Blanche Hoschedé Monet
When you hear the last name of our today's artist you may think, Monet? This Monet? And indeed, Blanche Hoschedé Monet was both the stepdaughter and the daughter-in-law of Claude Monet. Sounds complicated? Let me explain.
Blanche Hoschedé was the second daughter of Ernest and Alice Hoschedé. Ernest was a businessman, a department store magnate in Paris. He collected Impressionist paintings and was an important patron to Claude Monet early in his career and they became friends. In 1877, Ernest Hoschedé went bankrupt and his art collection was auctioned off. Then Ernest, his wife Alice, and their six children moved into a house in Vétheuil with Monet, his wife Camille, and their two sons (Jean and the infant Michel). Ernest, however, spent most of his time in Paris, and eventually went to Belgium. After the death of Camille in Vétheuil on 5 September 1879, Alice and her children continued living with Monet. In 1881, they moved to Poissy, and finally settled in their home in Giverny in 1883. Although Ernest and Alice Hoschedé never divorced, Claude Monet and Alice went on living together until after the death of Ernest in 1891. Claude Monet and Alice Hoschedé married on 16 July 1892.
Blanche married Claude Monet’s eldest son, Jean Monet, in 1897. That's all about the complicated family stories of the Monets (for now). You can learn more about them by enrolling to our Mega Impressionism Course, which we highly recommend! Blanche was also an artist. Most of her works were done in Giverny from 1883 to 1897, which was similar to that of Monet's work, and around Rouen. She adopted an almost pure form of Impressionism, and the painting we present today is a good evidence to that. Blanche also assisted Monet in painting and he had trained and encouraged Blanche as an artist.
Have a great end of the week everyone!
P.S. Here you will learn more gossip on the Impressionists, including the affairs between the Hoschedé and Monet families! :D