MM N 318. Notes related to art

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MM N 318, fol. 1r

    When You say that the sequence of pictures
[in the] Frieze of Life was the one that caused the first
outright scandal I would ask You to look up
the reviews that came when
my pictures were exhibited [in] the
first Autumn Exhibitions – 1883–84–85–
–86–

    – You will find there for Example that The
Sick Child (now owned by Harald
Nørregaard ) was vilified worse than
any cubist picture has been
vilified – At that time a crowd of people stood
in the exhibition hall shouting –

    It was not only the public at the time
but the young painters Werenskjold  included
who were in an uproar – I was even
maligned by Wentzel  and his colleagues
as a humbug painter –

    The Portrait of Jensen Jell  was also vilified
emphatically

MM N 318, fol. 1v

Werenskiold  told me that it should
never have been exhibited –

    The Portrait of my sister which is in
Mustad ’s collection was also vilified
It was called the horrid
Louis Michel  female – which could
not be hung in any common room but
only in a W. C –

    – The female Nude was painted
in Berlin at the same time as Vampire –
and had nothing to do with French art

    The Frieze of Life was planned in 1889
in Paris – It was partially planned
during the Bohemian movement (Paint one’s life)
One will be able to see this from
a little pamphlet I am working on
which will soon be published –

    The Frieze of Life appears more
cohesive as a frieze – which it
was also intended to be –

    It was unfortunately split up but
I am striving to bring it more or less
together again –