Beckett in Hamburg - 22nd November 1936

Sunday, 22nd November 1936

Heinrich Carl Hudtwalcker.
Friedrich Ahlers-Hestermann.

Excursion with Rosa Schapire to see Heinrich C. Hudtwalcker's private collection at Elbchaussee in Hochkamp.
Another house full of "entartet" ("degenerate") paintings. Beckett sees the famous Munch paintings Bildnis des Herrn Heinrich C. Hudtwalcker (Portrait of Mr. Heinrich C. Hudtwalcker) and Mädchen auf der Brücke (Girls on a Bridge) (today in Hamburger Kunsthalle). Also drawings by Rolf Nesch, painter from Hamburg, who has already emigrated to Norway.


Edvard Munch "Girls on a Bridge"		Edvard Munch "Das Bildniss des Herrn Heinrich C. Hudtwalcker"

Hudtwalcker with Rolf Nesch

Drawing by Rolf Nesch

Hudtwalcker: perhaps stupid English type, a particularly hearty wife from Southern Germany. Südwein & cigar.

First: Munch Frieze …
In next room mere Munch …
In another room … something else by Munch …
In breakfast room a superb Munch, three women on a bridge over dark water, apparently a frequent motiv. Best Munch I have seen.

On Ahlers-Hestermann: All the usual Montparnasse muck... Stürmischer Beifall. All so naif & orthodox Bohemian.