Bidspirit auction | MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) Monet seeks

MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) Monet seeks to promote an auction for the benefit of Sisley´ s destitute orphans - MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) French Impressionist painter. A fine A.L.S., Claude Monet , two pages (written to the first and final sides of the bifolium), 8vo, Giverny par Vernon, Eure, 26th April 1899, to Gustave Geffroy, on black bordered mourning stationery, in French. Monet writes in his characteristic purple ink and informs Geffroy that he had been in Paris the day before in order to finalise the details of the Sisley sale, adding ´Je n´ai pu vous prévenir de ma venue, c´est pourquoi je vous ai télégraphié ce matin pour vous prier de faire annoncer partout où cela vous sera possible vente Sisley´ (Translation: ´ I was unable to give you advance notice of my visit, which is why I telegraphed you this morning to ask you to advertise the Sisley sale wherever possible´ ) and continuing to explain ´car sous l´avalanche de ventes sensationnelles à réclames payées, que nous ne pouvons faire en la circonstance, j´ai pensé qu´on ne vous refusera pas la publication de votre si belle préface au Journal. Ce serait très bon pour la vente et je pense que Le Journal ne se refusera pas à cela. Il est urgent que cela passe avant la vente et surtout avant les réclames pour la vente Doria´ (Translation: ´for amidst the avalanche of sensational sales accompanied by paid advertisements—which we cannot afford under the present circumstances—I thought that the publication of your fine preface in the Journal would not be refused. This would be very good for the sale and I think Le Journal will not refuse this. It is urgent that this appears before the sale and, above all, before the advertisements for the Doria sale´ ). Monet concludes by confirming that he will be in Paris on Saturday, and probably for a few days after, so that he can meet Geffroy, in a postscript remarking ´Vous pouvez m´écrire chez Petit où je serai samedi matin´ (Translation: ´You can write to me at Petit’s, where I shall be on Saturday morning´ ). Accompanied by the original envelope hand addressed by Monet. A letter of excellent content and association. VG Gustave Geffroy (1885-1926) French journalist, art critic and historian, a friend and champion of Monet. Geffroy was also one of the most significant early defenders of Sisley's work, providing critical analysis that helped define Sisley’s legacy as the ´poet of the river banks´. Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) British Impressionist landscape painter, a friend of Monet. Together the artists, often accompanied by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, would paint landscapes en plein air rather than a studio. Sisley died on 29th January 1899, just a few months after his wife had passed away, leaving two children, a son, Pierre, and a daughter, Jeanne. Before his death Sisley had asked Monet to care for his children and the fate of Pierre and Jeanne after their father´s death was a great cause of concern to Monet. In her biography of Monet, Jackie Wullschlager, writes of the effect that a series of crises had on the artist in the late 1890s, and of Sisley in particular observes ´Monet was further stricken when Sisley, recently widowed and suffering from cancer, called him to his home in Moret-sur-Loing to say goodbye, asking him to look after his children, whom he was leaving destitute. Following Sisley´s death in January 1899, Monet fiercely embraced his cause, and raised 160,000 francs in a benefit auction´ (from Monet: The Restless Vision , 2023, p.344). The auction which Monet organised took place just a few days after the present letter was written, at the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris on 1st May 1899. The sale included works by Cézanne, Pissarro, Renoir, Rodin, Cassatt and Vuillard, as well as Monet himself who donated a painting from his Norway series.