In 1900, French impressionist painter Auguste Renoir rents a house in the south of France with a series of demands.
- Handwritten letter from Auguste Renoir to Hugues Vimeon, a house owner.
- One page, front and back.
- In French.
- 13.5 cm x 21.4 cm.
- On April 16, 1900.
- City of Grasse, France.
- State conservation: regular, as the page is partially torn at the edges, without affecting the understanding of the text.
- This set is unique, it comes with Auguste Renoir's handwritten letter, an explanatory letter written by the letter's heiress and two vintage postcards, depicting the house mentioned in Renoir's letter.
Original transcript of the letter
Mr. Hugues Vimeon,
Je m´engage à louer votre maison [?] au Hameau du Toulonnet á Magagnosc pour une durée de three ans à parte du premier octobre dix neuf cent, pour la somme de huit cents francs par an, à condition que la maison soit terminée et habitable, que les plâtres soient secs, qu´il y ait une cheminée dans la salle à manger, une dans la chambre à l´est au premier étage et une dans la chambre à l´ouest au premier étage, qu´il y ait des toilettes sur le palier du premier étage, au second deux chambres de bonnes côté ouest et un atelier à l´est, avec grande fenêtre, le tout peint à la colle, a cabinet d'aisance outside with inside. De plus je m´engage à verser la somme de twelve cents francs représentant une année et demi de location (payé, signed R, de Renoir) avant le 1er octobre prochain à Monsieur Hugues Vimeon proprietaire de la dite maison.
Renoir
Artiste demeurant in Paris 33 rue de Rochefoucauld
Fait à Grasse on 16 April 1900
Translation from French to Portuguese
Mr. Hugues Vimeon,
I promise to rent your house [?] in the village of Toulonnet in Magagnosc for a period of three years from October 1, 1900, for the sum of eight hundred francs per year, provided that the house is finished and habitable, that the plasters are dry, that there is a chimney in the dining room, one in the east bedroom on the first floor and one in the west bedroom on the first floor, bathrooms on the landing on the first floor, two servants' rooms on the west side and a studio on the east, with a large window, all the walls wallpapered, an outside bathroom with an internal entrance. In addition, I undertake to pay the sum of one thousand two hundred francs, representing one and a half years' rent (paid, signed "R." for Renoir) before October 1 to Mr. Hugues Vimeon, owner of the said house.
Renoir
Artist-painter living in Paris, 33 rue de Rochefoucauld
Done at Grasse, April 16, 1900.
Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was one of the greatest representatives of the French Impressionist movement. A specialist in portraits and nudes, he was mainly influenced by the paintings of Eugène Delacroix. Throughout his career, he was also inspired by the works of Raphael, Fragonard, Courbet and Manet. Since his studies in Paris, he had been associated with other great names in painting, such as Monet, Bazille and Sisley.
In the late 1860s, he frequently painted outdoors in the Fontainebleau forest, a habit that would define his style and themes.
In 1877, while exhibiting for several years at the Salon des Impressionists, Renoir painted his famous work Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette . After a period of financial difficulties, he gradually returned to portraiture, achieving great success with Déjeuner des canotiers.
In 1890, three years after the Grandes Baigneuses , he painted, in a style that varied between impressionism and the Inglés style, Les Jeunes Filles au piano , considered the founding painting of this new period.
From 1900 onwards, Renoir acquired a solid reputation and exhibited his works in all European capitals. He died in 1919, recognized and accomplished. He was the father of five children, including Jean Renoir, a famous French director and screenwriter.
In the summer of 2018, we discovered this letter – still unknown – by the French impressionist painter Auguste Renoir in the south of France (in the town of Grasse). The heir to the letter, an 85-year-old French lady, wrote to us:
Grasse, July 4, 2019
(...) Regarding the story of Mr. Auguste Renoir's letter, it was inherited by my aunt's husband, who was born in Magagnosc (a village in Grasse) and who had a relationship with the Hugues family, a large family in the village, owner of the house described and rented to Mr. Renoir.
There he found a certain light which, after living there, he found even better for his paintings. Later, he left for Cagnes-Sur-Mer, where the Renoir Museum is located.
When my aunt died, more than 30 years ago, among the newspapers, we found this document (...)
When I read this letter, I found it particularly interesting that Renoir spoke about his studio: "a studio facing east, with a large window."
The list of your requirements, shown in the letter, also allows us to imagine your personality and lifestyle.
Furthermore, the rarity of this document is further enhanced by the distinctive signature: "Renoir, artist-painter living in Paris", since most of his letters are simply signed "Renoir" and although he lived for about two years in the aforementioned house, this was a period of his life that is little documented.
All in all, an exciting discovery for both Renoir admirers and Impressionism enthusiasts.
