Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
Series of 20 autograph letters signed ('C. Pissarro') to his wife, Julie, the majority London, but also Paris, Rouen, Macon and Le Havre, 22 May 1889 - 21 September 1903
In French. Approximately 51 pages, various sizes, letter of 22 May 1889 including a sketch of a painting, letter of 30 July 1892 with a small sketch of a flower, letter of 4 March 1893 with two rough pencil sketches of boats on verso; with a further letter of 27 May [1890] in the hand of an amanuensis. Provenance: Various Sotheby's sales including: 29-30 April 1980, lots 329-336; 26-27 November 1980, lots 207-209; 12 May 1981, lots 21 and 23; 14-15 April 1982, lot 441; 15-16 November 1982, lots 587, 589, 590; 10 May 1984, lot 387; 9 & 10 May 1985, lot 362, 16 October 1985, lot 79; and 21 May 1998, lot 93.

Letters to his wife, many of them from London, reporting on progress with painting, plans for exhibitions, relations with Claude Monet and the artistic activities of their children. Ten of the letters are written from London in the summer of 1892 (between 27 May and 30 July) and give news on progress on his paintings of Kew, of which he has started two by 5 June, 'in spite of the wind which at times disturbed me rather'; he again complains of difficulties with the weather in later letters. Pissarro is planning an exhibition in London with the dealers Bussod and Valadon, for which he absolutely must produce some new paintings; he reports on the proposed gallery space which 'will cost me nothing, it is magnificent, smaller than at Durand's but more artistic, with 30 canvases I shall have enough'. The letters from London are much given over to two major topics: their son Lucien's desire to marry Esther Bensusan, against the initial resistance of her father (the last letter of the summer reports that the wedding has been fixed for 10 August), and Julie's attempts to buy their house in Éragny, for which Claude Monet has offered them a substantial loan: Pissarro suggests that in recognition of his kindness Julie should give him 'ton tableau les rameuses' (presumably 'The Pea Harvesters'), in which he has expressed an interest, but Julie evidently did not follow this suggestion, causing some disgruntlement.

The letters are much occupied by news of their children, especially Lucien and Georges who are with him in London in 1892, but also giving advice on raising Félix ('Titi'), with whom he evidently feels Julie is too harsh – indeed, the letters frequently include hints and pleas to Julie to be less quarrelsome in a number of different situations. The earliest of the series, in May 1889, complains of a swelling in the corner of his eye, and provides a small sketch of a painting which he wishes Georges to bring to Paris. On 13 September 1896 he writes from Rouen to complain again of difficulties with changeable weather: 'happily for my part I have managed to start four paintings of which two are well advanced – I am doing boats, or rather ships, one is loaded with wood coming from Norway, I began it as soon as it arrived at the dock ... as for landscapes, there's no point thinking about it with such bad weather'. Four letters from London in May-July 1897 report principally on the recovery of Lucien from a serious illness. From Mâcon on 9 July 1898 he reports on a trip to Lyon, 'a beautiful town but the houses are ugly, there are very fine gardens, a fine museum, the banks of the Saone are superb'. In the last of the group of letters, from Le Havre, 21 Sep 1903, he reports having finished all his paintings except one 'Toile de 25' which needs another three or four sittings as he 'cannot manage to get the right effect'.

Pissarro had married Julie Vellay in Croydon in 1871 during their stay to England (which was prompted by the Franco-Prussian War): she was his mother's maid, and the daughter of a vineyard grower. Of their seven children, six would become painters, including Lucien (1863-1944), who settled in London after his marriage, Georges (1871-1961) and Félix (1874-1897).