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.
Gode Hr.
Jeg har havt den fornøyelse at imodtage Deres sidste af 25 July med Vexelen paa 450 Mk Banco for indeværende Aars tvende første Quartaler, den er bleven mig betalt med 147 Romerske Scudi. Hr. Baron v. Brown har ogsaa anbragt mig denne hos M le Duc Torlonia. Jeg formoder at de ogsaa allerede vil have imodtaget mit sidste Brev af 23. July som var afgaaet fra Livorno164 med Hr. Baron Schubarts Depesher og hvori jeg har underrettet Dem om Imodtagelsen af den forige Vexel, for alle Efterretninger, og alt hvad De har meddelt mig takker jeg Dem meeget, og især for den utrættelige Iver hvormed De stedse besørger mine Sager det har glædet mig at De efter Hr. Prof. Magens165 Død har paataget Dem bestyrelsen af Akademiets Kasse, ogsaa at den Pension jeg nyder, for den øvrige Tid vil blive udbetalt fra det Kongel. Banco Comptoir. De har sikkert havt meegen Ulejlighed med at bringe disse Pengesager for mig i Rigtighed jeg kan ey noksom takke Dem derfor. Ogsaa har man vidst maatte levet daarligt nok derhjeme i disse sidste fortredelige Aar, som jeg tilfulde kan forestille mig. Dog de sidste Efterretninger vi har havt her, har dog været noget trøsteligere igien, og det var høyeligen at ønske, om ey at Haabe at der dog igien maatte blive Fred og Roe, i Europa –
Jeg takker Dem ogsaa at De har afbetalt min Gjæld hos Hr. K.J. Neergaards Tjener, er han tilfreds er jeg ogsaa han er at Natur et herligt Menneske, og en Støtte for sin Herre Den Rest Penger som Hr. See. Bang vil betale for Maleriet han ønsker, vil kome mig tilpas til udførelsen af de to store Malerier jeg nærværende Arbeider paa, Israeliternes Udvandring, og de tre Marier ved Christi Grav,166 dette sidste, omendskjønt der kunde være Tvivl, om det nogensinde vil komme til Norge søger jeg dog med lige Løst at udføre det er et smukt Emne, og vil altid kunde anbringes i en Kirke, til det første har jeg giordt nogen forandring i Kompositionen hvortil vores fortreffelige Hr. Thorvaldsen har givet mig flere gode Raad, jeg ønskede ved disse to Ting at anvende alt for at giøre den saa godt som det vil blive mig mueligt, men det vil vel ogsaa kun blive de to eneste Ting, som jeg vil kunde udføre her, da jeg altid opdager fleere og fleere skjøne Ting her i dette forunderlige Rom til at trække Nytte af, hvorfor jeg søger at samle Studier af alt mueligt, og som man aldrig kan have formange af. Samlingen af maleriske Partier af Rom Continuerer jeg bestandig og maler de fleste paa Stædet efter Naturen, og søger den allerstørste Nøyagtighed. Jeg glæder mig til derved at kunne engang giøre Dem og mine Venner bekjendt med de forunderlige Ting som findes her, for en 14 Dage siden har jeg endt et Portrait af vores herlige Thorwaldsen, som har vundet hans og adskillige andres Bifald man finder det dog ikke meere saa frandsk dette med de to store Malerier med fleere vil da sendes paa eengang hjem, neste Somer, førend vil det ikke blive mig mueligt, og ey heller lønner Umagen den lange Veys Skyld at sende noget.
