Was it a publisher who held Monet's first solo exhibition? ── The Charpentiers, who supported the Impressionists regardless of profit

📘 In this series, we explore the human relationships, economy, and social structure surrounding Monet, centered on the theme: 'When I took a deep dive into the relationship between Goro-san's obsession, Monet, and his second wife Alice... the resolution of the bourgeois society of that time improved dramatically!'

🖼️ This time, as a slight detour, I would like to take a deep dive into the Charpentier family, who were featured in the episode 'The painting that became the trigger for Renoir's success!?' that Goro-san uploaded the other day. In fact, Mr. Charpentier, while being a publisher, held solo exhibitions for Impressionist painters free of charge, ahead of the art dealers!

Art is not for profit! — True art lovers, Mr. and Mrs. Charpentier

The 1870s, when Impressionism was still nothing more than a 'laughingstock' and works hardly sold at all. In such an era, there were people who devoted themselves to supporting the creation and lives of young painters and bringing new paintings to the world.

They are Mr. and Mrs. Georges Charpentier. As a publisher, he, along with his wife Marguerite who was well-versed in high society, resonated with this art movement as a couple — which was extremely rare at the time. They were not just collectors; they built personal connections with the painters and continued support unrelated to profit. Their stance was distinct from the art dealers who were busy 'selling' works. They can truly be called art lovers with conviction.

<From the second-generation manager who discovered Zola to becoming a patron of Impressionism>
Mr. Georges Charpentier was born in Paris in 1846. His father, Gervais, ran a publishing house, and he was the heir.
He married Madame Marguerite in 1871. The following year, due to his father's passing, he took over the management of the publishing house.

His father, Gervais, was a man who built his fortune in one generation and established an era as the 'father of paperbacks'. In an era of publishing recession, he developed a new small book size that could combine the contents of two or three volumes of octavo editions into one, and released them at an exceptional price of 3.5 francs per book, at a time when the price of a general book was 7 to 7.5 francs. He achieved great success with a mass production and mass sales model.
With an exquisite price setting equivalent to one day's wages for a skilled worker at the time, a cardboard yellow cover that could be recognized at a glance, and over 400 rich titles, this 'Bibliothèque Charpentier' is said to have gained immense popularity.

However, as a person who achieved such accomplishments in one generation, he was also known for his difficult and strong-willed personality, and he seemed cold to his son Georges, who lived a literary bohemian life. Perhaps judging that his son was not suited for business, his will instructed that management be entrusted to someone else. However, this person resigned from management early in 1872. Unexpectedly, the management rights fell to Georges.
Although he called himself a writer, it is said that in reality, 'he had more debts than works'.

Nevertheless, Georges took over the management of the Bibliothèque Charpentier with the support of a new partner. He set his sights on Émile Zola, who was still nearly unknown at the time, and published all of his works as his official publisher. He achieved his 'first success' by making Zola into something like a literary leader.
In 1873, he welcomed Flaubert, and by publishing works by Maupassant, Daudet, the Goncourt brothers, and Huysmans, he established a solid position as a publisher of naturalistic literature.

It was from 1875 that Mr. Charpentier began collecting Impressionist paintings. Purchasing Renoir's 'The Angler' (180 francs) and two other works at an auction seems to have been the trigger for his interest in this new painting movement.
Having been devoted to art since he was young, he was well-versed in literature and is even said to have aspired to be a painter. For him, who frequented salons and theaters and was well-acquainted with the Parisian art scene, the encounter with Impressionism may have been inevitable.

Since then, Mr. Charpentier began purchasing many works by other Impressionist painters who were difficult to find buyers for at the time, as well as Renoir.

<The wife who provided a place for interaction for up-and-coming painters through her private salon>
On the other hand, Madame Marguerite was a well-known figure in high society.
The salon she had been holding at her home since just after her marriage gathered writers, artists, politicians, and business people, and was attracting attention as one of the leading 'intellectual salons' in Paris.

Like her husband, or perhaps even more than him, she showed understanding for art and did not spare support for artists.Renoir was so close to her that he self-deprecatingly called himself 'Madame Charpentier's house painter'. For Renoir, who grew up as the son of a tailor, this cultured, grand bourgeois woman who deeply understood and favorably accepted his work was the ideal supporter.

