‘I am such a lazybones’: New book reveals Claude Monet’s life through his letters

A collection of Claude Monet's letters reveals the personal side of the renowned Impressionist painter. The new book, based on Monet's extensive correspondence from age 18 to his death at 86, includes around 420 letters to 93 recipients. Teresa Krasny, one of the book's five contributors, explains that the editorial team aimed to let Monet’s voice be heard.

Monet's letters delve into his relationships with artists like Édouard Manet, his feelings about family members, and his dissatisfaction with the French government’s proposal for housing his Water Lilies series. For instance, in a letter to French art critic Théodore Duret from December 1880, Monet expresses his disdain for writing, saying, "I am such a lazybones when it comes to writing..."

Another letter to fellow artist Auguste Rodin describes Monet's campaign to raise 20,000 francs for the French state to acquire Manet’s 1863 painting Olympia. In a key section of the book, Monet’s dispute with the French government over the display of his Water Lilies series at the end of World War I is detailed. Monet proposed giving two works from his Grandes Décorations to the nation to honor the victory and peace, but the government refused the Jeu de Paume gallery Monet offered.

Despite initial resistance, Monet's vision for the Orangerie was ultimately realized, and his Water Lilies series remains there to this day.