Thomas Donaldson
London
Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann
Thomas Donaldson skriver til Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann, at der er stort røre, fordi udvælgelseskomiteen til en udstilling i London har afvist så mange billeder. Ingen af Jerichau Baumanns malerier er blevet accepteret, ligesom også malerier af Donaldsons nevø Andrew er blevet afvist. Han sender Jerichau Baumann udstillingskataloget og udtrykker sin ærgrelse over, at hendes navn ikke er blandt de udstillende kunstnere. Donaldson har markeret to af de mest bemærkelsesværdige numre i kataloget, men derudover har han ikke høje tanker om det indtryk, udstillingen giver af engelsk kunst.
Donaldson vil sende Jerichau Baumann en avis om et arkitekturhistorisk emne, som optager ham.
Donaldson omtaler et fotografi af et af Harald Jerichaus værker, som er blevet sendt ham. Han skriver, at han ikke selv besøgte Sardes, da han var i den antikke græske bystat Smyrna 58 år tidligere, men han kender de arkitektoniske vidundere i Sardes ud fra bøger. Donaldson har hørt om Harald igennem Mrs. Forster, som har været i Rom.
Han skriver afslutningsvis, at han glæder sig til at se Jerichau Baumann og hendes datter i London i april måned. Han har foræret sin søn Jerichau Baumanns portræt af Mariette.
21 Upper Bedford Place
London W C [Donaldsons stempel påtrykt] 13 May 1878
My dear Mme. Jerichau
I am deeply affected by the receipt of your touching letter! So much of suffering & woe seems almost beyond the extent of human endurance! but evidently you have had a tender Father’s love to support you & a [f…?] reliance on Him, who suffered for us, & was in all things like as we are, but with out sin! a pure sympathising Savior and Brother. You have been supported under your crushing trials! and they have been bitter ones indeed! but will bear their fruit to your gain. // The artists have been thrown into great consternation by the doings of the selection Committee, who have not accepted your pictures amongst many hundreds, which I may say thousands, have been rejected. My nephew andrew’s to the number of 4 have been returned to him, and although I do not sympathise with his taste, yet I think there was one of greatment. I send you a catalogue & was distressed to find, that your name was not among the Exhibitors. I have marked 2 of the most striking numbers in the Exhibition, but as a whole it is pronounce[d] to be a sad display of English art!
I have ventured to send you by post a paper, read by me before the R Institute of British architects a obelis[k?] – it is I fear too architecturally & technically treated to interest general readers, but I send it to you as a [mark?] of personal regard. // My son Olinthus has been touched by your kind reference to the death of his beloved child and feels deeply for you as do my sisters also & the Revd Mr Lingham[,] Brother of my late dear wife, who remembers you. The photograph of yr. dear son’s picture shows the mortaly con-ception of the painter & the beauty of the details. It must be a very fine work, for the photograph is very striking. When I was at Smyrna, 58 years ago I did not go to Sardes, it was so far off & the remains so few, that I did not concider the expence would correspond with the result. But I know it architecturally from books, as one of the [best?] examples of our art, and also its biblical & archoelogical claims upon one’s attention.
My dear son James poor […?] aims much the same as to his health & his […?] – he is very well & happy; […?] alas there are no […?] of the recovery of his mental faculties. He repudiates me as his father alas! & considers himself a Rothechild & [pepeped?] of […?] [weath?] // and that the very place, where he recide, in his own, a happy delusion. If I mistake not your dear son Harold was married & had 2 children. Is that the fact? We heard of Harold & his great talents from a Miss Forster a friend of ours, who was at Rome. I am not going to Paris this year. On such an occasion it is xxx overpoweringly [butting?] and wearing & expensive with al. We shall be delighted to see you & your Daughter next april in London. I have some idea of spending every year December January Febr & March in a more genial climate abroad on [a…?] of my chest. the writer […?] me so much. But now, thank God! I am in perfect helath.
I am pleased to see you speak so well of young Deane. I trust he will be steady & hard working & do pi[..?] to his natural talents.
Adieu, my dear Friend, pray present my kind remembrance to your Husband, who, I hope, still pursues his art with his usual energy & power of anception. When will he publish his fine series of designs? My sisters send their love. I have given my son yr exquisite portrait of his Mariette. It is a great consolation to him. Believe me, dear Mme Jerichau, your ever attached old friend Tho. L: Donaldson
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Sidst opdateret 06.07.2018
