Saturday, May 15:
R. had a good night, goes for an early-morning walk with the children and is cheerful at our breakfast together. He likes the embroidery on his cloak, and he tells me once again how strong lines make work impossible for him, whereas the dreamier colors, and the refraction of light from the material, have a pleasantly distracting and concentrating effect.
I drive to the Urbild, as R. calls my picture, to have my fingers painted. We talk about painting, about the gallery in Leipzig, Delaroche’s picture, and R. says, “Napoleon on the Mount of Olives.” Then he tells us about his cousin Kühnlein. He makes some corrections to the biography.
And in the afternoon he goes to town on foot; Loldi and I watch him for a long while, he frequently turns to wave, and all the blessings of love follow his rapid steps! He walks as far as the palm tree and returns home in somewhat less than an hour!
He has written a cheerful letter to friend Wolzogen, greetings from Haus to Maison, and in spite of his tiredness is in a gentle and cheerful mood in the evening. Delight in the starry sky and the moonlight.