C.W. Eckersberg
Rom
J.F. Clemens
København
Dateringen fremgår ikke af udkastet, men af Bramsen & Jensen, op. cit.
Kommentarerne til dette dokument er under udarbejdelse.
Gode Herr Clemens
Min bedste Taksigelse for Deres sidste af 7. October 1815 som jeg med Vexelen rigtig har modtaget d. 27. October, det glæder mig særdeeles at De selv med Deres kjære Familie og alle Venner befinder Dem vel, og saa taker jeg Dem meeget for alt hvad De har berettet mig. Deres gode Meening om mit Arbejde giør mig overmaade lykkelig og at Deres Raad er mig meeget opmuntrende, kan De være forvisset om.
Jeg har sidst under 21 Sept. tilsendt Dem et BrevI, hvori jeg Omstændeligen har underrettet Dem om Imodtagelsen af Pengene for Altertavlen, som jeg vil haabe De rigtigen har imodtaget. Dermed fulgte tillige et andet brev til Hr. Capt. v. HuthII. Med Fornøyelse hører jeg at Hr. Grev Wedel Jarlsberg dog har bestemt sig til at tage dette Malerie, og at han har betalt det, jeg havde først halvveiis tvivlet derom, da hans stilltiende kunde have havt andre Aarsager, men jeg er dog glad at det nu er kommet til sin første Bestemmelse. Jeg længes nu ret efter at Lund maatte komme, for at see hvad Møller har sagt mig om Begievenhederne derhjemme, det synes at man jo nu maae have faaet en forfærdelig Enthusiasme for de skjøne Konster, eller for Antiken i Kjøbenhavn, det var jo ret brav, om det kunde bidrage til at befordre Konsten, men det er underligt at en deel af Konstnerne selv begynder at løbe bort til alle Verdens Hjørner.
Jeg havde smigret mig med at faae et par Ord fra Akademiet over mine to sidste hjemsendte Arbeider, som jeg sædvanlig tilforn har havt den Ære at imodtage naar jeg har sendt noget. Man kunde nesten troe, at der maatte være Ugler i Mosen dog kan jeg vel tænke at man vil forbeholde sig den Høflighed indtil jeg komer selv.
Jeg har rigtig nok ogsaa hørt at Hr. Høyer har faaet et Quartals Penger udbetalt til at reise tilbage for, det samme vilde ogsaa være mig meeget kjærkomet, men jeg tilstaar at jeg nødigt vilde skrive til Prindsen eller Akademiet blot for at bede derom, naar det ikke er en sat Regel for de reisende Pensionairer hellere vil jeg søge at bestride Omkostningerne selv af det jeg kan vendte at faae for det store Malerie, vil man siden godtgiøre mig Reisen naar jeg er komet tilbage, destobedre. De giør Dem gode Hr. Clemens alt for stort Begreb om min Portefeuille og mit Atelier, i begge har kuns et magert Udseende, jeg ved ey hvorledes det er, men jeg synes at jeg snare er bleven decurageret som encourageret her i Rom, hvor man dog ellers jo egentligen burde faae Løst til at arbeide, hvad Aarsagen er kan jeg ikke begribe førend jeg tog bort fra Kjøbenhavn arbeidede jeg undertiden med inderlighed og Lost, og var som man siger begeistret af det jeg vilde giøre, en saadan Stemning er nødvendig for at arbejde med Hæld i Konstfaget, men i al den Tid jeg har været borte har jeg ikke meere følt det varme Interesse for noget Ting, som ofte har giordt mig meeget Melancholsk i Hovedet, og vil et lykkeligere Humeur ikke vende tilbage igien, vil jeg spille en slet Figur i Fremtiden (dog har jeg den trøst at de fleste af de største Konstnere har gjordt deres bedste Ting i deres eget Fædreland.) jeg har egentligen uden de to Malerier jeg har sendt hiem og det jeg nu arbeider paa ikke giordt noget her uden en Deel Tegninger, og Esquiser, af Partirne og Prospecter her i Rom, jeg har havt begyndt adskilligt andet, men har igien tilintetgiordt det, det store Malerie har jeg havt tilsidesat henved en 2 Maaneder, nu da jeg har farvelaget det igien, har jeg giordt een og anden Forandring deri – jeg haaber dog at faae det gandske færdigt til Nytaar, et par mindre Malerier til Hr. Nathanson, vil jeg nok neppe faae færdige her – ci vol pazienza, siger Romerne.
