321 - Blanche Hoschedé-Monet (French, 1865–1947)

Blanche Hoschedé-Monet (French, 1865–1947) The Poplars Oil on canvas. Handwritten inscription “Claude Monet” on the reverse. Blue chalk numbering. Mark on the stretcher by the paint and canvas dealer “Rey & Cie Paris.” Height 46, Width 54 cm. Damage, losses, and restorations. Provenance: - gifted to Claude Monet’s cook, Marguerite Lavenue, née Pasquier (1895–1985); - passed down to Mr. Jean-François Lavenue, her son; - private collection, Châteauroux. Mr. Philippe Piguet has confirmed the authenticity of this work and issued a certificate dated September 4, 2026, which will be provided to the purchaser. The work will be included in the catalogue raisonné currently being prepared under the reference “BHM 69-1.” Enclosures: A collection of documents, including correspondence between Blanche Hoschedé-Monet and Jean-François Lavenue dated February 5, 1945 (?), January 3, and October 1, 1946. IN MEMORY OF MONET’S COOK The daughter of Ernest Hoschedé (1837–1891), a patron of Claude Monet, Blanche was both his model and his student. She began her training in painting under him in 1876. “Look at nature and paint what you see, as best you can”—these were the master’s kind words to Blanche. She would follow this advice throughout her career as a painter. Claude and Blanche transcended landscapes, in which streams and trees became their favorite subjects. This painting is therefore reminiscent of Monet’s composition “Sous les Peupliers, effet de soleil” (Under the Poplars, Sunlight Effect) dated 1887 (in Daniel Wildenstein, “Claude Monet: Catalogue Raisonné,” Cologne, Taschen, vol. III, p. 430, no. 1135). The three trees on the right do indeed share an obvious similarity in their depiction. Blanche, however, stands apart from any human figures, unlike her master, who captured, from life, the portrait of Suzanne—his student’s sister—holding a parasol. Our painting bears witness to the relationships among the members of the “Monet clan.” Having become the painter’s daughter-in-law in 1892, when her mother Alice married him, Blanche further strengthened these ties in 1897 by marrying Jean, Monet’s eldest son. This painting also attests to the loyalty and trusting relationships the Monets maintained with the men and women of Giverny who worked for them, such as Marguerite and Paul Lavenue. Marguerite, née Pasquier, began working for the Monets as a maid around 1917 (Madame Robert Piguet, Affidavit, January 28, 1974). She began learning to cook under Mélanie Le Ray, who was in their service from 1915 to 1919. At the end of World War I, Marguerite left Giverny (Jean-François Lavenue, handwritten document). She married Paul Lavenue (1890–1965) in April 1921. The couple purchased “La Beauchette” around June 1922. Blanche Hoschedé-Monet (1865–1947) invited them to return to Giverny. To ensure Marguerite’s return, Claude Monet reportedly offered to act as guarantor for the loan the Lavenues had taken out. They returned to work for the master in 1922 (Piguet, op. cit.) or in 1923 (Lavenue, op. cit.). Marguerite then became Claude Monet’s last cook, while Paul was employed as a housekeeper. She seemed to demonstrate a certain talent, preparing marinades as well as sauces and other American dishes on the occasion of visits by the painter Théodore Butler (see Claire Joyes, “Monet at Giverny,” p. 31). The couple left in March 1925, only to return after Monet’s death (Piguet and Lavenue, op. cit.). A photograph signed by the painter and from the same collection is also featured in this sale. It is inscribed: “To Marguerite Lavenue, a memento from a gourmet.” Their son, Jean-François Lavenue, was born on April 25, 1925. Blanche Hoschedé-Monet served as his godmother. The Lavenues appear to have returned to Giverny in 1927, leaving for good only in 1940. Brice Langlois