C.W. Eckersberg
Rom
J.F. Clemens
København
Dateringen fremgår ikke af udkastet, men af Bramsen og Ragn Jensen, op. cit.
Kommentarerne til dette dokument er under udarbejdelse.
Jeg har med fornøyelse imodtaget Deres sidste af 13. Jan. som jeg har vendtet paa for ved sammes Besvarelse at underrette Dem om et og andet, men først takker jeg Dem meget for Deres for mig saa Interessante Brev, og især de saa skjøne Venskabsbeviisninger, jeg bestandigen tage Prøver paa. Vexelen er ogsaa rigtigt komet mig til hænde. Det glæder mig at De befinder Dem vel og at De er saa jevnligen beskjæfftiget, men at Kjøb. ikke er det Sted, og især nu under nærværende Omstændigheder, hvor Konstnere kan høste tilstrækkelig Opmuntring eller Afsættelse al de Gjenstande de selv vælge for Deres Konst, er der vidst ingen Tvivl om, og hvem der kjender den Nydelse en saa stor Mængde Konstproductioner giver, som der findes i Paris og Rom, den savner vidst meeget naar han igen kommer tilbage til Kjøbenhavn, dog der finder man maaske, det igien paa en anden Maade, som man maae savne her. De skjøne Konster har vidst i den senere Tid igien faaet et betydeligt Sving, og i den henseende har Rom fornærværende en glimrende Periode, og hvor behageligt for os, at en Landsmand staar her som een af de første i Spidsen, jeg ønskede ey meere, end at De var her, De vilde vidst finde en stor Nydelse. Det er mig ogsaa kjert at De iblandt de Arbeider De have under Hænder ogsaa har begyndt paa de Blade al LotterispilletI, men der vil maaske være meeget at rette paa, især Tegningen o.s.v. De vil snart faa Hr. Thorvaldsens Portrait til Kjøb. som jeg ønskede kunde blive stukket af Deres MesterhaandII, og faa god Afsætning.
Om Hr. Overbeck kan jeg sige Dem, at der er om ham ligesom om Hr. Thorwaldsen kuns een almindelig Meening, at han ogsaa er et af de største Talenter af nærværende Tid, som Maler, og ligesaa fortræffelig som Menneske, hans Gjenstande er Religiøse de værdigste for Konsten, han gjør fremskridt ved ethvert Product, hans egentlige Størke er Utryk, Tegning og Komposition. De første Ting han har giordt her i Rom, er meeget i Smagen af den gamle Tydske Skole, men paa sidstningen har man aflagt det mindre gode, og blot beholdt det Sublime af denne Skole, Udtryk og Tydelighed.
De Comisioner De har givet mig fra Hr. G.R. Bulow, angaaende Antike Mündter og en Buste skal jeg med fornøyelse giøre mig Umage for, skulde den Raphaelske Madona være Copie? vilde det blive mig Vanskeligt, da de bedste findes i Paris, jeg har længe havt i Sinde at giøre et Forsøg med at male en MadonaIII, som jeg nu ogsaa skal begynde paa. Jeg beeder Dem Meeget at hilse denne fortræffelige Mand, jeg har desværre forsømt at skrive ham, men det falder mig svært at skrive, jeg skal søge ved min Tilbagekomst at fornøye denne min ædle Ven og Velgiører paa en anden Maade.
Det har ey været Hr. Thorwaldsen kjært at høre at Hr. LahdeIV har giordt Efterstik af hans Ting, og De som ønskede at beside alle Hr. Thorwaldsens Ting stukne kunde meeget let bekomme dem her fra første Haand, som ey vilde være saa bekosteligt da de kunde gaae med Skibsleilighed. Nu bliver det Skjøne Basrelief paa Monto Cavallo, stukket af en Hr. Betellini paa en Hr. Wenners Forlag i Francfürt am Mayn, efter Hr. Overbecks fortreffelige Tegning af dette, med flere andre TingV. Ogsaa er der nyeligen udkomet en Samling af Hr. Thorwaldsens Maleriske Kompositioner bestaaende af henved 12 blade, radeerte af Hr. Riepenhausen. Det vilde naturligt være Hr. Thorwaldsen kjert, om flere af hans Landsmænd vilde beside i det mindste Kobberstik af hans Arbeider. Om Maler FlindtVI vides alldeles intet.