Der er gaaet en Dansk Fregat og en Brig til Middelhavet, om disse kom til at overvintre i en Italiensk Havn, vilde det nok være den sikreste Leilighed at sende Malerierne bort med dem til Foraaret, men om dette ikke skeer, vil der nok gives andere Leiligheder.
Vores Agtværdige Hr. Thorwaldsen beeder Dem paa det Venskabeligste hilset, han befinder sig meeget vel, og har for en Maanedstid siden endt en meeget skiøn Portraitstatue, af en Rusisk Dame, jeg føler mig lykkelig ved i saa høy en Grad at nyde hans Venskab, vi har nyeligen giordt et par skiønne Landtourer sammen, han har for en Maanedstid siden giordt mig en overmaade kostbar Foræring af en GuldringIII med en Saphir af meegen Værdi, Steenen er Antik der gaaer et lidet Hul tvers igienem den men dens Værdi ophøyes dobbelt derved, at et af Hr. Thorwaldsens skjøne Basreliefer forestillende Bachus og Amor Mesterligen er udgraveret i den, af een af de dueligste Konstnere her, dette, som og den Haand, jeg har faaet den af, giver denne Preciosa for mig en uskateerlig Værdie.
Jeg har det i fleere Punkter overmaade behageligt her, iblandt andet ogsaa deri, at Hr. Thorvaldsen besidder de skjøneste Samlinger af Bøger, af Kobberstik, af Malerier, af Gibsafstøbninger, af antike Hetruriske Vaser, af Aftryk af antike Medailler og Mündter, kort en skiøn Konstsamling som alt forøges, som jeg altsammen saa nemt kan benytte mig af. Hvad Aftryk af antike Medailler og Myndt som Hr. G.R. Bulow ønskede angaaer, haaber jeg nok at vilde kunde tilvejebringe.
Nu vil Hr. Malling, Hr. Hetsch, og Hr. Capt. v. Huth nok være ankomet til Kjøbenhavn, nu har jeg da tre Maaneder at vendte, inden jeg kan faae Brev fra Dem igien, var det ikke for Portoen, bad jeg Dem og de andre Venner at skrive mig oftere. Naar jeg faaer mit Malerie færdigt, som jeg haaber vil skee til Juul skriver jeg Dem vel et lidet Brev til igien for at underrette Dem om min Plan med Tilbagereisen, og et og andet meere. Dennegang følger hermed kun et Blad til Møller,216 som De selv, og de andre Venner Bagge og Gebauer vilde tage Deel i, disse to sidste maae undskylde mig, at jeg dennegang ikke har givet dem hver sit Blad. Hvorleedes gaar det ellers vores Bagge? De siger mig at han gaaer til Fyn neste Sommer. Skal han der tiltræde sit Skolemester-Embede? Jeg beeder Dem hilse ham, at han dog neste gang meddeeler mig et par Ord, om sig selv, som om min lille Søn. Endelig beeder jeg Dem meeget at hilse vore høyt agtede Venner Dhr. G.R. Bülow, E.R. Berner, G.C. Clasen, Hr. Nathanson, Hr. Plötz etc. Himlen give Dem, nu min bedste Ven og Fader, med Deres gode Familie bedste Sundhed og Velgaaende og at jeg snart maae see Dem Irisk og Vel igien Deres hengivne og Taknemlige
C. W. Eckersberg.
Hr. Thorwaldsen ønsker altid at jeg skulde blive her. Dette kunde under vise Omstændigheder, og i vise Henseender være godt nok. Men der er rigtignok Motiver som stemer mig for at reise tilbage.
Good Mr Clemens,
My sincere thanks for your last letter of October 7th 1815 which I have duly received with the bill October 27th. I am very pleased that you yourself and your dear family and all friends are well, and I thank you much for all your information. Your good opinion about my work makes me extremely happy and you may be assured that your advice is encouragement to me.
I have last sent you a letter bearing the date September 21st in which I have informed you of the receipt of the money for the altar piece in details, which I hope you have duly received. Enclosed there ws also another letter to Captain v. Huth. With pleasure I hear that Count Wedel Jarlsberg, however, has decided to accept this painting and that he has paid for it. At first I had almost doubted it as there might have been other reasons for his silence, but I am, however, pleased that it has now served its first purpose. I am impatient for Lund to arrive, to see what Møller has told me of the events at home. It seems that they must now have developed a terrible enthisiasm for the fine arts or for antiquity in Copenhagen, it would be very good if it could help to promote art, but it is strange that part of the artists themselves are beginning to run off to all quarters of the globe.
I had indulged in the hope of receiving some words from the Academy about the two last works I sent home, which I usually have before, when I have sent something. One might almost think there are troubles; however I think they reserve these polite remarks until I arrive.
