Hermann Ernst Freund
Firenze
Brevet har været lukket med et rødt laksegl. Motivet er en oval med et utydeligt motiv, muligvis et “f”?
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Rom
Udskrift: Al signore / Signore Chavalier Thorvaldsen / Roma.
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Kommentarerne til dette brev er under udarbejdelse.
Florentz d. 6 Febr. 1828
Gode Thorvaldsen!
Efterat jeg forlod Livorno den 16 Januar har jeg været i Carara. Deres Christus Figur besøgte jeg oftere die Dage jeg ophold mig sammested. Bjeneme og Arbeiderne mener, at være færtig med, at Botsjere Figuren om en Monedts Tid, og jeg tror det lader sig gjore; thi Figuren er avangSeret paa den venster Fod nær og die Pykter under Gevandtet i Marmor finder jeg, at være af en god Qvalite og lig dem til Deres Pave eller Eugen. Jeg ser ingen Forskjæl imellem disse nævnte Figure og Deres Christus verken i Marmor eller Arbeidet; dog synes det, at Bologne og hans Fader har vist mere Omhu i henseende til Punkternes mængde og i den henseende tro jeg, at Botsering af Christus Figuren har fortrin for hine Figure. Jeg vilde ønske, at De fra Deres mange Arbeider kunde skenke denne herlige Statue Tid, at drive og diregere fulendelsen og læge selv Handen paa Verket tilstist.
I Pisa viste man mig Stedet vor Deres Arbeide der skal forevige Vaka skel Penseres. Det er et fortrinlig Sted i Kamposante og kan sees forfra hele Kampesantes Brede 60 passi. Det for stærkest Lys fra Høyre Side igennem Vinduernes Obning, fra den lange Side af Kamposante og omtren saa stærk, som i Deres store Stuedi ved Vægen modsat de store Vinduer –
Chaiaveri beder jeg at hilse, die Penge han har forreskud mig sender jeg ham i disse Dage ved Ulrick i Livorno.
Deres Brev af 2d. Febrr: har jeg modtagen tillig Mikelsens Brev og Deres Hjertelige Ønske for mit Fremtidtsvel i Fædreneland, gid det maa gaa i Opfyldelse, saa, at Skjæbne vil vorde blider for mig der.
Ligeledes har jeg modtagen Brev fra Dannemark der bebuder mig, at jeg maa forlade Italijen. Dybt smerter det mig, at mine Krafter ere svunden saaledes, at jeg maa adlyde, og see, at Strømmen jeg hidentil kæmpede med Held imod, nu river mig bort vor jeg havede mit sande Hjem og fører mig til Norden. Dog hvad hjelper det at klage jeg har fortjent min Skjæbne, om 14 Dage forlader jeg Florentz.
Jeg beder Dem, herved, at modtage min hjerteligste Tak for alt got jeg i Deres Omgang, Deres Hus, Deres Verckstæder og ved Deres Værker, har seet, levet, og lært, og som paa livets Vei mig bestandig vil vær et levende Exempel og Rettesnor, at gaa efter. Ligeledes beder jeg Dem paa det Bønligste, om, ikke, at anse min Taushed og Tilbageholdenhed De i løbet af 10 Aar kan beskylde mig for, som, et Bevis paa Utaknemlighed og Uvilje imod Dem, da Aarsagen var: mangel paa Evner og Leilighed, ikke Viljen og Hjerte, manglede mig. Thi jeg vil hellere være taus som Graven, en ved handlinger og Ord forvære Tingens Gang og Forhold, og ikke kan jeg bebreeide mig selv, at jeg har været uvir[k]som, na[a]r jeg kunde vise mig taknemlig og saavat na[a]r turen stod til mig, at handle. Men betæ[n]k at jeg er Fattig, Die derimod Rig, og, at det er meget letter, at give naar man har, en, at modtage naar man trænger og, at paa Naturens store Vægtskaal den Fattiges Skjerf tynger ligesaa fulvægtig, som den Riges
Dog saaledes gaar det os Dødelige – jeg er dreven udaf et Forhold der var mit sande Hjem i 10 Aar, vor jeg kunde udvikle mine Kræfter som Kunstner og som Meneske, forhjelpe mine Kunstbrødre paa en taalelig maade til det samme og saaledes forherlige en stor forgænger og Mester og Værde Værde og Kunsten Gau[n]lig saameget Kræfterne formaaede uden Sprel og paa en, Naturlig Maade. Men istædet for, at nær[e] en skjøn Drøm for Kunsten og de[n]s Dyrker føler jeg Kraften der kold og ufølsom driver mig atter til Norden og som Graven lig[g]er min Fremtid mig for Øynene
Jeg beder at hilse Elisa og hendes Moder Venligst! sig Dem, at intet smerter mig mer: en, at forlade Italien uden Haab nogensinde at see det mere –
og nu gode Thorvaldsen lev vel, skulde vie ikke paa livets afstoktene Vei mødes mere, saa vær forvisset om saalænge Hjertet en slaar vældigen imod Væg[g]en der inslutter det følger jeg samme Vei og fører samme Sprog, som jeg lærte i Deres Bekjendskab at være Naturligst og rigtigst.
