Post & Tele Museum - Købmagergade 37 - Postboks 2053 - DK-1012 København K
Tlf.: (+45) 33 41 09 00 - e-mail: museum@ptt-museum.dk - www.ptt-museum.dk

(Museumsposten 1998-4)
”A Letter Containing Money”

By Birgitte Wistoft

At the opening Post & Tele Museum received an endowment from its founders, Tele Danmark A/S and Post Denmark: A painting about receiving a gift…


There is no doubt who is the principal character in the story the painting is telling: The postman who has arrived with money for the poor, old woman. His long, red jacket forms a brilliant centre in the dilapidated attic. He holds the letter and the purse ready in his left hand whilst with his right he tries gently to wake up the woman who dozing at the window.

A young woman is standing in the doorway. She let the postman in. She is curious just as the two children and we who are looking at the picture: How will she react when she wakes up? We imagine the joy the old woman will experience. That money must be a godsend and maybe it is even unexpected?

“A Letter Containing Money” is the name of the large painting from 1861 by Copenhagen artist David Monies (1812-94). He grew up in desperate poverty, but was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts and became a much used portraitist. As many of his colleagues he also tried his hand at scenes of life, the genre painting.

”The Letter Containing Money” was later put out as a lithograph which could be acquired at a modest sum – in colours or black and white. It became extremely popular. The museum already possesses a few copies of the litograph. Now we are able to add the original painting to our collections. Indeed a lovely gift.

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Post & Tele Museum - Købmagergade 37 - Postboks 2053 - DK-1012 København K - Tlf.: (+45) 33 41 09 00 - e-mail: museum@ptt-museum.dk - www.ptt-museum.dk