I have indeed heard that Mr Høyer has had a quarterly sum of money paid for his home journey, the same would also be appreciated by me, but I admit that I would hate to write to the Prince or the Academy merely to ask for this, as it is not a stipulated rule for those who receive allowance to travel. I would rather try to pay the expenses myself from what I may expect to get for the large painting; if I shall later be reimbursed for the journey when I have returned, so much the better, Good Mr Clemens, you form too big ideas about my portfolio and my studio, both only have meagre appearance, I do not know why, but I think that I have rather become discouraged than encouraged here in Rome, where you should really feel like working, I can not think what the cause may be. Before I left Copenhagen at times I worked with fervour and desire and was so to speak enthusiastic over what I wanted to do, such a mood is needed to work successfully in art, but all the time I have been away I have no longer felt the warm enthusiasm for anything, which has often made me rather melancholy, and if a happier mood does not return, I shall cut a poor figure in future (however, I feel comforted that of the greatest artists have made their best works in their own native country.) Actually, besides the two paintings I have sent home and the one I am now working at I have not made anything here but a number of drawings and sketches of views and prospects here in Rome. I have begun several other thi ngs, but have destroyed them again. The large painting has been neglected for about 2 months, now when I have coloured it again I have made some changes in it – but I hope to finish it completely at New Year; I shall hardly finish some small paintings for Mr Nathanson here – ci vol pazienza, the Romans say.
A Danish frigate and a brig have gone to the Mediterranean, if these were to lie up for the winter in an Italian port it would be the safest possibility to send the paintings away by them in the spring, but if this is not going to happen, there will surely be other possibilities.
Our worthy Mr Thorvaldsen most kindly asks to be remembered to you, he is very well and a month ago he finished a very beautiful portrait statue of a Russian lady. I feel privileged to enjoy his friendship to such a large extent; recently we have made some fine country visits together. About a month ago he made a rather precious present, a gold ring with a sapphire of great value, the stone is antique, there is a small hole straight through it, but its value is magnified twofold bu it. One of Mr Thorvaldsen’s lovely bas-reliefs presenting Bacchus and Cupid has been masterly engraved in it by one of the most able artists here, this as well as the hand from which it was given to me make this valuable gift of inestimable importance to me.
In many respects I feel rather comfortable here, among other things because Mr Thorvaldsen possesses the best collections of books, of engravings, of paintings, of plaster casts, of antique Etruscan vases, of copies of antique medals and coins, in short a wonderful art collection which all the time is augmented and of which I may easily make use. As for copies of antique medals and coins which Mr G.R. Bülow wished I think I shall be able to obtain them.
Now Mr Malling, Mr Hetsch and Captain v. Huth must have arrived in Copenhagen, so now it will take three months until I again can have a letter from them, if it was not for the postal rates I should ask you and the other friends to write more often. When I finish my painting, which I hope will happen at Christmas, I shall again write a letter to you to inform you about my plans for my return journey and one or two other things. This time I have only enclosed a sheet for Møller which you and the other friends Bagge and Gebauer will share, the two latter- mentioned must excuse me for not giving them each a sheet this time. How is our Bagge? I am told that he will go to Funen next summer. Is he to commence his post as a schoolmaster there? I beg you to remember me to him so he next time will write me a couple of words about himself and about my little son. Finally I ask you to give my regards to our esteemed friends Messrs, G.R, Bülow, E.R. Berner, G.C. Clasen, Mr Nathanson, Mr Plötz etc. Heaven grant you health, now my best friend and father with your good family and that I may soon again see you well and healthy, Yours faithfully,
C.W. Eckersberg.
Mr Thorvaldsen always wants me to stay here. This might under certain circumstances and in certain respects be all right. But there are indeed motives which dispose me to go back.
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Dette er et udkast til et afsendt brev. Udkastet er skrevet af efter den trykte afskrift i Bramsen & Ragn Jensen, op. cit.
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Ring med gemme, inv.nr. N223 |
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Amor drikker af Bacchus' skål, 1889, inv.nr. A797 |
Sidst opdateret 20.02.2017
Brev af 21.9.1815 i Håndskriftafdelingen, Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Add. 301-2 (IV-54).
Den danske officer Wilhelm von Huth.
Efter Eckersbergs død arvede datteren Emilie ringen. Den blev skænket 1937 til Thorvaldsens Museum, N223.
Motivet på stenen / gemmen er identisk med Thorvaldsens relief, Amor og Bacchus, A797, som det fremgår af det følgende.