Renoir
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Jean did not make it through the early part of the war unscathed, however: in late September he contracted a venereal disease.206 To save the sensibilities of those who heard about it, Renoir called it a horse’s kick, a common euphemism for gonorrhoea. Renoir informed Mme Gangnat in October: ‘Jean was kicked by a horse near Amiens. Saved by a good man, a dairy merchant. He found himself in a hospital with Germans [the hospital in Amiens was briefly occupied by the Germans]. Anyway, he is at the moment with his garrison (troops) in Luçon and is recovering well. You see that with all these terrible events, we are still part of the lucky ones, so far. This stupid war weighs heavily upon me. I’m not the only one. This is progress and civilization in full absurdity.’207 A few weeks later, on 17 November, Renoir updated André about Jean: ‘Although he is very happy for now, he is always impatient to go back and join his comrades at the front.’208
In late October 1914, with two sons in hospitals, Aline, despite her own worsening health, decided to visit them both. Renoir explained to his dealer: ‘My wife is leaving on Saturday to go to visit them, one in Carcassonne, the other in Luçon. It is a tiring trip, and above all long [from Cagnes to Carcassonne is 457 km (284 miles); from Carcassonne to Luçon 555 km (345 miles); from Luçon to Paris 440 km (273 miles)], but they will be happy to see their mama a little. I am sorry not to be able to do it too.’209 While Aline travelled, Renoir was alone with his servants. Rivière, knowing that Jean intended to visit his father before returning to the front, wrote to Jean of his concern: ‘If, however, you can remain in Nice until the end of November, this would give your brother time to arrive in Cagnes after undergoing his new operation. That way, your father would not be alone for long. That would also be one less major concern for you.’210 A few weeks later, Renoir sent a heartfelt letter to his old friend Monet: ‘I think of you quite often, and as I grow old, I begin to think of our youth. This distracts me a bit from the present…. My wife left three weeks ago to see her kids, Pierre and Jean. Jean is healing and will be leaving again soon, I think. As for Pierre, I don’t understand a thing. He has been injured for 75 days and it’s still the same; one of his bones is very much shattered. It has to be operated on and it’s being put off every day, which worries me a lot. Nevertheless, I am among the fortunate ones for the moment. One cannot be difficult in times like these; there are some who have more to complain about than I.’211
Two and a half weeks later, Pierre had been released from the hospital although his surgery had not yet occurred. On 12 December 1914, André wrote to Durand-Ruel: ‘I saw Madame Renoir and Pierre in Marseilles. One of the poor boy’s arms is in a pitiful state. He is missing about 7 centimetres [3 in.] in the radius and is obliged to have a sort of small cast to help his ulna hold up the weight of his hand.’212 During Pierre’s six-month wait for his surgery, he decided to marry Véra, thus legitimizing their son, Claude junior, just as Renoir and Aline had legitimized Pierre when they married. The wedding took place in Cagnes-sur-Mer on 23 December 1914, thirteen months after Claude had been born. Their marriage certificate states: ‘The newlyweds have recognized, in order to legitimize, Claude, André, Henri Renoir born in Paris (8th [arrondissement]) the 4th of December 1913 and registered him as the son of Pierre Renoir and of Marie, Marguerite, Aimée Roche, known as “Véra Sergine”.’213
Both Renoir and Aline were unhappy with the match. Before the wedding, André wrote to Durand-Ruel: ‘Renoir is very depressed for family reasons. Pierre is getting married in two days and the new daughter-in-law gets on his nerves. He doesn’t say a word to her, nor to the child for that matter.’214 Renoir’s objection to Véra could not have been related to her Jewish roots since he had been fond of Pierre’s former Jewish partner, Colonna. It was Véra’s personality that bothered Renoir. As for Aline, her feelings were clear even to Cassatt: ‘I saw Renoir and Mme. the other day, the wounded actor son is doing well; he had just been married to an actress; the baby is fourteen months old. The Renoirs hate the match. She is, it seems, “une grande artiste” tragic and the mother [Aline] said he has always desired to marry “une grande artiste”. Then all he had to do was to marry Sarah Bernhardt, the mother bitterly said.’215 At this time, Sarah Bernhardt was seventy years old.