That is no surprise. Madame Marguerite was the daughter of Mr. Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier, who ran a royal jeweler on Place Vendôme during the Second Empire.Born into a family of great jewelers who also crafted the crown and tiara for Empress Eugénie of Napoleon III, she was a woman who had perfectly mastered the culture and manners of high society as a prestigious bourgeois.

Her salon, where she grew up familiar with music and literature, became a valuable place for artists to interact.
There, one could see major Republican politicians like Clemenceau and Gambetta, whose works would later be published by Charpentier, writers who already had publishing contracts, art critic Théodore Duret, and alsothe businessman Ernest Hoschedé, an early supporter of Monetamong others.

In other words, for young painters, this salon was an extremely fruitful place where they could connect directly with patrons who might buy their work.

Artists began frequenting this salon between 1875, when Charpentier purchased a work by Renoir, and around 1880.
At the time, the portrait painter Carolus-Duran, who was popular in high society, the Italian painter De Nittis, who participated in the first Impressionist exhibition, and even their friend Manet—he was very fond of the Madame's sister, Mademoiselle Isabelle Lemonnier, and left behind many portraits of her—as well as Monet, and sometimes Degas, Sisley, and Caillebotte, alongside Renoir, all made appearances at this salon.

<Renoir's Success and Monet's Plight: The Path Opened by Charpentier>
Following his first purchase at an auction by Monsieur Georges in 1875,Renoir succeeded in receiving commissions for multiple portraits from Madame Marguerite. This was at a time when there were almost no "eccentrics" who would buy Impressionist paintings.

Monet also immediately lobbied the couple to purchase his work. Perhaps thanks to that effort, in May 1876, he was blessed with the golden opportunity of having Charpentier buy multiple pieces. However, subsequent purchases did not easily materialize.

For example, regarding "The Train in the Snow - The Locomotive," which was mentioned at the Drouot auction, he lobbied for it many times and even wrote letters urging the couple to visit. However, in the end, it did not lead to a purchase. From his letters to Zola, one can hear Monet's grumbling: "It would be a huge help if Charpentier would buy a painting."

Thus, with purchases by the Charpentiers at a standstill, Monet would walk through difficult years. After all, his greatest patron,Hoschedé, went bankrupt in 1878. Afterward,the Monet and Hoschedé families began living together in Vétheuil for some reason, but their household finances were increasingly strained.

Furthermore, in 1879, Monet's wife Camille passed away after a long illness. The remaining Monet and his two sons continued to live in the house in Vétheuil with Alice, the wife of the bankrupt former patron, and her six children. Meanwhile, Alice's husband, Hoschedé, lived in Paris in an attempt to make a comeback. It was only a matter of time before the relationship between Monet and Hoschedé began to sour. By early 1880, thisstrange lifeof "a painter who lost his wife and a family without a husband living together" was finally being talked about in the newspapers.

Meanwhile, Renoir was commissioned by the Charpentier family for numerous portraits, further establishing his status as the Madame's "favorite painter." He decided not to participate in the 4th Impressionist Exhibition in 1878, and took the large work he completed that year, "Madame Charpentier and Her Children," to the Salon the following year in 1879. He achieved a brilliant success.

There is no way Monet would not be stimulated by this. As if to say, "I shall follow suit!", he submitted two works to the 1880 Salon. One of them, "Lavacourt," was accepted, and he successfullymade his "return" to the Salon. This "conversion" by Monet was perceived as a kind of betrayal among his fellow Impressionists, and it caused a rift, particularlywith Degas, but Renoir seemed to welcome it.

And just around that time, Monet was approached by Charpentier again. It was an offer he could only dream of—holding a solo exhibition.

That is right. Generally, it is believed that Monet's first solo exhibition was held in 1883 by the art dealer Durand-Ruel. However, in reality,three years earlier, Georges Charpentier, who was also pouring his efforts into promoting the arts as a publisher, had alreadyheld a Monet exhibition!

