Claude Monet was delighted with the article published about his friend, the painter Whistler.

Claude MONET (1840.1926)

Autographed letter signed to his friend, the art critic Gustave Geffroy.

Three octavo pages in purple ink. Autograph envelope.

Giverny. June 29, 1891.

« This evocation of Whistler's nightlife is an exquisite find. »

A fine letter from the Master of Impressionism, expressing his delight at Geffroy's article on the American painter James Whistler, while simultaneously lamenting that the article was illustrated with a disastrous portrait by Théodore Duret. He concludes his letter by complaining about the bad weather that is preventing him from painting.

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“Dear friend, Although your letter has gone unanswered, I want to tell you how much pleasure I found in your article on Whistler. The beginning, especially, is delightful. This arrival, this evocation of Whistler’s nocturnes, is an exquisite find. Please accept my sincere compliments. But what is disastrous is the portrait of [Theodore] Duret, and it is truly unfortunate that your article was published, for you would certainly have had a delightful drawing [of Whistler].

Whistler has just written to me at length about this, asking you to wait because he wants to do something very good for you, and asking me to excuse him. I will show you his letter if you ever come to Giverny. In short, I'm sure that, knowing him as I do, he will be sorry and perhaps furious about this poor reproduction. That, my dear friend, is what I had to say until you deign to contact me. Your friend, Claude Monet.

I am absolutely discouraged by the weather, impossible to work, despite lots of beautiful things, the weather is no better than winter. »

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Gustave Geffroy devoted^1, a long article to Whistler's career and works in La Justice.