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.
Denne gang skriver jeg Dem fra Rom med mit første Ønske at dette maatte finde Dem med Deres familie ved bedste Sundhed og Velgaaende. Jeg haaber at De vel alt vil have imodtaget mit sidste BrevI til Dem fra Paris under 3. Juni sidstleeden. Det var Løverdagen d. 5 Juni at jeg begav mig paa Reisen, og Løverdag den 3. July at jeg ankom hertil Rom. Reisen gik meeget hældigt, og var meeget behagelig i den smukke Aarstid, den gik over Lyon, Chambery, Turin, Bologna, og Florenz, hvilke herlige Naturskjønheder, gives paa denne Reise, især i det forunderlige Savoyen, i Italien vexler Paradisiske Egne med de fæleste Ørkener, i dette Land synes alt at være Extremitet, og ingen Mellemvey at have. Det allerubehageligste var, at der ikke gaves Tid til at tegne, jeg havde ofte saa gjerne ønsket, at tage Erindringer af det skjøne som saa ofte tilbød sig.
Denne Reise har kostet mig ialt henved 460 francs, jeg havde gjordt Akord med en Viturin for Middagsmad, Natleje og Vognleje, som da er almindelig Brug her i Italien. Jeg har været saa hældig at finde et godt Logie især en god rumelig Arbeidsstue, i samme Huus, hvor vores berømte Thorwaldsen boer, tillige vores talentrige Architect Hr. Malling, til neste Vinter vil disse to forlade Rom for at gaae hjem til Dannemark. Nu har jeg havt nok at bestille med hidindtil at løbe omkring for at see den ganske utålelige Mængde af herlige Kunstværker, Antike Monumenter, Kirker, Egne, og andre Mærkværdigheder, ja jeg maae tilstaae at Rom rigtig nok er i den henseende den første Stad, hvilken Nydelse at see det forunderlige Koliseum, de mange Antike Templer, Triumpfbuer, og d.l. siden Museum Clementinum, Raphaels Loger og Standser (stanger, stanzer), og den beundringsværdige Petrikjirke (St. Peters). Naar man har seet det mageløse MuseumII i Paris (som kuns er lidet imod dette) finder man vel intet fuldkomnere meere, hvad Malerie og Billedhuggerie angaar, thi det allerbedste findes egentligen der, men Levningerne af den ældgamle Bygningskunst, ere her meest at beundre. Rom synes i flere Henseender, at være skikket til et Sted, hvor de skjøne Kunster bedst kan studeeres, overalt seer man noget Kunstigt, ved ethvert Trin man giør, møder man noget skjøndt, hvert Øjeblik støder man paa et Pitoresk Partie, saa de smukke Udsigter over Roms beboede Høye, de mange pragtfulde Villaer, med Deres Parker og Kunstværker. I Kirkerne findes en Pragt og en Riigdom af Kunstsager som overgaar al Beskrivelse, dog hvad dette angaaer skal jeg Tid efter anden, fortælle Dem noget meere. Luften er ganske besynderlig her i Rom, og Heeden, undertiden gandske utaalelig, jeg har i nu 14 Dagestid været upasselig deraf.
