New Book Reveals Theo van Gogh Organized Monet's First London Solo Show in 1889
A letter from Claude Monet: A Life in Letters discloses that Theo van Gogh was responsible for organizing Monet's inaugural solo exhibition in London in 1889. On 3 May 1889, Monet informed Alice Hoschedé that the exhibition, located at 116-117 New Bond Street, received a favorable response, although no artworks were sold. The Echo lauded Monet on 15 April 1889, referring to him as 'the art-hero of the hour.' While critics generally responded positively, this contradicts Frances Fowle's assertions. Despite the initial excitement, British collectors remained rare until the 1920s, with Monet's second London exhibition occurring in 1936. Two exhibitions in Paris commemorate the centenary of Monet's passing. On 13 October, Christie's auctioned a Van Gogh poem fragment for $23,040.
Key facts
- Theo van Gogh organized Claude Monet's first London solo exhibition in 1889 at the Boussod & Valadon gallery, 116-117 New Bond Street.
- Monet wrote to Alice Hoschedé on 3 May 1889 that nothing sold but the exhibition was well received and praised by English newspapers.
- The Echo's review on 15 April 1889 called Monet 'the art-hero of the hour'.
- An analysis of over a dozen reviews from April-May 1889 found critics were nearly all positive, contradicting Frances Fowle's claim of unfavourable press.
- Theo van Gogh sold more than 60 Monet works between 1887 and 1890.
- Vincent van Gogh admired Monet, mentioning him in over 30 letters, and Monet called Vincent's pictures 'the best in the exhibition' at the Indépendants in April 1890.
- Monet's second London solo show was in 1936, a decade after his death.
- On 13 October, Christie's New York sold a 1.7cm fragment of a Jules Breton poem copied by Van Gogh for $23,040.
Entities
Artists
- Claude Monet
- Theo van Gogh
- Vincent van Gogh
- Alice Hoschedé
- Frances Fowle
- John Russell
- Octave Mirbeau
- Jules Breton
- Annie Slade-Jones
- Jim Irsay
- David Hockney
Institutions
- Thames & Hudson
- Boussod & Valadon
- Goupil Gallery
- The Echo
- Manchester City News
- The Scotsman
- The World
- The Saturday Review
- Indépendants
- Musée de l'Orangerie
- Musée Marmottan Monet
- Tate Modern
- Christie's
- Raab Collection
- Van Gogh Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Neue Pinakothek
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Paris
- France
- Arles
- Provence
- Giverny
- New York
- United States
- Isleworth
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Munich
- Germany
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania