H.W. Bissen
Rom
Just Mathias Thiele
Ingen udskrift.
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Kommentarerne til dette brev er under udarbejdelse.
Rom d. 14de Dec. 45
Kjære Thiele!
Der er to Ting jeg her vil skrive Dig om og som jeg lægger Dig paa Hjertet, i det Mindste det første, thi det andet Punkt er mindre vigtigt. Det er nemlig angaaende Eduard Sonne i Parma. Han har nu været i 19 Aar i Torchis Skole og har i den Tid, saa meget jeg kan skjønne, tilegnet sig Alt hvad en saa dygtig Skole har givet ham Leilighed til, og det der nu mangler ham, er Leilighed til at vise, hvad han har lært. Denne giver Torchi ham ikke, han holder ham tvertimod meget knapt og giver ham kun Ubetydeligheder under Hænderne, thi han har Brug for saa mange Arbeider han kan faa, og ved vel at Sonne, hvis han bare kunde, vilde forlade ham. Maaskee at Torchi ogsaa foretrækker sine Landsmænd. Nok han faar intet Arbeide, han kan vinde hverken Ære eller Penge ved, og ønsker under disse Omstændigheder meget at komme hjem, hvor han haaber at komme i en Stilling hvori det bliver ham mueligt at vise at han ikke har været alle de Aar forgjæves i Parma. – Og min Overbevisning er, at han ufeilbarligen gaaer til grunde, hvis han ikke bliver hjulpen, dog vilde jeg aldrig tilraade at hjelpe ham, hvis han ikke var dygtig, eller hvis vi havde bedere at velge iblant, men uden at fornærme Eckersberg, synes mig, at vi saa godt som sletingen Kobberstikkerkunst har derhjemme og det var dog vist ønskeligt, at vi søgte atter at faa en Skole i dette fag, som i de andre Kunstfag. Nu beder jeg Dog om, kjære Ven, at raadføre Dig med Koch og Høien, som jeg ogsaa skriver til, hvad der kunde skee i den Sag, om ikke Akademiet kan gjøre noget, eller om ikke Kongen kan interesses for samme? At Akademiet skulde kalde ham hjem, det mener jeg ikke, men kunde man ikke under Haanden lade ham vide at han maatte søge om Reisepenge, enten paa det ene Sted, eller paa det andet? – Gjør noget hvis Du kan for ham, jeg beder Dig derom, men tal først med Koch.
Det andet var at jeg i Carrare fandt et meget deiligt Stykke Marmor, som er passende til Juleglæderne og som jeg saa godt som har kjøbt, da jeg veed at Kongen ønsker Juleglæderne udført i Marmor, og det, der er begyndt i Kjøbenhavn, jo er forhugget, som der aldrig kan blive noget godt af her var nu min Bøn at Du vilde sige dette til Kongen og høre om han vil gaae ind derpaa, ogsaa, kjære Ven, paa Een eller anden Maade at underrette mig om Kongens Vilie, at jeg hvis han gaar ind derpaa kan sende det hjem med de andre Ting. –
Jeg er den 9de kommet hertil og preparerer mig nu til at arbeide, thi Landsmændene Petersen og Braun har været saa snild at leie et Studium til mig, som jeg nu lige kan gaa ud i. Marstrand derimod er ikke saa heldig, han søger allerede længe forgjæves. – Igaaraftes gave Skandinaverne Marstrand og mig et Gilde til Velkomst, de erkjender Lykken for 3die eller anden Gang at kunde see Rom igjen.
Om Jerichau og Kolberg skal jeg skrive Dig næstegang [sic]. Man har arrangeret en Udstilling for den rusiske [sic] Kaiser som er kommet i Gaarnat [sic], men uheld [sic] uden ham og de der have udstillet faar den at see. –
Jeg er vel, lad det være sagt i en god Tid, og har ogsaa Efterretning at Mine derhjemme ere vel, detsamme haaber jeg om Dig og Din Familie og beder saa mange Gange at hilse Din Kone og Børnene, og alle gode Venner, og saa at tænke med gammel Venskab paa
Din
uforanderligt Ven Bissen
Kjære Ven! jeg sender alle 3 Breve under et Convolut og adresserer dem til Dig, thi jeg antager at de ere i Akademiets Interesse, og Akademiet maa betale Portoen. Jeg beder Dig at hilse Akademiet, og sige at jeg haaber sidst i Marts atter at kunde deeltage i Forsamlingerne. Gud være med Dig.
Din Bissen.
NB. jeg skal hilse Dig fra Bravo, han har nyligt kiøb [sic] og afsendt en overordentlig deilig lille Broncestatue. –
Rome, December 14th 45
Dear Thiele,
Two items I here want to write to you about which I wish to be of oncern to you, at least the first one, the other one is less important. You see, it is about Eduard Sonne in Parma. He has now been at Torchi’s school for 19 years and during that time I estimate he has picked up all that such a good school has given him opportunity to and what he now lacks is opportunity to prove what he has learnt. That Torchi does not give him, on the contrary he holds him on a short leash and only gives him trifles to work at, as he needs all the works he can get and he certainly knows that if he only was able to Sonne would leave him. Maybe it is that Torchi also prefers his own countrymen. Well he gets no work from which he can win either honour or money, and under these circumstances he very much wishes to get home, where he hopes to enter into a situationin which it will be possible for him to prove that he has not been all these years in Parma in vain.- And I am convinced that he will inevitably perish if he does not get help, I should, however, never recommend to help him if he were not competent or if we had better ones to choose from, but without offence to Eckersberg I think that we have almost no copperplate engraving at home and I think that it would be desirable to try to establish a school in this subject as in other art subjects. But I advise you, dear friend, to take counsel with Koch and Høien to whom I also write, what might happen in this matter, whether the Academy can do something or whether the King can not take an interest in this? I do not think that the Academy should recall him, but could one not confidentially let him know that he would have to apply for travelling funds either in one place or the other? Do something for him if you can, I ask you for it but speak to Koch first.
The other thing was that in Carrara I found a very beautiful piece of marble which is suitable for ‘The joys of Christmas’ and which I have almost bought as I know that the King wishes ‘The joys of Christmas’ executed in marble and what has been begun in Copenhagen has been precut, from which no good will ever come, here I now ask you to tell the King this and hear if he will accept it and also,dear friend, in some way to inform me of the King’s intentions so that I can send it home with the other things, if he accepts it.
On the 9th I arrived here and I now prepare myself to work as the countrymen Petersen and Braun have been so clever as to hire a studio for me which I now can walk straight into. Marstrand on the other hand is not so lucky, he has already looked for one long in vain. – Last night the Scandinavians gave Marstrand and me a welsome party, they acknowledge the happiness it is to be able to see Rome again for the third or second time.
Next time I shall write to you about Jerichau and Kolberg. An exhibition has been arranged for the Russian Emperor who arrived last night, but hard luck without him and those who have something on exhibition will see it. –
I am in good health, let it be said in time and I also have news that my family at home are well, I hope the same for you and your family and ask you to give my regards to your wife and the children and all good friends and think friendly of
your
constant friend Bissen
Dear friend, I send all 3 letters in one envelope and address them to you for I think they are in the interest of the Academy and the Academy must pay the postage. Give my regards to the Academy and tell them that I hope to be able to participate in the meetings in late March. God bless you.
Yours Bissen.
NB. Regards to you from Bravo, he has recently bought and sent off a rather wonderful little bronze statuette.
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Sidst opdateret 21.02.2017