Drachmann, Emmy og Krøyer på fyrskibet
Året er 1882. Holger Drachmanns hustru Emmys far, papirfabrikant Culmsee, havde lejet det, der i dag er den ældste del af Anna og Michael Anchers Hus på Markvej. Her boede de alle - dengang man var sommergæst og ikke kun turist.
Den 19. juni kom P.S. Krøyer til Skagen for første gang. Han og Holger Drachmann var ikke ligefrem perlevenner - Drachmann mente at Krøyer var dum! I modsætning til Drachmann var Krøyer en fredens mand og et ensomt menneske som havde brug for at omgive sig med folk, han kunne kalde sine venner. Det problem havde Drachmann ikke.
Men en dag de begge sad i den berømte blå stue på Brøndums gæstgivergård, faldt de i snak med skipperen fra Skagen Rev Fyrskib. Han inviterede Drachmann, Emmy og Krøyer til middag på fyrskibet. De to ville gerne, men Drachmann takkede nej i første omgang, men lod sig overtale.
De tager derud og får serveret middag - gule ærter og kogt fedt flæsk! God gedigen skibskost. Mens de spiste begyndte det at blæse op, og de kunne ikke komme i land. Det blev så til en overnatning i skippers kahyt.
Een ting er at sejle i høj sø, noget andet er at ligge stille i høj sø!
Næste formiddag kom Krøyer op på dækket, hvor han så fru Drachmann sidde med ryggen mod rælingen - totalt søsyg!
"Må jeg male Dem?" spørger Krøyer.
Havde han spurgt om han skulle smide hende overbord, havde hun sikkert sagt ja tak. I stedet spurgte hun:
"Hvorfor det?"
"De har sådan nogle fine farver i ansigtet!"
Krøyer lavede en skitse, hvor han dog lader hende sidde på en strand og ikke med en skibsræling i baggrunden - for så ville alle sige "Hvor er hun søsyg!" - nu kan man nøjes med at undre sig over de særprægede farver i ansigtet.
The year is 1882. Holger Drachmann's wife Emmy's father, paper manufacturer Culmsee, had rented what is today the oldest part of Anna and Michael Ancher's house on Markvej. They all lived here - in those days you were a summer visitor and not just a tourist.
On 19 June, P.S. Krøyer came to Skagen for the first time. He and Holger Drachmann were not exactly bead friends - Drachmann thought Krøyer was stupid! Unlike Drachmann, Krøyer was a man of peace and solitude who needed to surround himself with people he could call friends. Drachmann did not have that problem.
But one day they both sat in the famous blue room at Brøndum's guesthouse, and fell into conversation with the skipper of the Skagen Reef Lighthouse. He invited Drachmann, Emmy and Krøyer to dinner on the lighthouse. The two wanted to, but Drachmann refused at first, but was persuaded.
They go there and are served dinner - yellow peas and boiled fat pork! Good solid ship food. While they were eating, the wind started to pick up and they couldn't get ashore. So they spent the night in the skipper's cabin.
It's one thing to sail in high seas, it's another to lie still in high seas!
Next morning Krøyer came up on deck, where he saw Mrs Drachmann sitting with her back against the rail - totally seasick!
"May I paint you?" Krøyer asks.
Had he asked to throw her overboard, she would probably have said yes. Instead, she asked:
"Why is that?"
"You have such nice colors in your face!"
Krøyer made a sketch, but he showed her sitting on a beach, not with a ship's wreck in the background - because then everyone would say "She's seasick!" - Now you can just marvel at the peculiar colours of her face.
