Figure 1.--Here we see Camille sewing in the garden at Argenteuil in 1875. I think it is perhaps his most beautiful painting of Camille. What we are not sure about is the child. It is too young for Jean and Michel was not yet born. Notice the pull horse toy. This strongly suggests the child was a boy. He wears a blue dress. I'm not sure if mother has added a pink hair bow. Presumably art historians will know the child's identity. Based on the Monet images we are familiar with, Monet did not paint from memory.

Camille Doncieux is important in art history, if nothing more than she appeared in so many of Monet's great works. She was still a teenager when Monet net her (around 1865). She came from a humble family. She was working as a model and presumably Monet was attracted by this attractive young woman with dark hair and expressive eyes. Monet mentions her eyes. Monet was 7 years older and still an unrecognized, struggling artist. She quickly became his mistress and model. It was common for men of Monet’s social class to have mistresses. It was uncommon to marry them. Their first son Jean was born (1867). Monet defying class conventions, married Camille just before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War (June 28, 1870). She went with him to London and Zaandam. After the War they moved to Argenteuil (December 1871). Art historians report that they lived little removed from poverty. Looking at the paintings we do not see poverty. Of course an artist can make things beautiful, but a poor child would not have worn a fancy dress or rode a tricycle. I think the reference to poverty is a relative matter for some one of Monet's class. Monet's family never accepted Camille. Both class and money were probably involved here. Monet struggled fincially all the time he was married to Camille. It was at Argenteuil that Monet painted many bimportant works. His wife Camille and son Jean figured in some of them. Camille became ill (1876). About this time Monet began seeing a mistress--Alice Hoschedé. His second son with Camille, Michel, was born (1878). The pregnacy weakened her at a time her health was failing. Even as she got sick, Camille sat for him regularly. There were portraits, but often she was a distant female figure in a beautiful rural landscape. Many of these works are among Monet's greatest paintings and masterpieces of Western art. She was also painted by Manet and Renoir. Perhaps no other woman has appeared in so many great paintings, Monet moved to the village of Vétheuil (1878). At the end, a priest was called to administer the last rites and to sanction their marriage. They had been married in a civil ceremony, mot in a church marriage. She died of tuberculosisat the age of only 32 years (1879). They had been very close, despite his mistressm and Monet was devastated. He painted her in death. She was shrouded in a veil of white and blue brushstrokes to preserve her memory and time together. We have not been able to find much information about the boys. We see Jean in several paintings, but there are very few paintings with Michel. Jean died at age 47 before his father (1914).

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Created: 7:36 AM 5/21/2010
Last updated: 7:36 AM 5/21/2010