Lot number 3819 - Auction 146
AUTOGRAPH

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR 1841 Limoges - 1919 Cagnes-sur-Mer AUTOGRAPH Ink on graph paper. 22.5x18cm. Browned, slightly damaged at the edges, vertical crease. "Mon cher ami, j'ai été tous ces temps derniers très brouillé. De nombreuses lettres à écrire, ce que je n'aime pas. Mon frère qui revient de Russie, etc. Bref, j'ai oublié de t'écrire sur la vente Manet, qui a marché au-delà de toutes les espérances, car il n'y avait rien. Ces deux salles, du fond que tu connais pleines non seulement d'esquisses, mais de deux traits de pastel. Les quelques toiles importantes ne suffisaient pas à faire oublier cet ensemble qui faisait hurler avec quelque raison. Heureusement qu'il y a eu emballage d'amis qui ont mis la chose en train. Jusqu'à Chabrier, qui ne dépasse jamais les 20 francs, et qui en a dépensé 5.000 pour le Bar. De plus, deux autres toiles en pastels, et le portrait de M..., le poète anglais, 1.800 francs. Bref, 7.300 ( ?) francs le premier jour. Si l'on avait vendu tout ce même jour, tout serait parti à des prix très élevés. Mais, le lendemain, les mêmes choses qui seraient allés la veille à 1.500 ( ?), on les avait pour deux et trois cents francs. En somme, pour ce qui restait dans l'atelier de Manet, c'est magnifique. La famille a eu la bêtise de racheter l'Argenteuil à 12.500, le père Chocquet a acheté ton portrait en bateau 12 ou 15.000. (...) le tout a fait 115.000. Il reste environ 90.000 francs de net. Je vois d'après tes lettres que tu es content et que, malgré tes tracas, tu vas nous rapporter des choses nouvelles. Nous les attendons avec impatience. Tu as probablement lu les articles au Wolf..., il commence à te faire bloquer, non pas par sa rosserie ( ?), mais parce qu'il est devenu incompréhensible. Tu as dû voir aussi le (...) de Pailleron pour sa réception à l'Académie. Enfin, on s'est fort amusé à Paris en temps derniers. A toi Renoir". ""My dear friend, I've been very busy lately. There are many letters to write, which I don't like. My brother coming back from Russia, etc. In short, I forgot to write to you about the Manet sale, which exceeded all expectations because there was nothing. Those two rooms at the back that you know are not only full of sketches, but also two pastels. The few significant paintings were not enough to make us forget this ensemble, which made you want to scream for a reason. Fortunately, there were a few friends who made a start. Right up to Chabrier [note: Emmanuel Chabrier, composer], who never exceeded 20 francs and who spent 5,000 on the 'Bar' [note: this probably refers to the painting 'Bar aux Folies Bergères']. Plus two other pastel paintings and the portrait of M..., the English poet, 1,800 francs. In short, 7,300 (?) francs on the first day. If we had sold everything on the same day, everything would have been sold at very high prices. But the next day you could get the same things that would have cost 1,500 (?) the day before for two or three hundred francs. In short, for what was left in Manet's studio, it's great. The family was stupid enough to buy Argenteuil for 12,500, Father Chocquet [note: Victor Chocquet, 1821-1891, friend and collector of the Impressionists] bought your portrait in the boat for 12 or 15,000. (...) The whole thing fetched 115,000. That leaves a net sum of around 90,000 francs. I can see from your letters that you are happy and will bring us something new despite your worries. We await it with impatience. You have probably read the articles in Wolf... He is beginning to block you, not because of his nonsense, but because he has become incomprehensible. You must also have seen the (...) by Pailleron [note: Edouard Pailleron, 1834 - 1899, author and journalist] for his reception at the Academy. After all, people have been having a great time in Paris lately. Yours Renoir". A letter probably written in 1883 after Manet's death to an unknown addressee, but probably from artistic circles, regarding a sale of works from Manet's studio. The addressee could be Claude Monet, as the letter mentions a painting that shows him in a boat (probably 'The Barge' from 1874). Edouard Pailleron's admission to the Académie Francaise in 1882, mentioned in the letter, and the mention of the painting 'Bar aux Folies Bergères', which was created in 1882, also form a framework for the dating of the letter.