorfor dog den almindelige Priis er 200 Sc: Thorvaldsen har faaet for nogen af sine første Figurer i samme Størelse 600 Sc: og for Figuren til Hambroe har han sat mig Priisen (det er overlad til ham) paa 440 Sc: Kunde jeg altsaa for denne bare faa 400 saa vilde jeg være meget glad. – Kan Du tale et Ord for mig i denne Sag, enten med Prinzen selv eller med Randsau saa gjør du mig sandelig en stor Tjeneste. Jeg selv skal skrive til Prinzen og maaskee ogsaa et par Ord til Randsau. Om Pengenes Anvendelse skal vi siden tale. – Dog er det vel best at tie til Figuren en ankommen, saa der vil vare en Tid. – Bliv ikke vred gode Thiele at jeg i ethvert Brev plager Dig med Bøn og Kommisioner den ene ubehageligere end den anden, men jeg har saa mange Beviser paa din Godhed for mig at jeg haaber Du vil holde mig det til gode. –

Dette om mig og mine Anliggender beste Thiele og nu om andre: Thorvaldsen befinder sig vel og frembringer som bestandig de skjønneste Ting. – Friis er ogsaa vel og begge beder at hilse Dig paa det hjerteligste. Buck maler paa sit Billede Fodvaskningen. Küchler har snart fuldendt sit Altartavle. Lund [xxxxxxx] dunkle Ting og Mayer, det er skammelig at jeg ikke hilste dig i sidste Brev fra ham, thi han bad mig meget derom er vel og meget flittig. Rungs Stilling er slem, meget slem, mon det ikke paa nogen maade var muelig at faa ham hjem? – det var det beste tror jeg der kunde skee for ham. Bötcher, han lever vel og spiser i Kjarika. Petzhold er, som du vel veed paa Sicilien, Martens og Holbek ere vel, men temmelig usynlig. – Bravo er flittig og vel. – – Kornelius har fuldendt et Carton Christus paa Korset, naturlig meget smuk og reiser som jeg troer snart sammen med Overbek. – Og nu Kjere Thiele maa jeg slutte hils alle gode Venner og bekientere og lev ret vel, anbefal mig din Gemalinde og gjør ikke som jeg men lad snart noget høre fra Dig –

Brevet er skreven i hast og heede. Du vil altsaa
faa og giøre for at læse det, papierra[?] –
Din
H. Bissen.


[tilføjet i venstre margen:]
Den 28. For at forre bykke alt Konfusion meller jeg Dig her at Tegningen først idag bliver overleveret paa Posten da jeg igaar nu ikke kunde blie heelt fertig – Lev vel gode Thiele. Du morer dig dog vel i Dyrehaven? – Lev vel! –

Oversættelse af dokument

Rome, June 27th 1831

Dear Thiele,

With great pleasure I sit down to inform you that your drawings are finally finished. There are 17 sheets which you from what Thorvaldsen says, from Friis know all what is necessary about. I have packed them up and will today bring them to the post; and I hope that after 6 weeks you will have received them, I also hope you will be pleased with them, I have at least in the circumstances spared no efforts and I think they are better than the first ones I sent you. You know, I think I have drawn everything, as I have also drawn the latest things just as they left his hands, for example an extremely beautiful position of Minerva who awards Ulysses the weapon of Achilles, as well as a satyr teaching a young faun to play the flute, which I have drawn from the clay. You will be amused by them. I take the liberty to enclose a small drawing of a sketch I have made according to the task of the art society with yours and ask you to deliver it to the person concerned. Last time when I sent your drawings from this place I stated a price to feel safe in case they were lost, but perhaps you have had to pay more than usual and as far as that goesI have decided this time to state no price or merely a trifle. – I expect that your work has not been delayed because of the drawings. I should be sorry about that, and if it were so I do hope you will forgive me, as I have not dawdled over the arrangements without reason. –

