C.W. Eckersberg
Rom
J.F. Clemens
København
Dateringen fremgår ikke af dokumentet, men af Bramsen og Ragn Jensen, op. cit.
Kommentarerne til dette dokument er under udarbejdelse.
Gode Herr Clemens.
Jeg har haft den Fornöyelse igien at imodtage Brev fra Dem. Deres sidste af 18 Octob. sidstleden, det ankom hertil den 8. Nov. og har altsaa kun været 21 Dage underveis. Det lader mig haabe at De nu og vil have imodtaget mit sidste, som Svar paa Deres forige, hvilket er afgaaet herfra forgangne 3 Octob.I og hvori jeg har underrettet Dem om imodtagelsen af Primo Vexelen paa 450 Mk Banco, for indeværende Aars tvende første Quartaler, og hvorved der ogsaa fulgte noget til Möller og Bagge. Jeg takker Dem meeget for alle de sidste Efterretninger, og især for, at De saa hastigt igien har sendt mig en Vexel paa tredie Quartals Pension, hvorved jeg er godt sikret for det første, og kan continuere de begyndte Arbeider. Det har ikke alene glædet mig usigeligt, men jeg maae beundre at H.M. Kongen har været saa Naadig, at afbetale min Gæld hos Rübergs fra forige Aar, som har været en temelig betydelig Somma, men især takker jeg Dem gode Hr. Clemens, for Deres forbøn for mig hos H. M – og Deres utrettelige Virksomhed, hvormed De har gienemsat den Sag for mig, og hvormed De stedse bestyrer mine Affairer. Der er mig kjært for vort kjære Fædreneland, at det er gandske vidst, at i ingen af de tydske Riger, undtagen Baiern giøres der saa meeget for Konsten, som netop hos os, og paa Konstnere, vil der vel heller ikke mangle. Vores berømte Thorvaldsen giør sin Nation Ære, (dette ønskede jeg kuns, at man vilde give ham meere at bestille) vi har i Dem gode Hr. Clemens een af Europas første Kobberstikkere, (dette var kun at ønske at De saavelsom Hr. Thorw. kun endnu maatte faa Leilighed til at danne nogle gode Elever –) Etatsraad HansenII er vidst en fortræffelig Architect, men af hans værdige Elev Hr. Malling, kan vi vidst i Tiden vendte os endnu meere, af Malere har vi fleere Mænd af fortjeneste, at der er flere er meeget godt thi det opvækker Kappeløst, og dermed gaar Konsten fremad. Videnskaberne hos os staar vidst heller ikke tilbage for nogen anden Nation, har og har havt udmærkede Mænd. Hvilke skjøne Udsigter kunde vi ikke have for Fremtiden, naar vores Nation igien havde lægt sine Saar der gaar her adskillige Rygter som desværre, om de vare sande ikke kunde have noget glædelig for os, men man maae nu først vendte at see noget bestemt af Resultaterne af det der bliver afgjordt i Wien – Sagerne i Norge synes jo endnu ey ganske at være i det reene – den stærkeste har i vore Tider Ret – Det har glædet mig meeget at De har saameeget i Behold endnu, at min Gjæld til Hr. Baron v. Schubart af 100 Scudi dermed vil kunde blive afbetalt, denne ædle Mand har ytret mig i sit sidste Brev at det ikke hastede med Afbetalingen, inden jeg engang saa mig istand dertil, han skal være afreist fra Livorno i førstningen af Octob., og vil maaskee snart vendtes til Kjøbenhavn, han har selv ogsaa lidt meeget ved vores slette Penge Cours. Der fornøyer mig at ogsaa den Indretning er gjordt ved vort Akademie, at en Almindelig UdstillingIII skal finde sted hvert 3. Aar, det vil iblandt andet ogsaa have det gode i at opvække meere Konstsmag i vort Publikum. Hr. Malling har opsat adskillige Ideer om, at giøre Konstakademiets Indflydelse i heele Riget meere almindelig især hvad den første og vigtigste Konst Architecturen angaar, hvorved Akademiet vidst vilde blive endnu meere Almeennyttigt. Disse Ideer og hvorledes de kunde sættes i værk synes mig meeget godt om, Hr. Malling har for nogle Uger siden, sendt sin Afhandling derom til Hr. Etatsraad Hansen.
