Claude Monet
1840-1926 | FRENCH
Villa au fond d'un parc
Drawing is everything; it is all of art.
– Claude Monet
OVERVIEW
Claude Monet is revered for his groundbreaking contributions to the Impressionist revolution. This exquisite drawing, Villa au fond d'un parc, was created by Monet in 1857 and offers an extraordinary glimpse into the origins of his artistic genius.
In this work, Monet captures the essence of the French landscape with the same dexterity and intuition that would later define his illustrious career. He renders the lush foliage and the pearl-white villa in brilliant detail, creating a wonderful sense of light with the use of a pencil. Drawn spontaneously as Monet was exploring the environs of his home in the Normandy region, this work foreshadows the plein air techniques and reverence for nature that would come to characterize his masterpieces.
Significantly, this drawing emerges from a transformative chapter in Monet's life. By 1855, the young, boisterous Monet was famous in his town of Le Havre for his witty caricatures. But in 1857, he lost his beloved mother, and he sought solace in the company of his close friend, Théodore. Together, they wandered the countryside and coastal regions, with Monet sketching prolifically during their excursions. Recalling
this period, Monet later described his relentless desire to sketch everything he saw: “I instinctively scribbled all the time, sketching silhouettes and types at the theatre, in the street, everywhere.” The topographical details in Villa au fond d'un parc and the presence of yucca plants suggest that Monet drew this work when he and Théodore were exploring the Ingouville coast, an area marked by its distinctive Mediterranean climate.
Just one year after this drawing was completed, Monet encountered Eugène Boudin, who would become a key influence and mentor, crucially convincing Monet to work outside or en plein air. As none of Monet’s paintings before 1858 survive, this magnificent drawing is an extraordinarily rare example of his artistic awakening
Drawings by Monet are extremely scarce, as most remained with Monet until his death and passed to his youngest son, Michel, in 1926. This drawing not only belonged to Michel but also eventually passed to Monet’s great-grandson, Michel Cornebois, who kept it in the family until now. These works are collected by important museums worldwide, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Musée d’Orsay, among many others.
PROVENANCE
Michel Monet, Giverny
Henriette Giordanengo, gifted from the above
Michel Cornebois, Monet's great-grandson, gifted from the above
Thence by descent
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
D. Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, supplément aux peintures, dessins, pastels, vol. V, Lausanne, 1991, no. D87, p. 75 (illustrated) LITERATURE
LITERATURE
D. Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, supplément aux peintures, dessins, pastels, vol. V, Lausanne, 1991, no. D87, p. 75 (illustrated)
D. Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, supplément aux peintures, dessins, pastels, vol. V, Lausanne, 1991, no. D87, p. 75 (illustrated)
D. Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, supplément aux peintures, dessins, pastels, vol. V, Lausanne, 1991, no. D87, p. 75 (illustrated)
AUCTION COMPARABLES
Claude Monet
Marine, plage de Sainte-
Adresse - recto; Etude d'une maison - verso
white chalk a d e cil a e
Height 23 x Width 30.4 c .
Height 9.055 x Width 11.969 i . 1856 1857
Claude Monet
Barque échouée près de Sainte-Adresse
c ay a e
Height 20.7 x Width 31.7 c .
Height 8.15 x Width 12.48 i .
Claude Monet
Le cabane de douaniers près de Pourville
c ay
Height 21.6 x Width 27.4 c .
Height 8.504 x Width 10.787 i . 1890
Claude Monet
Divers bateaux
e cil a e
Height 22.9 x Width 30.7 c .
Height 9.016 x Width 12.087 i . 1857
03 March 2022 almost 3 years ago
S theby L d Modern & Contemporary Day Auction – [Lot 00202] e
20 June 2013 over 11 years ago
S theby L d
Impressionist & Modern Art Works on Paper and Day Sale
Morning including The Analytical Eye: The Branco Weiss Collection – [Lot 00172] e
11 May 1999 over 25 years ago
S theby New Y k
Impressionist & Modern Art, Part I – [Lot 00103] e t.
26 November 2017 about 7 years ago
Ch i tie H g K g
Dear Monsieur Monet – [Lot 00104]
e t. 100,000 150,000 HKD 1,062,500 HKD
e t. 12,808 19,212 USD 136,087 USD ↑ 608% e t
MUSEUM COMPARABLES
Claude Monet | Deux canots échoués
n.d.
Medium: Graphite
Dimensions: 105/8 x 63/4 inches | 27 x 17.2 cm
Paris, France
Musée d'Orsay
Claude Monet | The Old "Le Pollet" Quarter of Dieppe
1856-57
Medium: Graphite and watercolor on scratchboard
Dimensions: 51/4 x 85/8 inches | 13.3 x 21.9 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Boston, MA, United States
Claude Monet | Deux barques de pêche
n.d.
Medium: Graphite
Dimensions: 105/8 x 63/4 inches | 27 x 17.2 cm
Musée d'Orsay Paris, France
Claude Monet | Stacks of Wheat
Medium: Black chalk on cream laid paper
Dimensions: 73/16 x 10 inches | 18.2 x 25.4 cm
Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL, United States
Claude Monet | Cliffs and Sea, Sainte-Adresse
Circa 1864
Medium: Black chalk on ivory laid paper
Dimensions: 81/2 x 123/8 inches | 20.6 x 31.4 cm
Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL, United States
