70 - Charles MONGINOT (1825–1900)

Charles MONGINOT (1825–1900) Bertrand and Raton, or The Monkey and the Cat Oil on canvas, signed at the bottom left and on the right, near the center. 73.5 x 92 cm. (Restored). Our painting is a variation on the work titled “Bertrand and Raton” exhibited at the 1859 Salon. Bertrand and Raton—one a monkey, the other a cat— Roommates in the same home, shared a common master. As for mischievous animals, they made for a very tasty dish (…) Bertrand stole everything; Raton, for his part, Was less interested in mice than in cheese. One day by the fireside, our two mischievous masters Watched chestnuts roasting. Swindling them was a good deal: Our rascals saw a double profit to be made— Their own gain first, and then the misfortune of others. Bertrand said to Raton: “Brother, today You must pull off a masterstroke.” “Fetch those chestnuts for me. If God had made me Fitted to pull chestnuts from the fire, Certain chestnuts would be in for a rough time.” No sooner said than done (…) Jean de la Fontaine, Fables It is no coincidence that one can discern in this painting Thomas Couture’s distinctive touch—his unique use of rubbed paint. As a disciple of Couture, Charles Monginot proves himself faithful to his master’s style here. Couture held his student in high regard; he painted his portrait and owned some of his works. It was, in fact, in Couture’s studio that Monginot met Édouard Manet, who would become one of his closest friends. Manet provided him with studio supplies and often saw him at the Café Guerbois, while in 1860 Manet included him in *La Musique aux Tuileries* alongside Baudelaire, Offenbach, Théophile Gautier, and others. Our painter was also a friend of Eugène Boudin, who sent the young Claude Monet to him in Paris—Monet was delighted by the welcome he received from Monginot, at whose home he met Manet for the first time. Nevertheless, despite this biographical connection, Charles Monginot did not join the Impressionists in their artistic explorations. From 1850 to 1881, he exhibited almost every year at the Salon, presenting genre scenes, anecdotal subjects, animal paintings, and flowers—always rendered with a skill that transcended the mundane and a touch of humor. Cats were his favorite subjects; he often painted them—which led him, in this painting, to add an innocent white kitten alongside the cunning Raton.