Jeg kan nu om en Maanedstid faae AltertavlenIV færdig, tre af Figurerne ere allerede færdige, om endskjøndt det endnu vil blive Spørgsmaal om den nogensinde vil kome til sin første Bestemmelse, saa vil den dog vel engang kunde faae en Plads i en anden Kirke. Kompositionen, Studier og Præparater har jeg ogsaa færdige til Israeliternes UdvandringV, saa, at det nu blot mangler Udførelsen. Det ønske Hr. Nathanson har ytret angaaende en Kopie efter Raphael, eller en anden stor Mester, ønskede jeg gierne at kunde fyldestgiøre, men jeg kan ikke love det, da Malerier af Raphael som endnu ere bedst Konserverede er Oliemalerierne af ham som findes i Paris, de skjøne Mesterværker af denne som findes her i Vatikanen ere alle malte i freskoVI, meeget bedærvede, og har den matte Kalkfarve, man vilde vel neppe kome godt fra at giøre nogen Kopie af disse og desuden er min øvrige Tid alt for meeget Ocuperet her i Rom, der er alt for meeget som jeg gierne vilde trække nytte af, saavel for andre som for mig selv, gode Studier kan man aldrig faae for mange af og her gives Leilighed til at samle.
Af Konstnyheder, gives der for nærværende ikke mange, for saa vidt at der intet har været udstilt i en lang tid, undtagen tre til fiire skjøne Malerier af M.dlle LescotVII af hvis herlige Talent Møller har set skjøne Prøver i Paris, disse forestille 1) en Conformation af unge Pigebørn, i Kirken St. Agnese her i Rom, af riig Komposition, det andet en fest i Grottaferata, 3) en Huuslig Scene og et Portræt, disse Ting vare i enhver Henseende gandske fortreffelige. Man har vidst kun faae Exempler i Konst Historien, at et Fruentimmer, med et saa omfatende Talent som denne M.dlle Lescot, foresten arbeider enhver Konstner her meeget flittig, og der produceres vidst en stor mængde Konstværker her hvert Aar, der tales om at de tydske Konstnere nu vil foranstalte Aarligt her en UdstillingVIII, ligesom fordom de frandske, som ogsaa var at ønske, een af de første Talenter af Tydskere som findes her, er vidst Hr. OverbeckIX fra Lybeck, dennes Arbeider, hvad Komposition, og især Udtryk og Charateer i Ansigter angaaer, kan vidst sættes ved siden af Raphael, om ham er der ligesom om vores Thorwaldsen kun een almindelig Meening, ellers synes mig, kan man i Almindelighed forekaste alle Tydske Konstnere, jeg meener Malerne, at de ikke studerer noksom Naturen, at man undertiden hverken sporer reen Sands, for rette skjøne Naturlige Former, endnu mindre for Lysets Virkning og Farverne af Gjenstandene i Naturen, som og efter deres Principer aldeles ikke bør være, paa Komposition og Udtryk anvender de alt, og man kan ikke nægte at de i denne Post staar ligesaa høyt over Franzoserne, som disse igien staar over Tydskerne i Sands og Smag for skjøne Former, sande Farver, og Kundskab om Lysets virkning. Man kan gaae for vidt i Alting, naar man holder sig til enkelte Extremiteter, i vore Tid hvor man har saa meeget af alt, bor man ogsaa synes mig søge at forene alt, og det eneste Middel dertil er, at øse af første Kilde, af Naturen. (At disse derimod ofte for at være ret Poetiske anbringer paa een Tavle fiire til fem Scener som er skeet til ganske forskellige Tider, synes mig dog at være urigtigt. Med det skjøne, og endnu temelig vel Conserveerte Antike Monument KoliseetsX fuldkomne Udgravning, er man komet til Ende denne Sommer, man havde ogsaa udgravet Kjældrene som har været under Pro[s]ceniet, (hvor man har fundet Indretninger som lader formodeXI at de gamle ogsaa har havt KoliserXII, eller at de kunde frembringe Forandringer paa dere Theatere, men hvorover der har været stor Disput, imellem de Lærde Antiquarer) men da der i disse dybe Grave havde samlet sig en deel Vand, som man ingen Afløb kunde give er man bleven nødt til at kaste dem til igien, nu har man der hvor fordum Proceniet var en skjøn oval Plads, i den ene Ende staar et Kristeligt Kapel, og rundtomkring tolv Stationer med Christi lidelser, det er mærkeligt at see, der hvor fordum Meneskene glædede dem med at see en Synder opædes af vilde Dyr, eller andre som skulde slaaes indtil de faldt begge, etc. etc. nu forsamler sig en talrig Prosesion af andægtige hver fredag, for med Erindringen af Christus Lidelser og Død at finde Huussvalelse. Dette er et smukt Emne til et MalerieXIII som jeg har i Sinde at giøre neste Somer. Forom Trajanum er ogsaa gandske udgravet, og omfattet med en Muur. Det er meeget interessant, at see disse skjøne Antike Levninger, hvoraf der findes saa stor en Mængde saavel i som udenfor Rom, og som vedner om en gandske anden Menneskeslægt som den nærværende, altro che ciacierarXIV.