Vores Thorwaldsen fortjener virkeligen som Kunstner højeste Beundring han har bragt det overordentlig vidt, det er en sand Nydelse at see hans herlige Arbeider, der ere fulde af Aand, Udtryk, Grazie, og den højeste Grad af Skønhed, hans Hovedstyrke bestaaer i Komposition og Basrelief. Han er reist nogle Dage efter min Ankomst hertil, til Badene i St. Luca. Her opholder sig mange Kunstnere især Tydskere, al udmærkede Talenter, de har overalt meeget rigtige Principper af Komposition, men forresten følger de den gamle Slendrian, de forstaaer ikke at male, ikke at efterligne Naturen, deres arbeider ligner Kopier efter de ældgamle tøre Malerier af den tydske Skole, paa den Maade kan Kunsten ikke gaae frem ad. Det overbeviiser mig end meere om det jeg fleere gange tilforn har meddelt Dem at den franske Skole især i Malerie, for nærværende dominerer. Jeg føler mig lykkelig at jeg har været i Paris, DavidsIII og fleres Bekjendtskaber har været mig meeget nyttige, og Museumet, og Kunstudstillingerne meget lærerige. Der var jeg indrettet og oplagt, til at arbeide, da jeg maatte forlade det, paa et fremed Sted, især som Rom, er man for en lang Tid forstyrret, og har ey Lyst at begynde –
Formeedelst de urolige Tider, maatte jeg før min Afreise fra Paris som De vil have seet af mit sidste Brev derfra, give mine Arbeider i Forvaring hos Hr. K.J. NeergaardIV. Da jeg nu er saa meeget fjærnet fra Hjemet, bad jeg Dem gjærne, naar det ikke alt var skeet, at De ved første Lejlighed vilde lade dem komme, Hr. Neergaards adresse vil De have. Dog dette vil Naturligviis bero paa, om der bliver Krig eller Fred Gud give det sidste!! Med de Penger jeg havde Anviisning paa, og som Reglen var bestemt for dette Aar indtil første Aprill 1814 er jeg nu da saa at sige kommet til Ende, jeg havde ved min Ankomst hertil ey meere end 160 francs tilbage. At sætte meeget til, eller at komme i Gjæld ved en saadan Udenlandsreise, er en Skjæbne som nesten alle ere underkastede, de Behageligheder, der undertiden følger med en saadan Reise, maae da ogsaa betales dyrt nok, naar man ved sin Tilbagekomst (især som uformuende) seer jeg omringet af en stor Gjæld, hvilket jeg naturligt forudseer. Mit Ophold i Rom maae ikke komme saa kostbart som det i Paris, der var det min eneste Atraa fra Grunden af at studere, her at realisere det jeg som Kundskab havde indsamlet. De vil gode Hr. Clemens alt af mit sidste Brev, have seet noget om min Tings forhold. De store Prøver De stedse har vist mig paa Deres udmærkede Venskab lader mig haabe, at De formodentligen alt har ved Deres fortale for mig, søgt at aabne mig et Forskud, eller Credit, de Malerier jeg efterlodV i Paris kunde maaske garantere for en liden Deel, naar de blot naae vel hjem. jeg har desuden i mit sidste brevVI til H. H. Prindsen anmodet høystsamme om et lidet Gratial, Gud ved om jeg bliver saa lykkelig som de andre at faa det. Jeg vil have nødig i det mindste indtil næstkomende første Aprill et 900 francs, saa ønskede jeg ogsaa gjærne at RubergsVII med det samme paa eengang sendte mig Anvisninger paa mine Penger for al den Tid jeg endnu skal tilbringe her, f. E. indtil udgangen af Aaret 1815. Jeg beder Dem gode Hr. Clemens at sende mig Efterretning saa snart som mueligt og at tilgive mig at jeg saa gandske tager min Tilflugt til Dem, jeg skal saa længe jeg lever, vise mig Taknæmlig igien.
Saasnart Heeden begynder at aftage, og jeg bliver sund og rask igien skal jeg ret begynde at arbeide, og De skal faa mange Ting at see, Partier af Rom, og andre Sager naar jeg kommer tilbage igien.
This time I write to you from Rome with my sincere wish that this will find you and your family in good health. I hope that you have received my last letter to you from Paris of the latest 3rd of June. I started my journey on Saturday the fifth of June and arrived here in Rome on Saturday the third of July. The journey went very well and was very comfortable in this beautiful season, it went by way of Lyon, Chambery, Turin, Bologna and Florence. What wonderful beauties of scenery can be seen on this journey, especially in the wonderful Savoy. In Italy regions of Paradise change with the foulest deserts, in this country it all seems to be extremities with no middle course. The most annoying thing was that there was no time for drawing. I frequently wished to make memories of the beauty, which so often occurred.
This journey has cost me about 460 francs in all. I had made an agreement with a Viturin [?] for dinner, bed for the night and cartage, which is what one does here in Italy. I have been lucky to find good lodgings especially a good, spacious workroom in the same house where our famous Thorvaldsen lives as well as our talented architect Malling, next winter the two of them will leave Rome to go home to Denmark. Up to now I have had enough to do running about to see the overwhelming amount of magnificent works of art, antique monuments, churches, surroundings, and other curiosities. Well, I must admit that Rome in this respect is truly the first city, what a pleasure to see the wonderful Colosseum, the many antique temples, triumphal arches and such like since Museum Clentinum, the Raphael Loggia and Rooms and the admirable Peter’s Church (St. Peter’s). When one has seen the unique museum in Paris (which is merely small compared to this) nothing more perfect can be found regarding paintings and sculpting, for the best can actually be found there, but the remains of the ancient architecture are here to be most admired. Rome seems in many respects to be qualified as a place, where the fine arts can be studied with most reward, all over there is art, at every step you take you meet something beautiful, any moment you encounter a picturesque view, and also the beautiful views of the populated hills of Rome, the many magnificent villas with their parks and works of art. In the churches pomp and splendor of works of art beggar description, regarding this, however, I shall time after time tell you more. The air here in Rome is quite peculiar and the heat sometimes quite unbearable, for a fortnight I have now felt indisposed because of it.