Ahead of the art dealers? - "Stanning" the Impressionists with a magazine and an attached gallery!

<When a high-end literary magazine becomes a pioneer in exploring new art>
In April 1879, Charpentierlaunched "La Vie Moderne," an illustrated weekly magazine of literature and art that possessed the charm of an art journal as well as the appeal of a current events magazine. This high-end magazine aimed at the bourgeoisie devoted many pages to art, introducing and defending numerous artists. Taking a progressive stance favorable to innovation and exploration, the magazine showed empathy for new painting styles like Impressionism, but at the same time, it kept an eye on academic painters active in the Salon and published their illustrations.

In other words, one can see an attitude of trying to be enlightening while maintaining a "moderate" stance, taking care not to overly stimulate readers while incorporating novelty.

As an extension of this attitude, what made the magazine groundbreaking above all else was that, in addition to the magazine's unique means of communication such as articles and illustrations, it was equipped with a gallery where one could touch actual works of art (this is said to have been the wife's idea). Although the exhibition space was small, it was opened with the purpose of increasing contact points between artists and art lovers, and as for the exhibition method, it introduced a "solo exhibition" method, which was very novel at the time, of collecting and exhibiting only the works of one artist.

Regarding the gallery established in conjunction with this magazine, the inaugural issue explains its purpose and background as follows.

The person who wrote the text for this inaugural issue was Edmond Renoir, a journalist and Renoir's younger brother. In June of the same year, he contributed an article introducing his brother Renoir's work. In conjunction with this, his brother's first solo exhibition was held at the gallery at the entrance of the Passage des Princes, close to the magazine's editorial department.

Similarly, in April 1880, an article praising Manet's talent was published, and in conjunction with that, Manet's solo exhibition was also held at the same gallery.

<A Chance Arrives!: Monet's Surprising Self-Presentation Skills Shown at His First Solo Exhibition>
And finally, in June 1880, the opportunity finally came for Monet to hold a solo exhibition in this small gallery space. It is thought that there was likely support from Renoir for this holding. It is not certain whether Monet himself knew about it, but he could not let such a chance slip by. Monet demonstrated his inherent business acumen and tried to make the most of this opportunity to establish his own fame.

Prior to this exhibition, at the offer of an editor of La Vie Moderne, Monet was interviewed in Vétheuil by a contributor to the magazine. This interview article was published in the June 12 issue and gives us a glimpse into Monet's life in Vétheuil at the time, but what is noteworthy above all in this article is Monet's surprising self-presentation skills.

Through the interview, Monet first said, "I am probably the one who coined the word 'Impressionist'," and positioned himself as a 'typical Impressionist'. He boasted, "A reporter for Le Charivari coined that incendiary word after seeing a work I exhibited," and "I am Impressionism itself."

Next, he formed an image of himself as a 'painter who devotes everything to plein air painting' without any oversight. This scene is the highlight of the interview, but when Monet was asked to "show me your studio," he replied immediately.

Monet, who said this, pointed with his hand to the Seine, the hills, and the whole of Vétheuil, and blurted out, "This is my studio!" as if it were a scene from a play!
In fact, Degas, who was already annoyed by Monet's return to the Salon, was said to have not hidden his irritation, calling this excessive self-presentation by Monet "insane self-promotion."

In any case, this was the image of himself that Monet wanted to present. Duret, an art critic who was in charge of the preface to the exhibition catalog, also followed this stance. He said, "Monet has no abuse of underdrawings, no pencils or watercolors used in the studio. He starts painting directly in oil in front of the natural scenery and finishes it on the spot. He is inspired by nature, interprets it directly, and reproduces it."

<Behind the Self-Presentation: Madame Charpentier, who purchased 'unsold goods' at a very high price>
The catalog for this exhibition was sold for 50 centimes, but it is said that "customers only came to laugh and did not try to buy." There is even an anecdote that Monsieur Charpentier, annoyed by the situation, "distributed pamphlets to passersby for free to make the exhibition remembered even a little."

