Letters from Danmark - Letter 1

Sebastião Imbiriba*

This article is the first of a series relating the impressions of a Brazilian Author, during his two months stay in Denmark, about the life in this Country, the character of its citizens, their dayly routine, the culture, the art, the family life, as well as about the Brazilians who live and work there, integrate into and contribute to its society.
The Author, Sebastiao Gil de Lalor Imbiriba (75), born and resident in Santarém on the Tapajós and the Amazon - both rivers meet jus in front - is a retiresd business executive with international experience, and writes poetry and newspapers articles on Amazonic and Human subjects. simbiriba@gmail.com

First impressions of Danmark

Here am I, in Copenhagen, trying to uncover ways for transmiting my experiences and emotions in this most charming country. I search for something interesting, deserving to be recorded. I begin with the nordic mythology, in whose Valhalla, the scandinavian Mount Olympus, the more beautiful and sensual of the goddesses, (Freja in Danish, Freya in English, Fráia in Portuguese), protects the love, the fertility, the abundance. And I cite this deity because I do not resist to the beauty of the verses, and traversing diligently the dictionary of an unknown language, I pour into Portuguese the Danish national anthem first stanza: "Adorável pátria nossa / De verdejantes florestas / Enseadas e campos ondulados / Enlaçados pelo grande mar azul / Esta é a velha Dinamarca / Eterno lar da bela Fráia".

If my first Danish emotions were poetics it is because this nation possess admirable culture that express itself in the architecture, the streets, lakes and channels, parks and gardens, schools, universities, libraries, theaters, museums, and mainly its people. Whoever has an interest on these matters has here plenty to do. Denmark has extraordinary artists, the painter P. S. Krøyer and the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, for example, and also has one of the world glories of the literature. Who already did not passed by sorrows and joys reading a short story by Hans Christian Anderson? His birth bicentenary was commemorated in 2005.

"Well far away, where the water is so blue as regards beautiful flower of the corn and the water is clear as crystal, the ocean is much, much deep…" So begins one of the most beautiful stories by Hans Christian. So famous and so beautiful story that inspired several other important works of art including the lively drawing by Walt Disney, the John Neumeier ballet presented in first world hearing in April 15, 2005 in the Copenhagen Opera Theater and one of the most expressive symbols of this beautiful city, the precious sculpture by Edvard Eriksen, the Small Mermaid.

Carl Jacobsen, fascinated by Ellen Price, first dancer of the Royal Theater, upon watching to the first ballet "The Litle Mermaid" asked to his friend sculptor Edvard Eriksen to transform in reality this triple inspiration: the H. C. Andersen short story protagonist, the ballet based on her and the dancer that interpreted her. The work of Eriksen was inaugurated in 1913 and the Small Mermaid has excited millions of admirers that visit it, touch it, caress and kiss it ever since.

I yield my homage to the patron Carl Jacobsen, holder of the Carlsberg brewery and one of the Denmark's richest men of his epoch. It was him who erected, acquired the collection and donated to the city and to the World the beautiful museum Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, with important Greek, Etruscan, Roman and Egyptian archaeological pieces, impressive collection of mummies and pharaonic sarcophagi. Did not only I have the pleasure of touch and embrace to Small Mermaid, as of traverse and appreciate the collections of the Glyptotek.

There is no lack of Museums in Copenhagen and one of the best enjoyments of mine was visiting the small and precious museum of the Hirschsprung Collection (Den Hirschsprungske Samling) where we can find some of the most important works of the 1800 to 1850 period in Copenhagen, the Dane Golden Age, including the oils "Woman facing the mirror" by C. W. Eckersberg and the "Portrait of Frederik Sødring" by Købke. The exhibition parlors include furniture of the epoch, many of them by the artists own authorship. The works that impressed me best were those by Peder Severin Krøyer, from a more recent epoch. His oils reveal incredible capacity of creative reality interpretation, with deep feelings and impressive technique. Krøyer travelled extensively through the Europe and was influenced by Impressionists with the stature of Monet, Degas, Renoir and Manet. In the final decades of the nineteenth century, Skagen, a small fishermen town in Danish North, whose sea color, clean air and small white dunes produced special brightness, and attracted nordic painters in endless numbers.

P. S. Krøyer who remained there during the months from the end of spring to the fall's beginning became the informal leader of that so much talented artistic universe. I possess, at home, in Santarém on the Tapajós, reproductions of works by Krøyer, therefore I already knew about this extraordinary artist production. It was an intense pleasure of mine to appreciate straightly the works propper. Rare and priceless emotion, and I expect not unique, because there is much, really a lot more of it to do, to see, learn and appreciate in this so charming, civilized and receptive country.

* Artigo publicado em O Estado do Tapajós, jornal diário de Santarém, Pará, onde Autor (75) escreve sobre temas de interesse geral, principalmente amazônicos.