Hr. Thorwaldsens Portrait og den Altertavle er da de eneste Ting jeg gandske har fuldført her i Rom, med sidste blev jeg færdig i midten af forige Dec: Hr. Thorwaldsen har havt den Godhed at hidbringe fleere af de første Konstnere her, Dhr. Canova, Camuncini og Hr. Letiers Directeur for det frandske Akademie o.f. som alle haver ytret mig meegen Bifald over disse Ting, omendskjøndt Gud ved hvor maadelige de ere, Konstens Studium har ingen Ende og jo meere man troer at kige ind i den, jo meere føler man hvor lidt man formaaer. Ved Deres sidste Efterretning om SalonenVII der skal finde sted iaar gav Hr. Thorw. mig det Raad at sende Portrait til Kjøbenhavn, som han afstod mig imod at male ham et andetVIII, det er nu bleven vel indpakket indfattet i en smuk breed forgyldt Rame som Hr. Thorwaldsen har bekostet, og en Spediteur her har paataget sig at levere det til Kjøbenhavn, det er afgaaet herfra over Land afvigte 6. jan.IX og passeret Bologna allerede d. 23 f.M. Jeg har addresseret det til Dem, og Mærket derpaa er af en Feiltagelse af Emballeuren T.F.C. N51, det skal vendtes til Hamborg efter en 2 Maaneders Tid, hvor det er adresseret til.
Maleriet foruden Rame holder 1 Allen 1 1/4 og 1 Allen 4 Tomer dansk Maal, det forestiller Hr. Thorwaldsen siddende i een ham egen Stilling, i hans Dragt som Professor ved Akademiet St. Luca prydet med den Danske og Napolitanske Ridderorden, bagved har jeg viist et Stykke af hans skjøne Basrelief paa Monto Cavallo, Alexanders Triumpf, som ogsaa er Hr. Thorw. Triumpf. Min eneste Hensigt dermed er: at det maatte ophænges i vort Akademies Forsamlingsal, det Sted hvor denne Konstner fik sin første Dannelse, og at Akademi vilde ansee det som en frivillig Gave fra min Side, jeg forlanger intet derfor, uden at Akademiet vil betale Transporten.
Nu har der for nyeligt tilbudet sig en fordeelagtig Leilighed til ogsaa at sende Altertavlen bort. En Dansk Hr. Due forhen Secretair hos Hr. Baron Schubart som nu er asosiert i et Handels Huus i Livorno, har tilskrevet os om vi havde noget at sende, saa fandtes der et dansk Skib i Livorno som gaar directe derfra til Sundet, det er ført af Capt. Hansen fra Flensborg, med dette sender Hr. Malling en deel Gibsafstøbninger af Architectoniske Ornamenter til Konstakademiet, og dermed følger ogsaa mit Mallerie, det er igaar gaaet her fra til Livorno hvor Hr. Due vil besørge os disse Ting asicureret, dette har jeg ligeledes adresseret til Dem, da De veed Størelsen af det, vil De vel lade giøre en Blindtrame dertil, jeg har søgt at udføre det saa godt som mueligt og har underrettet Dem om at jeg havde valgt Quinderne ved Christi Grav, den foran knælende figur med det løse Haar er Maria Magdalena, den bagved med det gule Drapperie Maria Jacobi, og den 3 med Krukken i Handen Salome, og Englen i det han siger: han er opstanden, see her stædet hvor han har lagt. Jeg har havt betydelige Depenser dermed, og jeg kan ey vel afstaae det for ringere end 400 Species. Maatte der findes en Liebhaber dertil (ifald den förste ey vilde have det) vilde det være mig kjært, og da ønskede jeg gjerne strax det halve udbetalt derpaa, for deels dermed at udføre det jeg nu har under Hænder, og deels til andre Nødvendige Ting jeg behøver og da vilde jo Clasen vel og tage til takke med noget, indtil videre. Det store Malerie Israeliternes Udvandring er nu gandske ebeaucheret, jeg haaber at det endnu skal lykkes bedre, jeg har ogsaa for nyligen gjordt en anden komposition, til et Sidestykke til Samme, Emnet kunde maaskee være historisk Interessant det er Moses med TavlerneX der forklarer de ti Guds Bud, for Israeliterne, jeg agter at male en Esquise deraf her i Rom, jeg har desuden giordt nogle andre Compossitioner denne Vinter. Den største Deel af Somren agter jeg at anvende til Prospecter af Rom, og jeg vil nok kome til at behøve neste Vinter til al det jeg endnu ønskede at udrette her, hvoraf det meeste blot vil bestaa i Studier og Esquiserog naar jeg da Somren derpaa 1816, maae være saa lykkelig at see Dem min Velgiører igien og høste Deres, Akademiets, og mine andre Venners Bifald over mit Arbeide og min Flid, og lære ved Dem vil jeg ret føle mig lykkelig
Forår 1815
I Karnevalsugen.