More than a fortnight ago, I think, you have already received my first letter in which I promise you to write more and in more details when I send the drawings, but I shall hardly keep this promise, firstly not to delay the often mentioned drawings any longer and secondly dear Thiele, I must say straight out that I know nothing to write to you, like a river through marshes does my life slip away to the boundless sea, monotonous and ignorant of what is great; I should cause you only wretchedness when I would not talk about the political revolutions and it is said, better to keep silent than to pour out your heart in full flow about them – – I suppose a time will come when you can safely speak about what your heart beats for. –

So as I cannot write about anything else, not to send the letter too early, I will tell you what I have done and what I intend to do – and after that trouble you with requests and commissions. – The bust for the King of Bavaria is finally completely finished and picked out – Thorvaldsen’s bust is waiting for me prepared in an excellent piece of marble, and God willing it shall after 2 months be on its journey to Copenhagen. The figure for Hambroe is worked at rapidly in marble and it would have got further if I had been able to get a piece of marble which was good earlier. It sounds strange that in the large Rome no marble for a small figure could be found, but it is true. I have already had to throw away one piece because it turned out bad, but the other one which I am working at now seems o be rather beautiful. I have certainly become afraid, for if this should continue there would not be much gain in being a sculptor, I have already lost enough at the first one. – At length the figure for the Prince has been finished with God’s help and is being sent off these days, it was great relief to me, but one problem is still left: For this figure I have received only 200 Sc. And have no security of more but Thorvaldsen’s and Randsau’s promises and the Prince’s generosity. What that means you know, when there is no one to speak about the matter. – Though Thorvaldsen praises the work I shan’t bother to trouble him, but have decided to stick to the Prince alone as I realize that the work is awfully weak being the first I finished and that insisting would be asking too much. But to you, dear Thiele I say that upon my honour there is more work than at 3 busts for which the normal price is 200 Sc. For some of his first figures the same size Thorvaldsen has received 600 Sc. And on the figure to Hambroe he has set the price for me (it has been left to him) of 440 Sc. So if only I could get 400 for this one I should be very pleased. – If you could speak a word for me regarding this matter either to the Prince himself or to Randsau you would really do me a great favour. I shall write to the Prince myself and perhaps also a couple of words to Randsau. How to spend the money we shall talk about later However, it is best to be silent until the figure has arrived, so it will be some time. – Do not get angry, dear Thiele that in every letter I trouble you with request and commissions one more disagreeable than the other but I have so many proofs of your kindness that I hope you will make allowance for me. –

This about me and my affairs, good Thiele, and now about others: Thorvaldsen is well and as always produces the most beautiful things. – Friis is also well and both send their sincere regards. Buck is painting his picture The foot washing. Küchler will soon have finished his altarpiece. Lund [xxxxxxx] obscure things and Mayer it is a disgrace that I did not send his regards to you in my last letter, he asked me much to do so and he works hard. Rung’s situation is bad, rather bad. I wonder whether it is not possible to get him home in some way ? – that would be the best that could happen to him. Bötcher is well and eats at Kjarika. Petzhold I suppose you know is in Sicily, Martens and Holbek are well, but rather insignificant – Bravo is diligent and well. – Kornelius has finished a cartoon of Christ on the Cross, naturally very beautiful and I think he soon leaves together with Overbek – And now, dear Thiele I must finish, give my regards to all good friends and acquaintances and all the best wishes, recommend me to your wife and do not as I do but let me hear from you soon. –

| The letter has been written in haste and heat. So you will
have trouble reading it, papierra[?] | –

Yours,
H. Bissen

[added in the left margin:]
The 28th. To prevent confusion I here inform you that the drawing will only today be handed over at the post as I could not finish it completely yesterday – All the best, dear Thiele. I hope you enjoy yourself in the Dyrehave. – All the best –


[Translated by Karen Husum]

Archival Reference

m31, nr. 5

Persons

Last updated 08.04.2022