Bidspirit auction | MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) ´....if this

MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) ´....if this lovely misty weather with the sun peeking through were to continue, I hope to get some good work done...´ .´ - MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) French Impressionist painter. A fine A.L.S., Claude , four pages, 8vo, Embankment Gardens, London, n.d. ( ´Mercredi soir´ ; 20th February 1901), to his second wife, Alice Hoschedé, on the printed stationery of the Savoy Hotel, in French. Monet states that he had been saddened to read Alice´s letter of yesterday (which presumably related to the second anniversary of her daughter Suzanne's death on 6th February, and Suzanne´s young daughter, Lilly) remarking ´Helas tu sais si je comprends ta douleur et je comprends qu´en un pareil moment ce soit pour toi un déchirement, laisse moi cependant te supplier de ne pas te laisser aller à raviver ton chagrin, et pense à ceux qui te restent et qui souffrent de te voir ainsi. Tu sais combien nous l´aimons tous, et bien soit courageuse pour nous tous. Pour la petite mignonne qui te rappelle tant leur chére maman et puis tu te fais mal quand tu avais tant besoin de calme. Je conçois ce que cela avait de dur pour toi de dejeuner chez Marthe surtout en ce jour´ (Translation: ´Alas, you know how well I understand your pain, and I realise that at a time like this it must be heart-wrenching for you; yet let me beg you not to give in to your grief, and think of those who remain with you and who suffer to see you like this. You know how much we all love her, so please be brave for all of us. For the little darling who reminds you so much of her dear mother—and you’re only hurting yourself when you need peace and quiet so much. I can imagine how hard it must have been for you to have lunch at Marthe’s, especially on this day´ ) and further adding ´Comme je voudrais être près de toi pour te calmer, te consoler, pauvre chérie´ (Translation: ´How I wish I could be by your side to calm you down and comfort you, my poor darling´ ). Monet adds that a letter from his youngest son, Michel, had pleased him, and that he expects Alice will see him soon, and that he will also write to Michel shortly, ´Mais maintenant que je travaille régulièrement à l´hôpital. J´ai moins de temps, les jours grandissant à vue d´oeil. Le temps de faire un tour du parc et il est deja plus de 6 hr. et l´heure de diner vient vite. J´ai mieux travaillé aujourd´hui et si ce beau temps de brouillard avec soleil voilé voulait continuer je ferai j´espère de bonnes besognes demain c´est qu´à force de chercher il faudra bien que j´arrive´ (Translation: ´ But now that I’m working regularly at the hospital, I have less time; the days seem to be getting longer by the minute. By the time I’ve had a stroll round the park, it’s already past 6 o’clock, and dinnertime is fast approaching. I’ve worked better today, and if this lovely misty weather with the sun peeking through were to continue, I hope to get some good work done tomorrow; after all, if I keep at it, I’m bound to get there eventually´ ). Monet returns to domestic matters, writing ´Si Michel n´en a pas le temps, je compte sur toi pour me donner des détails sur son installation à Vernon, ce qu´il y fera etc. Tu n´as pas l´air absolument ravi du domestique décidément tous ces gens là se connaissent et doivent se donner de jolis conseils, enfin il doit y avoir la de braves gens comme ailleurs et il faut espérer que cela pourra marcher´ (Translation: ´If Michel doesn’t have the time, I’m counting on you to give me details about his move to Vernon, what he’ll be doing there, and so on. You don’t seem entirely thrilled with the housekeeper; clearly all these people know one another and must be giving each other plenty of advice. Still, there must be decent folk there just as there are elsewhere, and we must hope it will work out´ ) and concludes in affectionate terms ´À demain ma femme chérie je t´aime et pense bien à toi. Mille tendresses et baisers pour toi et tous´ (Translation: ´Until tomorrow, my darling wife. I love you and am thinking of you. A thousand tender thoughts and kisses to you and everyone´ ). A letter of good content, not least for Monet´s description of the London weather which so enthralled him. A couple of ink annotations in the margins and a small area of discharge of print to the second page, otherwise VG Alice Hoschedé Monet (1844-1911) French artists' model, wife of the art collector Ernest Hoschedé and later of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet (from 1892). Suzanne Hoschedé (1868-1899) was the stepdaughter and favourite model of Monet, and was the subject of his painting The Woman with a Parasol (1886). Marthe Hoschedé (1864-1925) was the fourth and youngest daughter of Alice Hoschedé and her first husband. Michel Monet (1878-1966) was the second son of Claude Monet and his first wife, Camille Doncieux. Monet made two visits to London at the turn of the twentieth century: first from February to March 1900, and again from January to March 1901.