Miscellaneous

MISCELLANEOUS

The Meadow-scene

THE MEADOW SCENE
with frame

Curator photo showing varnish lift off and part with varnish and to the far right original condition with uncleaned surface.

THE REVERSE OF
The Meadow Scene

The reverse of "The Meadow Scene". Click above for a larger picture.

IR photo

On the stretcher painted in diluted, lilac colour: ‘31’. The same kind of exhibition number as on the ‘River scene’. Where and which are the other 29, at least, paintings from this exhibition? If we are right in our theories, this exhibition should have taken place at around 1899-1900, after the death of Suzanne.

We also find the same kind of stock number as on the other two stretchers, written in pencil. Here it has almost been wiped out. The number is ‘454’ followed by a dot, within a circle.

Measure, 55x38, figure is written on the canvas in pencil by the same hand, though covered by the stretcher.

Written in pencil on the frame: ‘Creuse’, (observe how the letter ‘s’ is written). We have already seen on the two others, written by the same hand: ‘Creu’. We know that Monet used to have exhibition frames for his paintings. This means that the painting was exhibited in a frame that did not follow the bargain.

Once again: In Claude Monet's Giverny nothing is done at random, consequently there might exist other frames with ‘Creu’ or ‘Creuse’, written by the same characteristic hand! For the moment being we have no explanation for the meaning of these words. Perhaps you have an idea what this means?! Please send an email and tell us. We know that in 1975 the Monet collection of frames still was at Giverny. Where are they now?

Click for zoom

Our paintings are professionally remounted on their new, (not used before!) stretchers. A small evidence for this is the use of a bigger tack for the corners of the overlapping canvas. All three in the same way. A fine evidence for the good handicraft is that every wedge is original not a single one is missing and this goes for all the three paintings.

It is obvious that only somebody, keeping perfect order, would practice such methods of framing as we find here. All the figures and notes on the frames and canvases indicate an extraordinary pedantry.

It is well known that Monet was strict about everything in his household. “---the daily regimen was one of near monastic strictness, with everything about it designed to serve the needs of painting. Monet always returned home at eleven sharp for lunch, which was served promptly at either noon or 11:30 after the bell had rung twice. With a whistle he summoned Michel and Jean-Pierre, would tolerate no tardiness, and began to cough nervously if kept waiting”, (Joyes: Claude Monet, Life at Giverny).

We can be sure of that the artist required perfect order from his employees. Judging from what we have just seen, his chauffeur and frame maker must have been of the very sort.

Detail of the frame

This flower garland frame must be the most typical choice for Claude Monet to be found. One of the paintings in the exhibition ‘Monet in the ‘90s, The series Paintings’ had a similar frame, though this was 18th century, (however, we do not know if it was the original, chosen by Monet).

This frame has, like the two others, been used before. An inner Edge was added to make it fit the painting properly. We can just guess that the flower garland even might have been a tribute to his beloved Suzanne – ‘son modèle préféré’!

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