Monet chooses to develop in the absence of volume and space definition" (Kermit Champa, Studies in Early Impressionism, New Haven and London, 1973, p. 13 ). The flatness in the foreground conflicts with the space behind. Monet is on the verge of a stylistic conflict of interests that took him nearly a decade to resolve. During the eighties he experimented with many motifs and variations in style to overcome the contra dictions that began to appear in the late seventies. By the nineties he had discovered subjects that provided the beginnings of a solution to the conflict between two- and three-dimensional interests in his work. Parisians Enjoying the Pare Monceau was included in the fourth Impressionist exhibition in 1879, the year that "Impressionist" was dropped from the title : "After having originally been the one who started the group on its exhibitions, Monet had little by little abandoned active participation in the preparation of these shows, which had been taken over by the more or less opposed factions of Renoir and Degas. But Caillebotte would not allow his friend to abstain altogether. While Monet did not even leave Vetheuil to look after his own interests, Caillebotte took care of everything, borrowed pictures from Monet's collectors, looked after the frames, wrote eager letters and tried to rouse his friend's courage" (John Rewald, The His tory of Impressionism, New York, l 973, p. 42 l-42 3 ).
C. S.M.
Provenance Exhibitions Selected Bibliography
Probably Georges de Bellio, Paris ( 1879-after 1879 Paris, 28, avenue de l'Opera, La 4e C. Sterling and M.M. Salinger, French Paintings. 1889); Durand-Rue!, Paris; Georges Bernheim, exposition de peinture, no. 152. (possibly this a Catalogue of the Collection of the Metropolitan Paris (until c. 19 30); Alfred Lindon, Paris picture, lent by M. de Bellio) Museum of Art. New York, 1967, III, p. 129, (c.1930-1948); Mme. Alfred Lindon, Paris 1889 Paris, Galerie Georges Petit Claude ill.; (1948-1959); Jacques Lindon, New York Monet, A. Rodin, no. 36 (possibly this pic D. Cooper, "The Monets in the Metropolitan (1959). ture, lent by M. de Bellio) Museum," Metropolitan Museum Journal 3, 1970, 1931 Paris, Orangerie des Tuileries, Claude p. 288-290, ill. Monet, no. 4 7 1935 Paris, Galerie Durand-RueL Claude Monet. no.26 1959 Paris, Galerie Durand-RueL Claude Monet. no.21
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