Thomas Donaldson
London
Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann
Thomas Donaldson skriver til Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann, at han har fået besked om, at Jerichaus kasser er ankommet til London, og at jernbanefolkene vil sende dem videre til Donaldsons adresse. Han vil imidlertid standse videreforsendelsen og i stedet få jernbanen til at opbevare dem i deres magasiner indtil videre. Donaldson vil tage kontakt med Mr. Pennethorne, som har introduceret Donaldson for Knollys, der bestyrer af husholdningen hos Prinsen af Wales.
Donaldson fortæller om den arkitektkonkurrence, der har været i forbindelse med Dronning Victorias mindesmærke for hendes afdøde mand Prins Albert. Donaldson og flere andre har deltaget i konkurrencen, og de venter nu på svar. Der har været en del kritik af arrangementet omkring mindesmærket og af Dronningens melankoli i forbindelse med sorgen. Mange englændere er ifølge Donaldson meget charmeret af deres nye Prinsesse Alexandra.
Bolton Gardens Russellsqr
9 March 1863
My dear Mme. Jerichau
I received your letter of the 3rd. […?]st on the 6th. Friday last. & on Saturday the 7th notice from [Hull?] of the arrival of the cases there & that they had been forwarded on to my address here by the Rail Road. I immediately wrote to the Rail Road to derive them to keep the cases in their magazine until further orders to avoid the danger of double carriage. I immediately put myself in communication with Mr. Pennethorne my Friend architect for the government at Marlborough House a first rate artist & most estimable man & have seen him today & by his advice I have addressed myself to gent. Knollys chief of the Household of the Prince of Wales for further instructions. Your man is not yet arrived. You may rely upon every thing being properly done & managed agreeably to Professor Jerichau’s wishes & directions. And I will see Capt Falbe Sech of the Danish legation. Mr. Theed the Sculptor an artist of eminence has arranged for the Prince other statues at Marlborough House as Mr Pennethorne informs me. //
The usual days of receiving objects intended for exhibition at the Royal academy are the first Monday & Tuesday in April.
The art union have had the privelege from her Majesty of publishing a reduced copy of Mm. Thorneycroft’s bust of the Princess Alexandra made at Mindor. But I think of Jerichau’s were here he might sell it to advantage or at all events the copyright. He should send over the bust for our exhibition. I trust he will send a work for the art union competition[.] as regards the Prince Consort Memorial it was a limited competition between Mr Pennethorne already named by me – Mr Scott – C Barry & E Barry (sons of our famous architect of the houses of Parliament) Digby Wyatt – Hardwick [Jun.?] & myself – last & least of all. We shall not know our fate till some time but I fear that Mr [Scott?] will cut us all out as his drawings are most exquisite. The designs not so happy for they are not classic in taste at all, but capricious & scenic, rather melodramatic not pure.
But such is the present tendency of public taste & Her majesty is no judge of art at all it is supposed[.] // For she has had put up a wretched Mausoleum for the reception of the remains of the Prince & [of?] her own hereafter
All the world are charmed with the Princess. Her beauty – her grace – her exquisite manners are the theme of every one’s praise. We shall highly prize such a matchless treasure for our throne. The popular past of the procession was enthusiastic but every one re[pro?]aches the Governmental arrangement arising from the morbid state of mind of the Queen whose [formal?] melancholy for her loss is too absorbent & personal & ought to yield to that which is expected from her as a Sovereign as well as a wife Her tenant, had black bands on their arms and there was no pomp nor state in the court past of the procession. Reflection is very general here & the people feel hurt & blame the Home secretary of state Sir George Grey, who is a cold blooded formalist & ought to have insisted on other arrangements. So indignant were the city authorities in regard to the arrangement that a week ago they threatened to withdraw altogether & the [court?] people were obliged to yield The Queen they say is very fond of the Princess & [will?] she may be, but the morbid melancholy in which // she indulges to the exclusion of other sentiments is very indiscrete & out of place & is become […?] to all classes. She must take care & not alienate from herself the affection of her People. We love her much as a most constitional sovereign & excellent other & most attached wife & virtuous woman. […?] do not like her dire regard of the […?] […?] of her station to be [aborted?] in her grief for the departed however excellent he was.
Mm Donaldson has been very ill with Bronchitis for a fortnight confined to her room. I will write in a few days about the copyright & to tell you further as to the group[.]
With Kindest regards in [harts?] most truly yrs
Tho. L: Donaldson
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Sidst opdateret 05.03.2018
