"Monet-collector" is a unique exhibition revealing the secrets of the personal collection of the famous French impressionist. The passion for collecting works of art he acquired in 1859, when he came to Paris, and kept secret until the end of his life. Most of his treasures were kept in the private quarters of the house in Giverny, where he happened to visit a few select friends or colleagues.
In Monet's collection included works by Gustave Caillebotte, Camille Corot, Edgar Degas, Eugene Delacroix, Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Paul cézanne, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and even the sculpture of Auguste Rodin. The walls of his house also was decorated with Japanese prints, including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro.
After the death of the painter of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture passed to his son Michel, and from it – to the Museum Marmottan. But some works were in the collections of other major global institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum, MoMA and the national gallery in London. The critic had to conduct a "complex detective investigation" to assess the extent of the collection of Monet. The search was complicated by the fact that the inventory made after his death in 1926, was destroyed during the Second world war. The experts were able to trace the provenance of 120 works of art, 77 of which are now presented in the exhibition.
"Monet wanted to collect works, which he considered significant. They are all related to his main interest, impressionistic painting, but different from what he did" – says Marianne Mathieu, Director of the Museum Marmottan – Monet.