With pleasure I have received your last letter of January 13th which I have been waiting for so that when answering it I could inform you of one or two things, but first I thank you very much for your interesting letter and especially for the nice proofs of friendship I constantly experience. The bill has also correctly come to hand. I am pleased that you are healthy and well occupied. But there is certainly no doubt that Copenhagen is not a place, especially now in the present circumstances, where artists may gain sufficient encouragement or disposal of the objects they themselves choose for their art, and he who knows the pleasure such a great amount of artistic products gives, which can be found in Paris and Rome, he will miss much, when he again returns to Copenhagen; however, there one may perhaps find in a different way that, which one lacks here. Lately the fine arts have again enjoyed considerable progress and in this regard Rome enjoys a splendid period, and how agreeable to us that a countryman here is at the head, I should wish no more but you were here, you would certainly enjoy it immensely. I am pleased that among the tasks you are working at you have started the prints for the Lottery, but there may be much to correct, especially the drawing etc. You will soon be able to buy the portrait of Thorvaldsen, which I wished to be engraved by your masterhand and sell well.
About Mr Overbeck I can tell you that about him there is as about Mt Thorvaldsen only one general opinion, that he is also one of the greatest talents at present, as painter, and just as excellent as an individual, his objects are religious, the most worthy for art, he makes progress at every product, his proper stregth is expression, drawing and composition. The first things he has made here in Rome are much in taste of the old German school, but lately what has been not so good has been discarded and the sublime of this school has been left, expression and clearness.
The commissions you have given me from Mr G.R. Bulow regarding antique coins and a bust I shall strive to meet, is the Raphael madonna supposed to be a copy? It would then be difficult for me as the best ones are to be found in Paris. For long I have intended to make an attempt to paint a Madonna, which I now also shall begin. I sincerely ask you to remember me to this excellent gentleman, I am afraid I have neglected writing to him, but I hate writing, I shall try to please this noble friend and patron in another way when I return.
It has not pleased Mr Thorvaldsen to hear that Mr Lahde has made copies of engravings of his things, nd those who wished to own all Mr Thorvaldsen’s things engraved could very easily have got them here from first hand, which would not have been so expensive, as they could be sent by ship. Now the beautiful bas-relief on Monte Cavallo will be engraved by a Mr Betellini at the publishing house of a Mr Wenner in Frankfurt am Main after Mr Overbeck’s excellent drawing of this and several other things. Recently a new collection of Mr Thorvaldsen’s pictoresque compositions has been published consisting of about 12 sheets, etched by Mr Riepenhausen. Mr Thorvaldsen would naturally be pleased if more of his countrymen wanted to possess at least engravings of his works. Nothing at all is known about the painter Flindt.
The portrait of Mr Thorvaldsen and this altar piece are the only things I have fully finished here in Rome, I finished the latter in the middle of last December. Mr Thorvaldsen has been so kind as to bring several of the foremost artists to this place, Messrs Canova, Camuncini and Mr Letiers, director of the French Academy and others who have all expressed great approval to me of these things, even though God knows how mediocre they are, the study of art goes on for ever and the more one thinks one has revealed the more one feels how little one is able to do. At your last information about the Salon which is to take place this year Mr Thorvaldsen advised me to send the portrait to Copenhagen. He made it iver to me if I painted him another one; gilt-framed in a beautiful, broad frame paid for by Mr Thorvaldsen it has now been packed up carefully and an agent has untertaken to deliver it to Copenhagen, it has been sent from here overland last January 6th and has passed Bolognia already the 23rd last month. I have addressed it to you, and the label on it is by mistake from the person packing it T.F.C. N51, it may be expected to arrive in Hamburg to where it has been addressed after about 2 months.