Hr. Thorwaldsen og Hr. Malling hilser Dem begge meeget, den førstes sjældne Talent er virkelig til at beundre. O! hvor ønskede jeg at kunde føre Dem i hans Atelier, for at see disse Mesterværker han er ligesaa fortræffelig som Menneske, og almindelig agtet og elsket jeg er glad ved at nyde saa fuldeligen hans Venskab, som ogsaa Hr. Mallings Venskab, denne arbejder uafbrudt har et udmærket Talent og udbredte Kundskaber, og er de største Grækers fortrolige vi vil i ham kunde se Dannemarks første Architect, vi udgiør her et Kløverblad. Thorvaldsen er foregaaet os med sit herlige Exempel og vi stræber alle med lige Iver at bringe det til saa meegen fuldkomenhed som muelig, og at blive til Nytte i vort Fødeland er vores mægtigste Drivfjer. Enhver Efterretning fra Dem min gode Hr. Clemens som fra mine tvende høyagtede Venner Bagge og Møller er mig usigelig behagelig. O! hvad var Livet uden Venskab! Det Haab giør mig lykkelig eengang igien at kunde see Dem for ret at ytre Dem den Tak jeg saa meeget skylder Dem for Deres utrætelige Stræben for mit Vel. Himlen give Dem stedse bedst Sundhed og Velgaaende. De faar dennegang kun lidet, og De vil tilgive at jeg hoslæger et Par Ord til Møller og Bagge. Jeg beeder Dem meeget at hilse Deres gode familie, som ogsaa alle gode Venner.
Good Sir,
I have had the pleasure to receive your latest letter of July 25th with the bill of 450 Mk Banco for the first two quarters this year, it has been paid out to me in 147 Roman Scudi. Baron v. Brown has also placed this for me at M le Duc Torlonia. I presume that you will already have received my last letter of July 23rd, which had been sent from Leghorn with Baron Schubart’s dispatches in which I have informed you of my receipt of the last bill. I thank you sincerely for all the information and all you have told me and especially for the untiring energy you show in taking care of my affairs. It has pleased me that after the death of professor Magens you have undertaken the management of the money fonds of the Academy, and furthermore that the pension I receive for the rest of the time will be paid out from the Royal Banco Comptoir. You certainly have had a lot of troubles arranging these money matters correctly, I cannot thank you sufficiently. Furthermore I think you at home have had to live poorly these troublesome years, which I can fully imagine. However, the latest news we have had here has been comforting and we greatly wish, even hope that peace may be restored in Europe.
I also thank you for having paid my debt to Mr K.J. Neergaard’s servant. If he is content so am I, he is by disposition a lovely person and a good support for his master. The remains of the money which Mr See. Bang wants to pay for the painting he wishes will be convenient for me for the execution of the two large paintings I am working at at present, the exodus of the Israelites and the three Marys at the Sepulchre. Even though there may be some doubt that it will ever get to Norway I strive to execute the latter with equal delight. It is a beautiful theme and it will always be a possibility to place it in a church. I have made some changes in the composition of the first one, for which our excellent Thorvaldsen has given me much good advice. For these two paintings I wished to apply everything to make them as good as it was possible for me. But it will probably be the only two things, which I shall be able to make here, as I constantly discover more and more beautiful things in this wonderful Rome, which may be of use to me, so I seek to collect studies of all sorts of objects of which I shall never have too many. The collection of picturesque parts of Rome I continuously work at, and paint most of them on the spot, from life and strive for the utmost accuracy. I am looking forward to making you and my friends familiar with the wonderful things to be seen here. About a fortnight ago I finished a portrait of our excellent Thorvaldsen, which has had the approval of him and of several others, it is no longer considered to be rather French. This together with the two large paintings and others will be sent home at one time next summer, it will not be possible for me earlier and neither will it be worth the trouble to send anything because of the long way.
Mr Thorvaldsen and Mr Malling send their sincere regards, the rare talent of the former calls for true admiration. Oh, how I wished to be able to take you to his studio to see these masterpieces. He is just as excellent as a human being and is highly esteemed and loved. I am pleased to be so fully on friendly terms with him, as well as with Mr Malling, who works steadily, has talent and his knowledge is widespread, and he is familiar with the greatest Greeks, in him we shall see Denmark’s foremost architect, here we constitute a trio. Thorvaldsen has set us an excellent example, and we all strive anxiously to carry it to as great perfection as possible and to prove of use in our native country is our main motive. Any information from you, my good Mr Clemens as from my two respected friends Bagge and Møller is infinitely pleasant to me. Oh, what would life be without friendship. The hope once again to see you to express to you the thanks I so much owe you for your untiring endeavours for my welfare. Heaven ever grant you the best of health. This time you will only receive little and you will forgive that I enclose a couple of words to Møller and Bagge. I sincerely ask you to give my regards to your good family, as well as to all good friends.
[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