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Jeune couple (Young Couple) by Claude Monet
- This rare 1857 caricature is from Claude Monet's earliest years as an artist
- It is the only recorded double-sided Monet caricature depicting multiple figures
- Two charming scenes reveal Monet's early talent for capturing human character
- The rare "O. Monet" signature dates to his use of his first name, Oscar
- Get complete item description here
$248,500
Item No.
32-3299
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Description
Claude Monet
1840-1926 | French
Jeune couple
(Young Couple)
Signed "O. Monet"
Watercolor and gouache on paper, drawing en verso
Created in 1857, Jeune couple is an exceptionally rare caricature by Claude Monet, executed years before he became a founding figure of Impressionism. Monet first achieved recognition for his witty portraits of fashionable society in Le Havre, and these early drawings helped launch his artistic career. Jeune couple is distinguished as the. . .
1840-1926 | French
Jeune couple
(Young Couple)
Signed "O. Monet"
Watercolor and gouache on paper, drawing en verso
Created in 1857, Jeune couple is an exceptionally rare caricature by Claude Monet, executed years before he became a founding figure of Impressionism. Monet first achieved recognition for his witty portraits of fashionable society in Le Havre, and these early drawings helped launch his artistic career. Jeune couple is distinguished as the. . .
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Claude Monet
1840-1926 | French
Jeune couple
(Young Couple)
Signed "O. Monet"
Watercolor and gouache on paper, drawing en verso
Created in 1857, Jeune couple is an exceptionally rare caricature by Claude Monet, executed years before he became a founding figure of Impressionism. Monet first achieved recognition for his witty portraits of fashionable society in Le Havre, and these early drawings helped launch his artistic career. Jeune couple is distinguished as the only known double-sided example depicting more than one figure. The drawing also bears the rare signature "O. Monet," a reference to Oscar, the artist's first given name, which he used before adopting his middle name, Claude.
On the front, Monet depicts a fashionable young gentleman in a top hat and dark frock coat leaning toward a young woman, a cigar held casually in his hand. The exaggerated proportions and expressive gestures lend the encounter a playful sense of humor, while the gentleman's formal attire evokes the social conventions of mid-19th-century France. On the reverse, Monet sketches another couple embracing or dancing, their figures rendered with spontaneous, fluid lines. Together, the two compositions reveal his early gift for observing human character and translating it into remarkably economical drawings.
Monet began producing caricatures as a teenager, drawing his teachers, acquaintances and members of Le Havre society. His talent quickly attracted attention, and he began charging 10 to 20 francs for each portrait. His drawings were exhibited in the window of Gravier's framing shop, where crowds gathered to admire his amusing interpretations of local personalities. It was through this early success that Monet encountered the landscape painter Eugène Boudin, who encouraged him to abandon caricature in favor of painting directly from nature. This introduction would fundamentally redirect Monet's career and help establish the foundations of his Impressionist vision.
Monet would become one of the most influential painters in art history, and his caricatures remain an important record of his earliest artistic development. Their commercial success gave the young artist a measure of financial independence, and he reportedly saved approximately 2,000 francs from their sale, helping finance his move to Paris in 1859. Today, surviving examples are exceptionally scarce, with important caricatures preserved in institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Musée d'Orsay and the Clark Art Institute.
Created 1857
Paper: 7 1/4" high x 8 3/4" wide (18.4 x 22.2 cm)
Frame: 11 1/4" high x 13 1/2" wide x 3/4" deep (28.6 x 34.3 cm)
1840-1926 | French
Jeune couple
(Young Couple)
Signed "O. Monet"
Watercolor and gouache on paper, drawing en verso
Created in 1857, Jeune couple is an exceptionally rare caricature by Claude Monet, executed years before he became a founding figure of Impressionism. Monet first achieved recognition for his witty portraits of fashionable society in Le Havre, and these early drawings helped launch his artistic career. Jeune couple is distinguished as the only known double-sided example depicting more than one figure. The drawing also bears the rare signature "O. Monet," a reference to Oscar, the artist's first given name, which he used before adopting his middle name, Claude.
On the front, Monet depicts a fashionable young gentleman in a top hat and dark frock coat leaning toward a young woman, a cigar held casually in his hand. The exaggerated proportions and expressive gestures lend the encounter a playful sense of humor, while the gentleman's formal attire evokes the social conventions of mid-19th-century France. On the reverse, Monet sketches another couple embracing or dancing, their figures rendered with spontaneous, fluid lines. Together, the two compositions reveal his early gift for observing human character and translating it into remarkably economical drawings.
Monet began producing caricatures as a teenager, drawing his teachers, acquaintances and members of Le Havre society. His talent quickly attracted attention, and he began charging 10 to 20 francs for each portrait. His drawings were exhibited in the window of Gravier's framing shop, where crowds gathered to admire his amusing interpretations of local personalities. It was through this early success that Monet encountered the landscape painter Eugène Boudin, who encouraged him to abandon caricature in favor of painting directly from nature. This introduction would fundamentally redirect Monet's career and help establish the foundations of his Impressionist vision.
Monet would become one of the most influential painters in art history, and his caricatures remain an important record of his earliest artistic development. Their commercial success gave the young artist a measure of financial independence, and he reportedly saved approximately 2,000 francs from their sale, helping finance his move to Paris in 1859. Today, surviving examples are exceptionally scarce, with important caricatures preserved in institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Musée d'Orsay and the Clark Art Institute.
Created 1857
Paper: 7 1/4" high x 8 3/4" wide (18.4 x 22.2 cm)
Frame: 11 1/4" high x 13 1/2" wide x 3/4" deep (28.6 x 34.3 cm)
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Specifications
| Maker: | Monet, Claude |
| Period: | 1816-1918 |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Drawings |
| Style: | Impressionism |
| Depth: | 0.75 in. (1.91 cm) |
| Width: | 13.5 in. (34.29 cm) |
| Height: | 11.25 in. (28.58 cm) |
| Canvas Width: | 8.750 in. (22.23 cm) |
| Canvas Height: | 7.250 in. (18.42 cm) |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