As artist our Thorvaldsen certainly deserves the deepest admiration; he has gone extremely far, it is a veritable treat to see his magnificent works, which are full of spirit, expression, grace and the utmost beauty; his strong point consists in composition and bas-relief. Some days after my arrival here, he left for the Baths in St. Luca. There many artists are staying especially Germans, all highly talented, first and foremost they hold the right principles of composition, but otherwise they follow the old rut, they do not understand how to paint, not how to imitate nature, their works are like copies of the ancient, dry paintings of the German school, in this way art cannot improve. This convinces me still more about what I have told you several times before that the French school at present dominates especially in painting. I feel very happy to have been in Paris, the acquaintances of David and several others have been very profitable to me, and the Museum and the art exhibitions very instructive. There I was settled and in the mood to learn, when I had to leave it; in an unknown place, escepecially such as Rome, one feels confused for a long time and does not feel like beginning –
Because of the turbulent times I had to entrust my works to Mr K.J. Neergaard before my departure from Paris, which you will have seen from my last latter from that place. As I am now so far away from home, I should like to ask you, if it had not happened already, that you would receive them on the first occasion, you have Mr Neergaard’s address. This will however depend on whether we shall have war or peace. I wish to God the latter!! I have so to speak spent the money I had been assigned and which according to the rules was assigned for this year until the first of April 1814, at my arrival here I had no more than 160 francs left. Almost all are subjected to the fate of losing quite a lot or contracting debts on such a journey abroad. The advantages which sometimes go with such a journey have to be paid well enough for, when one at the return (especially with no private means) sees himself being heavily in debt, which I naturally anticipate. My stay in Rome must not be as expensive as the one in Paris, there it was my only desire to study from the bottom, here it is to carry into effect what I have collected as knowledge. From my last letter, good Mr Clemens, you will have seen a little of the state of my affairs. The great proofs of your excellent friendship you have always shown me let me hope that probably by your words you have tried to open an advance for me, or a credit; the paintings I left in Paris might perhaps guarantee for a small part, if only they arrive home safely. Besides, I have solicited His Highness the Prince for a small grant in my last letter to him, Goodness knows whether I shall be as fortunate as the others to get it. Until the next first of April I shall need at least 900 francs, then I should also like Rybergs together with this to send me cash orders for my money for all the time I am to spend here for example until the end of 1815. Good Mr Clemens I bed you to send me information as soon as possible and to forgive me for so completely to fall back on you, as long as I live I shall show my gratitude.
As soon as the heat begins to decrease and I become well and healthy again I shall really begin to work and you shall see many objects, views of Rome and other matters when I return.
[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 17.09.2018
Antagelig brev af 1.6.1813, trykt i C.W. Eckersberg i Paris. Dagbog og Breve 1810-13, udgivet og kommenteret af Henrik Bramsen, København 1947, p. 134-38.
Dvs. Louvre. Da Eckersberg var i Paris kaldet Musée Napoléon.
Eckersbergs lærer i Paris, historie- og portrætmaleren Jacques-Louis David.
Dvs. KammerJunker Tønnes Christian Bruun de Neergaard, som Eckersberg var sammen med i Paris. Jvf. Henrik Bramsen: C.W. Eckersberg i Paris. Dagbog og Breve. 1810-13, København 1947. Se også Christian Frederik (8.)’s brev til Hans West af Antagelig 7.6.1810, hvori kronprinsen beretter, at Neergaard vil tage Eckersberg med til Paris.
En fortegnelse over disse billeder findes i C. W. Eckersberg i Paris. Dagbog og Breve 1810-1813, København 1947, brev af 1.6.1813, p. 134-38.
Dvs. brev af 3.6.1813 til Christian 8., se C. W. Eckersberg i Paris. Dagbog og Breve 1810-1813, København 1947, p. 138-140.
Dvs. den danske handelsagent Johan Christian Ryberg (1767-1832), der fortsatte sin fader, Niels Rybergs firma.