MONET CLAUDE (1840-1926).

Lot 166
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Estimation :
3000 - 4000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 3 250EUR
MONET CLAUDE (1840-1926).
2 L.A.S. "Claude Monet", Giverny 12 and 22 October 1889, to Stéphane MALLARMÉ; 4 and 2 pages in-8 in purple ink (ink a little faded with ink discharges). On his refusal to illustrate Mallarmé's poem La Gloire, and on the subscription for Manet's Olympia. [Mallarmé had asked Monet to illustrate his prose poem La Gloire, published in La Plume in September; to make up for his refusal, Monet will offer the poet the painting Le Train à Jeufosse]. October 12. "My dear Mallarmé I am truly ashamed of my conduct and I deserve all your reproaches, there is however no ill will on my part as you might think, the real truth is that I feel incapable of doing anything worthwhile to you, perhaps there is an excess of self-esteem but really as soon as I want to do the least thing with pencils it is absurd and of no interest, consequently unworthy of accompanying your exquisite poems (La Gloire has delighted me and I am afraid I don't have the necessary talent to do you something good) don't believe in a vulgar defeat. It is unfortunately the pure truth, so excuse me and especially for having taken this long to admit it to you. You know the sympathy and admiration I have for you, so allow me to prove it to you by offering you, as a souvenir of friendship, a small painting (a pochade) that I will bring to you when I come to Paris one of these days and that you will do me the pleasure of accepting simply as I am offering it to you. Then he talks about "our friend MANET. Perhaps you know that I am in charge of a subscription among friends and admirers of this great artist to buy his Olympia and offer it to the Louvre. This is to pay homage and justice to the memory of our friend and also to help in a delicate way to Mrs. Édouard Manet. I am sending you the list of subscribers that I have obtained. I know that you will want to be part of this event to the extent that you can. But I thought you might be able to give me some names of people who would be happy to participate in our enterprise. I have already obtained more than fifteen thousand francs, and we must reach twenty thousand. [Mallarmé will reply on the 18th that he will sign up for 25 francs, not being able to do better because he is helping Villiers de l'Isle-Adam]. 22 October. Monet thanks Mallarmé: "it seemed impossible that your name should not be on our list. I have written to DEGAS but have not yet had an answer. I shall be very sorry if he stays out, and will be grateful to you if you see him and decide (he is so singular). I shall write to Brown. As for Miss CASSATT she refused, I know not under what influence. As did ZOLA, for that matter, and Faure [the baritone], but of the latter nothing surprising, and I am consoled by it, for every day I receive new memberships, and I hope that in spite of everything the state will not be able to refuse...
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