However, contrary to such legends, the June 19, 1880 issue of La Vie Moderne, the week after Monet's interview was published, reported that "this exhibition was very well received among art lovers in Paris, and most of the works were sold out on the first day." However, of the 18 works exhibited, 17 were actually loaned works that already had owners. It can be said that this expression is highly likely to be misleading.

The only work that was not a loan was "The Break-up of the Ice," which Monet had submitted to the Salon that year and which had been rejected. It is not entirely false to say that this work was "sold," but in reality,the person who offered to buy it was Madame Charpentier, who sensed Monet's financial distress. In a letter dated June 22, 1880, she conveyed the following to Monet.

From this letter, we can see that Monet had priced "The Break-up of the Ice" at 2,000 francs.Since the average price of Monet's works in 1881 was around 600 francs, this could be calleda surprisingly aggressive price setting. However, considering that the Charpentiers paid exceptional prices for works as supporters of the Impressionists, it can be inferred that this was astrategic amountcalculated in advance.

In fact, Renoir stated that while his own works were being sold in galleries for 80 francs, 1,000 francs was paid for the portrait of Madame Charpentier that he painted in 1878.

Commercialized Ideals — When a Supporter's Idea is Repurposed by Art Dealers

<Patrons of the Arts at the Mercy of the Times>
In this way, the Charpentierssupported Impressionist painters regardless of profit. They prioritized their beliefs over profit anddevoted themselves to promotion not "to sell" but "to spread"the art.

Furthermore, it likely had to do with the fact that Monsieur Charpentier was a man in the publishing industry, which handled discourse and art (even Flaubert, known for being extremely strict with money, called him the "angel of editors"). On the other hand, his wife was born and raised in a family of jewelers with vast wealth and was a person of rich culture. It was precisely because of this background thattheir support was not an "investment" but a "passion".

However, as the publishing business became increasingly difficult, it became harder for the couple to support the painters through purchases.

Not long after Monet's first solo exhibition, Monsieur Charpentier faced serious financial difficulties, burdened by large debts. Even before that, he had sought investment from politicians and others, but he did not achieve the desired results, and by around 1881, signs of management difficulties began to appear in the publishing house itself. The causes cited include borrowing beyond repayment capacity and failed real estate investments.

Nevertheless, he was essentially a somewhat dreamy dilettante who pursued ideals, and he was a person whoprioritized passion for art over management. He was the opposite of his father, Gervais, the first-generation manager who was cold and highly skilled.

Even so, initially, to maintain his independence, he refused proposals for joint management from competitors and worked to repay his debts even by selling land and paintings. However, those efforts were in vain; in 1883, he left the management of "La Vie Moderne," and the attached gallery closed its doors. In the following year, 1884, the management rights were officially acquired by Charles Marpon and Ernest Flammarion, and Charpentier's company shifted to joint management.

In 1885, it briefly attracted attention again due to the huge success of Zola's "Germinal," but the glamorous era of Charpentier had already quietly come to an end.

<Promotion Methods Repurposed by Art Dealers>
Thus, the Charpentiers' support for Impressionism was short-lived. However, it was truly fortunate for the painters that they had such caring supporters during the late 1870s, the period when Impressionist painters were forced to live their most difficult lives because their works were not selling.

From the 1880s onwards, the activities of art dealers became more active, and the prices of works soared. After their economic power declined, the Charpentiers refrained from purchasing works, but their stance as art lovers remained unchanged, and their support continued in different forms. They exchanged letters with Renoir and Sisley for a long time, and they did not hesitate to lend paintings from their collection when asked. In fact, since exhibitions at galleries were held frequently from the 1880s onwards, Impressionist painters often borrowed early works from the couple's collection.

What is noteworthy is that the promotion methods that began with the couple's desire to bring Impressionism to more people were later repurposed for commercial use by art dealers. Art dealers skillfully used them as devices to increase the value of the painters they promoted and to sell them at high prices. Namely—enlightenment and opinion guidance through magazines, thecategorization of schoolslike "Impressionist painters," and themethod of the "solo exhibition" to highlight individual artists.

Now, how these methods built up 'market value'── I would like to return to the 'Real Image of Monet's Market Value' series and unravel this.

Thank you for reading this far.