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

MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) Monet writes following a visit by Clemenceau - MONET CLAUDE: (1840-1926) French Impressionist painter. A good A.L.S., Claude Monet , four pages, 8vo, Giverny par Vernon, Eure, 30th October 1919, to [François] Depeaux, in French. Monet writes in bold pencil and commences by stating ´ Vous avez raison j'aurais dû depuis longtemps vous écrire et surtout remercier Madame Depeaux de sa gracieuse pensée, mais il y a souvent des mais dans la vie´ (Translation: ´ You are right, I should have written to you long ago and, above all, thanked Madame Depeaux for her kind thought, but there are often ‘buts’ in life´ ) and remarking ´ nous venons de passer de telles crises de domestiques, que la question de confitures est tombée dans la mélasse et que n'ayant aucun domestique il nous faut y renoncer´ (Translation: ´ we have just been through such domestic crises that the matter of jams has fallen by the wayside and, having no servants, we must give it up´ ). Monet also sends news regarding his friend Georges Clemenceau, ´ Pour ce qui est de notre premier, j'ai eu sa visite et n'ai pas manqué de lui parler de ce qui vous intéresse, mais (encore un mais) j'ai eu beau le prendre en douceur, son œil froncé, il m'a répondu ceci, qu'il y avait pour ces questions des ministres compétents, et qu'il avait déjà bien du mal à mener à bien les questions fort graves. Et j'ai dû m'incliner et ne pas aller plus avant connaissant mon homme, qui vous le savez comme moi a tant de choses à régler avant sa retraite´ (Translation: ´ As for our Prime Minister, he paid me a visit and I did not fail to speak to him about what interests you, but (yet another ‘but’) however gently I put it to him, with a frown, he replied that there were competent ministers for such matters, and that he already had his hands full dealing with very serious issues. And I had to bow to his wishes and not press the matter further, knowing the man he is—who, as you know as well as I do, has so many matters to settle before his retirement´ ). The artist concludes his letter by repeating his apologies, ´ mais vraiment la vie est bien compliquée en ce moment´ (Translation: ´ but life really is very complicated at the moment´ ), and asks for his regards and thanks to be conveyed to Depeaux´s wife. A letter of fine content and interesting association. VG François Depeaux (1853-1920) French industrialist, visionary art patron, and one of the most significant early collectors of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Based in Rouen, Normandy, his immense passion for modern art helped establish the region as a vital hub for the Impressionist movement. Depeaux´s collection of almost six hundred paintings included twenty by Monet. Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France 1906-09 & 1917-20. Clemenceau was a long-time friend and supporter of Monet, writing a short biography of the artist. Monet´s letter is written shortly before the 1919 French legislative elections were held, across two rounds on Sunday, 16th November 1919, and Sunday, 30th November 1919. The election saw a landslide victory for the Bloc National , a right-wing, heavily conservative coalition. Instead of stepping down after the general election, Clemenceau stayed on as Prime Minister and allowed his name to be put forward for the French Presidency in January 1920. To everyone's surprise, the French Parliament rejected Clemenceau during a preliminary straw vote, choosing the heavily backed but lesser-known Paul Deschanel instead. Deeply insulted by the political betrayal, a proud Clemenceau withdrew his candidacy, tendered his government's resignation on 20th January 1920, and permanently retired from politics.