Good Mr Clemens,
I have had the pleasure again to receive a letter from you. Your latest letter of last October 18th arrived here November 8th and has only taken 21 days to get here. This makes me hope that you will also now have received my last letter as an answer to your former letter, which has been sent from here the past 3rd October, in which I have informed you of my receipt of the Primo bill of 450 Mk Banco for the first two quarters of this year and in which I had enclosed something for Møller and Bagge. I thank you very much for the latest news, and especially for so quickly again to send me a bill of the pension of the third quarter, by which I am well secured for the time being and can continue the works I have commenced.Not only has it pleased me immensely I must also admire that H.M. The King has been so gracious to pay off my debt at Rübergs from last year, which was rather a large amount of money, but I thank you particularly, good Mr Clemens for your intercession for me with H.M. – and your untiring activity with which you have accomplished this matter for me and with which you always manage my affairs. I feel happy for our dear native country that it is certain that apart from Bavaria so much is not done for art in any of the German states as is done in our country neither will there be a lack of artists. Our famous Thorvaldsen is a credit to his nation (I only wish that he would be given more work) we have in you, good Mr Clemens one of Europe’s foremost line engravers ( if only you as well as Mr Thorvaldsen would get the opportunity to educate good pupils), councillor Hansen is certainly an excellent architect, but with time we may expect still more from his worthy pupil Mr Malling, of painters we have several persons of merit, it is very good that there are several, as it provokes competition and thus art will progress. As for scholarship and science we are surely not backward to any nation, we have and have had excellent men. What lovely prospects we might have for the future, when our nation again had healed its wounds. Here there are many rumours which, if they were true would not be pleasant to us, but we must wait and see something definite from the results of what is decided in Vienna – The matters in Norway do not seem to be cleared up. – in our times the superior force will be right – I has pleased me that you have so much left that my debt to Baron v. Schubart of 100 Scudi can be paid, this noble gentleman has told me in his latest letter that it had no hurry to pay it off until I felt I was able to, he is said to have left Leghorn at the beginning of October and can perhaps soon be expected in Copenhagen, he himself has suffered much by our bad exchange rate. I am pleased the stipulation has been made at our Academy that a general exhibition is to take place every 3rd year, among other things it will bring the benefit to awaken more artistic taste among our public. Mr Malling has vented several ideas to make the influence of The Acadeny of Fine Arts more general in all the country especially as regards the first and most important art: architecture by which the Academy would certainly become of more public utility. These ideas and how they might be carried out have my approval, some weeks ago Mr Malling sent his paper about this to councillor Hansen.
In a month’s time I can finish the altarpiece, three of the figures have already been done; even though it remains a question if it will ever be used as it was first intended there will surely be a place in another church. Composition, studies and preparations are also ready for the exodus of the Israelites so that now only the execution of it is left. The wish expressed by Mr Nathanson regarding a copy of Raphael or some other great master, I should like to meet, but I cannot promise so, as the paintings by Raphael which are yet best preserved are his paintings in oil which are in Paris, the beautiful masterpieces by this painter which are here in the Vatican have all been painted in fresco, are very damaged and are of a dull colour wash; a copy of these would hardly be successful. Besides what time I have left is rather occupied here in Rome, there is far too much which I should like to derive benefit from, for others as well as for myself, one can never get too many good studies and here is a great possibility to collect them.