Deres hengivne
HE Freund.
Florence, February 6th 1828
Kind Thorvaldsen!
After I left Leghorn January 16th I have been in Carrara. I visited your Christ figure more often the days I stayed in this place. Bjeneme and the workers think they will have finished moulding the figure in a month’s time and I think it is possible; for the figure is advanced except for the left foot and the points under the drapery in marble I find to be of a good quality and similar to your Pope or Eugen. I see no difference between these mentioned figures and your Christ neither in marble or the work; but Bologne and his father seem to have shown more care as regards the number of points and in that respect I think that the moulding of Christ has advantages to these figures. I do wish that you from your many works could give this wonderful statue time, to conduct and direct the finish and put the finishing touches in the end yourself.
In Pisa I was shown the place where your work that will be portraying Vaka is to be placed. It is an excellent place in Kamposante and can be seen from the front of the wide Kampesante’s 60 passi. It gets the strongest light from the right through the opening of the windows, from the long side of Kamposante and almost as strong as in your large studio at the wall opposite the large windows –
Please give my regards to Chiaveri, I send him these days the money he has advanced me by Ulrick in Leghorn.
I have received your letter of February 2nd as well as Mikkelsen’s letter and your sincere wish for my well in future in the native country, may it be fulfilled, so that fate will be more favourable to me there.
I have also received a letter from Denmark announcing that I must leave Italy. I am rather sorry that my strength has disappeared so that I must obey and see that the stream I so far fought successfully against now tears me away from where I had my true home and leads me to the North. But how does complaining help I have deserved my fate, in a fortnight I am leaving Florence.
I thank you now heartily for all the good things I have seen in intercourse with you, from your house, your workshops and your works, that I have lived through and learnt, and which will always be an example and a guide to follow in life. I also implore you not to regard the silence and reticence you may accuse me of during 10 years as a proof of ingratitude and resentment against you, as the reason was: lack of ability and opportunity, I did not lack the will and the heart. For I prefer being silent as the grave to making worse the course of matters by actions and words, and I cannot be blamed for being passive when I could show gratitude, likewise when I had to act. But consider the fact that I am poor, you on the other hand rich and that it is much easier to give when you have, than to receive when you are in need and that on the scales of nature the scarf of the poor person weighs as heavily as that of the rich one.
But such are we mortals – I have been evicted from circumstances that were my true home for 10 years where I could develop my strength as an artist and as a human being, help my brothers in art in an acceptable way for the same and thus glorify a great predecessor and master and be useful to art as far as my strength was able to let me without fuss and in a natural way. But instead of cherishing a beautiful dream for art and its lovers I feel the power that drives me insensibly and cold to the North again and like the grave my future lies for my eyes.
Please give my regards to Elisa and her mother! Tell them that nothing gives me more pain: than to leave Italy without hope of ever seeing it again –
and now kind Thorvaldsen, all the best, if we are not to meet again in life then rest assured that as long as my heart beats against the wall confining it I will follow the same path and use the same language that I learnt through your acquaintance to be most natural and true.
Yours affectionately
HE Freund.
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Sidst opdateret 25.08.2021