Bidspirit auction | MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) ´ I

MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) ´ I had a night full of nightmares: the cathedral was collapsing on top of me; it seemed either blue or pink or yellow´´ - MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) French Impressionist painter. A remarkable A.L.S., Claude , four pages, 8vo, Rouen, n.d. ( ´Dimanche soir´ ; 3rd April 1892), to [Alice Hoschedé], in French. Monet laments not having received a letter from his future wife as there is no postal delivery on Sunday evenings, ´c´est pourtant le couronnement de ma journée, et ce soir j´ai plus encore le spleen de Giverny´ (Translation: ´yet it’s the highlight of my day, and tonight I’m feeling the melancholy of Giverny even more keenly´ ), further remarking ´Tout doit être si beau par ce temps inouï, trop beau, hélas, pour durer, je vois le baromètre baisser petit à petit et en suis terrifié. Je n´en reviens pas de ne pas m´être échappé un instant, enfin, j´espère que j´en serai récompensé´ (Translation: ´Everything must be so beautiful in this incredible weather—too beautiful, alas, to last; I can see the barometer dropping little by little and it terrifies me. I can’t believe I didn’t manage to slip away for a moment; well, I hope I’ll be rewarded for it´ ). Monet continues to send news of his artistic endeavours, ´En somme, excellente journée encore; chaque jour j´ajoute et surprends quelque chose que je n´avais pas encore su voir. Quelle difficulté, mais ça marche, et quelques jours encore de ce beau soleil, et bon nombre de mes toiles seront sauvées. Je suis rompu, je n´en peux plus, et, ce qui ne m´arrive jamais, j´ai eu une nuit remplie de cauchemars: la cathédrale me tombait dessus, elle semblait ou bleue ou rose ou jaune´ (Translation: ´All in all, another excellent day; every day I add to and discover something I hadn’t yet managed to see. What a struggle, but it’s working, and a few more days of this lovely sunshine, and many of my canvases will be saved. I’m exhausted, I can’t take any more, and—something that never happens to me—I had a night full of nightmares: the cathedral was collapsing on top of me; it seemed either blue or pink or yellow´ ) and also informs Alice ´Je vous ai dit, n´est-ce pas, que le marchand chez qui je travaille m´avait prié de ne plus venir l´après-midi. Vous comprenez ma désolation, mais j´ai eu l´idée de m´entourer d´un paravent, comme cela je ne troublerai plus la pudeur des Rouennaises que je gênais, paraît-il; et mon sauveur, Depeaux, qui vient de me venir voir, va m´envoyer dès demain ledit paravent´ (Translation: ´I did tell you, didn’t I, that the shopkeeper where I work had asked me not to come in the afternoons any more. You can understand my despair, but I’ve had the idea of surrounding myself with a screen, so that I shall no longer offend the modesty of the ladies of Rouen, whom I was apparently embarrassing; and my saviour, Depeaux, who has just come to see me, is going to send me the said screen as early as tomorrow´ ). The artist further gives Alice some instructions regarding Mr. Deshoye, whom Monet considers to be a rude fellow, ´vous devez absolument lui récrire en lui disant que vous supposez que votre lettre ne lui est pas parvenue et lui en rappelant le contenu, ajoutant que, votre fils revenant jeudi, vous devez être fixée. N´y manquez pas´ (Translation: ´you must absolutely write to him again, telling him that you assume your letter did not reach him and reminding him of its contents, adding that, as your son is returning on Thursday, you should have a definite answer by then. Do not fail to do so´ ). Monet concludes his letter with a reference to the dealer and collector Isidore Montaignac, ´Ne pensant pas pouvoir venir pour retoucher le tableau de Montaignac qu´il me réclame (Les peupliers, trois arbes roses, automne), il lfaudrait le lui envoyer tel qu´il est. J´aurais voulu le retoucher, mais, ma foi, tant pis. Il faudrait donc le faire convenablement emballer et lui expédier par grande vitesse; attendez cependant à mardi: je vais lui télégraphier demain s´il peut attendre à l´autre semaine, car, au premier changement de temps, j´arrive pour une journée, car le jardin doit avoir besoin de moi; je tremble pour les châssis par ce soleil´ (Translation: ´As I do not think I will be able to come to retouch the Montaignac painting he has asked me for (The Poplars, Three Pink Trees, Autumn), it would be best to send it to him as it is. I would have liked to retouch it, but, well, never mind. It should therefore be properly packed and sent to him by express delivery; wait until Tuesday, however: I shall telegraph him tomorrow to ask if he can wait until next week, for, at the first change in the weather, I shall be coming for a day, as the garden must need me; I am worried about the frames in this sunshine´ ). A letter of outstanding content, not least for its reference to Monet´s nightmare, demonstrating the extent to which his imaginative forces were at work, day and night. Some light age wear, and a few minor chips to the edges,