At present there is hardly any news in art as nothing has been exhibited for a long time except for three to four good paintings by M.dlle Lescot of whose wonderful talent Møller has seen beautiful proofs in Paris, they represent 1) a confirmation of young girls in the church St. Agnese here in Rome, a rich composition, the second a party in Grottaferata 3) a domestic scene and a portrait, these things were in all respect excellent. There are, I think, only few examples in the history of art of a woman with such a comprehensive talent as this M.dlle Lescot. As it happens every artist here works very diligently and a great amount of art is said to be produced here every year. The German artists are said to want to organize an annual exhibition here, just as the French ones used to, which would be very good if it be carried out. One of the foremost talents of Germans to be found here is said to be Mr Overbeck from Lûbeck. His works regarding composition and particularly expression and character in faces are said to come next to those of Raphael. There is only one general opinion about him just as about our Thorvaldsen, apart from him, I think all German artists may generally be rejected, I mean the painters, that they do not study nature, that often one does not find a pure sense of right beautiful natual forms, less so for the effect of light and the colours and objects in nature, which according to their principles should not be there. They employ everything on composition and expression, and it can not be denied that in this respect they are as high above the French as these again are above the Germans in sense and taste for beautiful forms, true colours and knowledge of the effect of light. One may go too far in everything when one sticks to individual extremities in our times when we have so much of eveything and the only means for this is to draw on the first source, on nature. (That these to be poetic often in one painting place four to five scenes which have taken place at completely different times, seems wrong to me. The complete excavation of the beautiful and still well preserved antique monument Colosseum has been finished this summer, the cellars which have been under the proscenium (where arrangements have been found which lead to suppose that the ancients have also had coulisses, or that they could make changes on their theares, but about which there has been a great dispute among the learned antiquaries) but as a lot of water had collected in these deep pits which could be given no outlet it has been necessary to fill them up again. Where the proscenium used to be there is now a beautiful oval square at one end there is a Christian chapel, and roundabout twelve stations with the agonies of Christ. It is strange to see that where people in days of old were pleased to watch a sinner being devoured by wild beasts, or others who were to fight until both fell, etc. etc. there now a numerous procession og devout people gather every Friday to find solace in the memory of the agonies and death of Christ. This is a beautiful theme for a painting, which I intend to make next summer. Forum Trajanum has also been fully excavated and enclosed by a wall. It is rather interesting to see these excellent antique remains, of which there are lots in Rome as well as outside Rome and which testify to a completely different kind of people than the present, altro che chiacchierare.
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Dette er et udkast til et brev, der findes på to forskellige ark, jf. arkivplaceringsbetegnelsen. Den sidste del af brevudkastet fylder kun ca. den sidste syvendedel fra ordet formode.
Udkastet er skrevet af efter den trykte afskrift i Bramsen & Ragn Jensen, op. cit.
Sidst opdateret 28.09.2016
Eckersberg har skrevet datoen galt. Der er tale om brev af 13.10.1814 til Clemens.
Den danske arkitekt C.F. Hansen.
Ifølge Kunstakademiets nye fundats af 28. juli 1814 skulle der hvert fjerde år afholdes en salon, i de mellemliggende år en udstilling af værker af de elever og kunstnere, der havde modtaget Kunstakademiets præmier.
Dvs. Eckersbergs altertavle Kvinderne med englen ved Christi grav, Sem Kirke, Vestfold, Norge. Altertavlen blev udført for grev Johan Caspar Herman Wedel Jarlsberg (1779-1840).
Dvs. Eckersbergs maleri Moses lader Det røde Hav træde tilbage og Faraos hær oversvømmes, 1813-16, Statens Museum for Kunst, inv.nr. KMS69.
Eckersberg refererer til den italienske renæssancemaler Rafaels (1483-1520) freskomalerier i Vatikanet, dvs. hans rumudsmykninger af hhv. de såkaldte Stanzer (værelser) og af Loggiaen, en galleri/korridor.
Den franske portræt- og genremaler Antoinette Cécile Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot (1784-1845).
Disse planer blev dog først gennemført nogle år senere, jf. Fr. Noack: Das Deutschtum in Rom, Stuttgart 1927, vol. 1, p. 501.
Den tyske maler Johann Friedrich Overbeck.
Dvs. Colosseum, som også bliver kaldt Coliseum.
Her begynder den del af brevet, der opbevares under Add. 301-2 (IV-48).
Dvs. kulisser.
Der kan være tale om Eckersbergs maleri Parti af det Indre af Colosseum, 1813-16, Den Hirschsprungske Samling, inv. nr. 95.
Eckersberg fremstillede dog også andre malerier med motiver fra Colosseum.
Antagelig fejlstavning for chiacchierare, at snakke, sladre.
Det italienske udtryk skal altså forstås som [dette er] intet andet end snak, eller etc.