Thomas Donaldson
London
Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann
Th. Donaldson udtrykker sin medfølelse og sympati med Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann, der i Danmark lever under påvirkningerne fra Den 2. Slesvigske Krig (1864). Danskernes kamp ser ud til at være kæmpet forgæves, og der har været store tab på slagmarken.
Donaldsons hustru har været henne og se Jerichau Baumanns maleri og han vedlægger to anmeldelser af maleriet i brevet. Donaldson beder hende som trøst om at huske på, at anmelderne ikke nødvendigvis har forstand på kunst. Anmelderne betragter dog hendes maleri som veludført. Både Mrs. Donaldson og hendes niece har set maleriet på udstillingen, hvor de blev grebne af dets komposition og udtryk. Dog mener de, at maleriets farvetoner kan virke for kolde i henhold til den engelske smag. Smagen er dannet af vaner og tradition og mange englændere beundrer den italienske skole, som generelt har en varmere farveskala.
Donaldson har været henne og se J.A. Jerichaus værker på Royal Academys udstilling. Den kommende udstilling tegner også til at blive lovende.
Donaldsons søn Jamie har fået en lille søn, men Donaldsons barnebarn Mariette er syg og vækker deres bekymring. Hans nevø Andrew arbejder intenst og planlægger at tage til Italien til efteråret.
London 22nd April 1864
My dear Madam Jerichau.
We have often thought of you and yr. excellent Husband and your dr. circle & sympathised with the deep grief & sorrows you must be experiencing in the reverses of Denmark caused by the unwarrantable war carried on against you by the German Powers. A cowardly attack & of which you have such bitter fruits. Even the fall of Doppel does not seem sufficient to assert the fury of yr. Conquerors. We have lamented the unnecessary waste of blood. The Danes have shewn great bravery but doubtless // it would have been niser, if not so heroic, to have yielded at once to such overpowering numbers, rather than to have suffered such reverses with out any hope of success. And the very triumph of yr. enemies will render them still more exciting.
Mm. Donaldson has been today to see yr. interesting picture & I enclose 2 critiques which have appeared on the subject. You must recollect that our writers of such notices are […?] very little competent as judges of art. They seek analogies where none exist, & they can only record general impressions, with out // properly rendering an acct. of the source of those impressions. They both of them evidently regard your picture as a fine production. Mm. Donaldson & her niece, who accompanied her, were much struck with the grouping & expression. They think the coloring too cold for our English taste, but that of course is a matter of predilection arising from association & habit, & the custom we have, of admiring the Italian school, which is generally warm in its tones.
Pray has Mr Jerichau been at work [much?] of late. How [strong?] to see something of his at our Royal Academy // Exhibition, where his deep & pure feeling, & high art would [t?]ell so favoably away the mass of our English sculptures. It is said, that the next exhibition promises to be a very fine one. I am invited, at the President of the Institute of British Architects, to […?] with the members [of?] the annual grand reunion next Saturday (tomorrow) week. We are all tolerably well. Jamie has a fine sparkling little son. Pour Mariette still causes us much anxiety. My wife hopes that you will have received the letter she wrote you last week. Mm. W.L. Donaldson has had a very severe attack of paralysis. and Andrew is working on zealously & goes to Italy in the autumn. We all unite in affection […?] regards to you & yr. & believe me dr. Mme. Jerichau[.]
Truly yrs Tho. L: Donaldson
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Sidst opdateret 06.07.2018
