French Artist Eugène Boudin ALS: "You will not
French Artist Eugène Boudin ALS: "You will not find here the least Impressionist - fortunately -" to American Painter Frederick Porter Vinton
A 3pp autograph letter in French inscribed overall and signed by French artist Eugène Boudin (1824-1898) as "E. Boudin" on the third page. Written in Deauville, France on August 25, 1890 on bifold paper. Expected toning with some darkening towards the top page edges, and light paper folds. A minor closed tear extends along the vertical fold of the gutter between the second and third pages. The third page is laid down on a thicker paper mount pencil-inscribed by a later collector. Else very good to near fine. 4.375" x 7." Provenance: Ex-Noel Goldblatt (ca. 1926-2003) of the famous Goldblatt's Department Store, to a prominent Los Angeles, California collector.
Eugène Boudin wrote this long and cordial letter to American portrait painter Frederick Porter Vinton (1846-1911). In it, Boudin discusses travel plans, the weather, his health, his work, and the absence of any Impressionist artists at Deauville that summer.
Translated in part:
"Dear Monsieur Vinton,
I have been very late in replying to your amiable letter, despite all the pleasure that it gave me…
I must write you after shopping, in order to inform you that you will find at Deauville all that you can desire for a household at very low prices…but perhaps you have already changed your plans.
At any rate, we would be happy to see you [and to have you] share our solitude. I say relative solitude because in part a modest colleague sometimes shares his society with us, but we hardly know any people from here and you will be welcome if you decide to come and share several weeks [with us.]
Nevertheless I dare not promise you a very favorable season. For two weeks the weather has become impossible…rain + even cold; we submit to all of the miseries of the weather.
That is perhaps a reason to hope more of me in September but, what a year!
You will not find here the least Impressionist - fortunately - but like that, spreads the taste… it spreads ["c'est la tache d'huile"]…
We will speak of the canvases that you have maintained for me…for the moment I am very behind in my work, alas, time passes so quickly, so quickly…
Your devoted friend
G. Boudin."
Boudin's disparaging comments about Impressionist artists are very interesting. This is because, while Boudin did exhibit his own work at the first Impressionist Exhibition in 1873, he did not consider himself an Impressionist. Boudin was one of the first nineteenth-century French painters to paint outdoors, well ahead of even his friend Claude Monet. Boudin bridged an important transitional period in French painting, from Realistic to Impressionistic, but he did not technically subscribe to one school or the other. A similar statement can be said of Frederick Porter Vinton. Though his work is often perceived by modern viewers as impressionistic, Vinton did not self-identify with the European art movement.
A consistent theme throughout the letter is Boudin's hope that Vinton and his wife Annie Pierce Vinton (1855-1929) will visit him in Normandy. We can't say if the Vintons obliged Boudin by visiting him at Deauville later that summer or fall, but circumstantial evidence links Boudin, the Vintons, and Normandy in the year 1890. Boudin painted a beach scene called "Trouville, Beach Scene" in that year which he signed and dedicated as "à Madame Vinton Souvenir 1890 Trouville" along the bottom edge. (Trouville is another resort town less than 3 km from Deauville, Boudin's summer headquarters.) (See attached image.)
The Vintons had met Eugène Boudin, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley during their 18-month-long trip to Europe in 1889-1890. Vinton had visited France, Italy, Holland, and England, studying the work of famous painters from each country. During the Vintons' trip, Boudin dedicated three paintings to Vinton. Later in 1890, Vinton purchased a large group of Boudin paintings offered for sale at the Chase Gallery of Boston.
This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.
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French Artist Eugène Boudin ALS: "You will not find here the least Impressionist - fortunately -" to American Painter Frederick Porter Vinton
A 3pp autograph letter in French inscribed overall and signed by French artist Eugène Boudin (1824-1898) as "E. Boudin" on the third page. Written in Deauville, France on August 25, 1890 on bifold paper. Expected toning with some darkening towards the top page edges, and light paper folds. A minor closed tear extends along the vertical fold of the gutter between the second and third pages. The third page is laid down on a thicker paper mount pencil-inscribed by a later collector. Else very good to near fine. 4.375" x 7." Provenance: Ex-Noel Goldblatt (ca. 1926-2003) of the famous Goldblatt's Department Store, to a prominent Los Angeles, California collector.
Eugène Boudin wrote this long and cordial letter to American portrait painter Frederick Porter Vinton (1846-1911). In it, Boudin discusses travel plans, the weather, his health, his work, and the absence of any Impressionist artists at Deauville that summer.
Translated in part:
"Dear Monsieur Vinton,
I have been very late in replying to your amiable letter, despite all the pleasure that it gave me…
I must write you after shopping, in order to inform you that you will find at Deauville all that you can desire for a household at very low prices…but perhaps you have already changed your plans.
At any rate, we would be happy to see you [and to have you] share our solitude. I say relative solitude because in part a modest colleague sometimes shares his society with us, but we hardly know any people from here and you will be welcome if you decide to come and share several weeks [with us.]
Nevertheless I dare not promise you a very favorable season. For two weeks the weather has become impossible…rain + even cold; we submit to all of the miseries of the weather.
That is perhaps a reason to hope more of me in September but, what a year!
You will not find here the least Impressionist - fortunately - but like that, spreads the taste… it spreads ["c'est la tache d'huile"]…
We will speak of the canvases that you have maintained for me…for the moment I am very behind in my work, alas, time passes so quickly, so quickly…
Your devoted friend
G. Boudin."
Boudin's disparaging comments about Impressionist artists are very interesting. This is because, while Boudin did exhibit his own work at the first Impressionist Exhibition in 1873, he did not consider himself an Impressionist. Boudin was one of the first nineteenth-century French painters to paint outdoors, well ahead of even his friend Claude Monet. Boudin bridged an important transitional period in French painting, from Realistic to Impressionistic, but he did not technically subscribe to one school or the other. A similar statement can be said of Frederick Porter Vinton. Though his work is often perceived by modern viewers as impressionistic, Vinton did not self-identify with the European art movement.
A consistent theme throughout the letter is Boudin's hope that Vinton and his wife Annie Pierce Vinton (1855-1929) will visit him in Normandy. We can't say if the Vintons obliged Boudin by visiting him at Deauville later that summer or fall, but circumstantial evidence links Boudin, the Vintons, and Normandy in the year 1890. Boudin painted a beach scene called "Trouville, Beach Scene" in that year which he signed and dedicated as "à Madame Vinton Souvenir 1890 Trouville" along the bottom edge. (Trouville is another resort town less than 3 km from Deauville, Boudin's summer headquarters.) (See attached image.)
The Vintons had met Eugène Boudin, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley during their 18-month-long trip to Europe in 1889-1890. Vinton had visited France, Italy, Holland, and England, studying the work of famous painters from each country. During the Vintons' trip, Boudin dedicated three paintings to Vinton. Later in 1890, Vinton purchased a large group of Boudin paintings offered for sale at the Chase Gallery of Boston.
This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.
WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!
qxp
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