Besides the frame the painting is 1 alen 11/4 and 1 alen 4 inches Danish measure [ 1 alen = ca 2 feet; 1 tomme = ca 1inch] it presents Mr Thorvaldsen sitting in a position characteristic of him, in his dress as Professor of the Academy St. Luca decorated with the Danish and the Neapolitan order of chivalry, behing I hace shown a piece of his beautiful bas-relief on Monte Cavallo, the triumph of Alexander, which is also Mr Thorvaldsen’s triumph. My only intention with this is: that it may be hung up in the assembly hall of the Academy, the place where this artist received his first education, and that the Academy will regard it as a voluntary gift from me, I demand nothing for it, only that the Academy shall pay for the transport.
Recently an advantageous offer has occurred also to send the altar piece off. A Danish Mr Due, former secretary for Baron Schubart, who is now a partner in a business house in Leghorn has written to us to say that if we had anything to send off, there would be a Danish ship at Leghorn, which goes directly from there to the Sound, it is conducted by captain Hansen from Flensburg. By this ship Mr Malling is sending a number of plaster casts of architctural ornaments for the Academy of Fine Arts, and they also include my painting. It left from here yesterday for Leghorn where Mr Due will see to the insurnce of these things. I have also addressed this to you, as you know the size, I suppose you will have a stretcher made for it. I have striven to execute it as well as possible and have informed you that I had chosen the women at the Holy Sepulchre, the kneeling figure in front with hair hanging over her shoulders is Maria Magdalena, the one behing with the yellow drapery Maria Jacobi and the 3rd with the pitcher in her hand Salome, and the angel saying: he has risen, look here is the place where he lay. I have had considerable expenses in connection with it and I certainly cannot relinquish it for less than 400 Species. It would please me if you could find an intending purchaser for it (in case the first one should not want it) then I should want half the sum paid immediately, so that I with this partly could execute what I am working at now, partly use it for other necessary things I need, and then Mr Clasen would surely also be content with a little, for the time being. The large painting the Exodus of the Israelites has now been completely sketched, I hope that I shall be still more successful, recently I have also made another composition, for a counterpart to this, the theme might be historically interesting it is Moses with the Tables, explaining God’s ten commandments to the Israelites. I intend to paint a sketch of it here in Rome, besides I have made some other compositions this winter. The greater part of summer I intend to use for pictures of Rome and I think I shall need next winter for all the things I still want to do here, of which most will consist in studies and shetches,and when I then the summer after that 1816 may be happy to see you, my benefactor again and win the applause of you, the Academy, and my other friends because of my work and my diligence, and learn from you, I shall feel happy
Spring 1815
Carnival week
[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.
Sidst opdateret 28.09.2016
Seks blade stukket af J.F. Clemens i 1815 efter tegninger af Eckersberg:
1. Den lykkelige Middelmaadighed.
2. Lotterisedlen.
3. Det store Lod.
4. Overflødigheden.
5. Aftagelse i Velstand.
6. Elendighed.
Eckersbergs Portræt af Bertel Thorvaldsen i San Luca Akademiets ordensdragt, Kunstakademiet, København blev stukket af Clemens i kobber 1820.
Rafaels berømte madonna La belle Jardiniere havde Eckersberg set på Louvre i Paris under sit ophold der. Denne bestilling fra Bülow omtales første gang her, siden i brevene af 1.2.1816 og 27.4.1816.
Kobberstikker G.L. Lahde, som Eckersberg arbejdede sammen med før udlandsrejsen. Han udgav et hefte 12 Blade Figurer til Tegneøvelser efter Thorvaldsen. Med poetiske forklaringer af A. Oehlenschläger., København 1814.
Basreliefs der Bildhauers Alb. Thorwaldsen. Alexanders des Groszen Einzug in Babylon … Nach den Zeichnungen von Fr. Overbeck gestochen von P. Bettelini und D. Marchetti., Frankfurt a.M., u.å.
Den danske maler Niels Flint (1776 – død efter 1828, formodentlig i Italien).
Udstillingen på Kunstakademiet i København i 1815.
Dvs. en gentagelse af Eckersbergs Portræt af Bertel Thorvaldsen i San Luca Akademiets ordensdragt.
En sådan gentagelse blev aldrig udført til Thorvaldsen; en replik malet 1832 af det originale maleri i Kunstakademiet findes i Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.
Datoen synes at have været 9.1.1815, se Villads Villadsen: C.W. Eckersbergs dagbøger 1810-1837, København 2009, vol. 1, p. 106.
Dvs. Eckersbergs maleri Moses viser det isralitiske folk lovens tavler, skitse, 28,5×36 cm.