Neither of Véra’s parents attended the wedding: Véra’s father was dead and, with the war in progress, Véra’s mother was stuck in Paris. Despite their misgivings, Renoir and Aline consented to sign the marriage documents since two parental signatures were required.216 Nonetheless, Renoir did not attend the small wedding, as André told Georges Durand-Ruel: ‘On that day, Papa Renoir preferred to be ill in his room. To tell the truth, he was laid low by a severe cold.’217 The mayor of Cagnes, Ferdinand Deconchy, officiated during the courthouse ceremony while his wife, Thérèse Savournin, served as one of the witnesses.218 Albert André, Paul Cézanne junior and the painter Henri Roussel-Mazule also served as witnesses.219 In fact, later, Renoir warmed to Pierre’s new family. He painted a portrait of Véra, a half-length with the same pensive hand gesture as in Aline’s 1910 portrait. Claude, the only grandchild born during the artist’s lifetime, also modelled for Renoir.220
One of the reasons Pierre waited so long, even until after his wedding, to have arm surgery was that Renoir was using his connections to get Dr Antonin Gosset of France’s Academy of Medicine, then considered the best surgeon in France.221 A few days before the wedding, André had contacted a friend who knew Dr Gosset: ‘I asked Gosset through a friend what he thought and he offered his services.’222 In the end, Dr Gosset had to perform numerous small operations, the first of which took place six months after Pierre was shot. On 25 March 1915, Renoir told Georges Durand-Ruel: ‘Pierre is supposed to be operated on today by Gosset.’223 A month later, Renoir wrote to André: ‘Pierre is going to be operated on again one of these days in about a week. He is doing well.’224 Two months later, Rivière wrote to Renoir: ‘I chatted for a moment with Pierre on the telephone this afternoon. He is doing well; according to the surgeon, his arm is on the right track.’225 Thanks to Gosset, Pierre’s arm was saved, though paralysed and withered. He had to learn to write with his left hand, and could neither ride a horse nor hold a sword. His other injuries caused temporary leg pains that made it difficult to walk. He also had lifelong abdominal pains for which he needed to wear a torso brace.226 His abdominal injuries may have made him impotent, since he never had another child.
The severely injured Pierre was happy to be discharged from the army to return to his career and family. In contrast, Jean at twenty-one, who had not yet had a serious injury, was enthusiastic about continuing the fight. On 20 January 1915, Cassatt wrote to her friend Havemeyer: ‘[Jean] wrote a cheery letter, full of go from the front, laughs at the discomfort of the trek.’227 The same month, Jean wrote to his godfather, Georges Durand-Ruel, who informed Renoir: ‘I received two or three letters from Jean who still seems very happy to me and seems to think that everything is going well.’228 Jean’s passionate service was rewarded by his promotion on 20 February 1915 to 2nd Lieutenant and his move to an elite company, the Alpine Chasseurs, a troop of light infantry trained for mountainous terrain. Although by this time, Jean had switched to the infantry, his title continued to be cavalryman or dragoon. Two weeks later, Cassatt wrote to Paul Durand-Ruel: ‘I saw Renoir the day before yesterday. As you know, his son is a second lieutenant in the Alpine Corps, an elite branch of the service, very exposed. He [Renoir] is proud of him but fears for the future.’229 On 25 March, Renoir informed Georges Durand-Ruel from Cagnes: ‘Here is Jean’s address: second lieutenant at the 6th regiment of Alpine Chasseurs, 2nd company, send to Nice to forward to the front.’230
That spring of 1915, Jean took leave to visit his family in Cagnes. On 16 April, Renoir reported to André: ‘Dear friend, Jean has left here for Gérardmer. He had 250 Alpine Guards with him. I was told that he will not stay for very long…. How time flies despite the troubles. R.’231 On 21 April, Jean and his fellow soldiers arrived at their battalion head
quarters in Gérardmer in Lorraine. They stayed there only briefly, then travelled 757 kilometres (470 miles) to the front, which was in a valley near Munster in Alsace, then part of Germany. On 27 April 1915, Jean was shot in the upper thigh by a German sniper, as he recalled in a 1968 interview: ‘I was shot in the leg by a Bavarian infantryman.’232 Jean’s son Alain later recalled that his father had told him that he was ‘shot when going to take a piss’.233 Jean was returned the 757 kilometres from Alsace to a hospital in Gérardmer. His medical report in his military record book stated: ‘Certificate of Hospital Stay; second Lieutenant Renoir Jean of the corps of the 6th battalion of cavalry; indication of injury: sub trochanteric fracture of the left femur from a bullet received around 27 April; shortening [of the femur] by about 4 centimetres [1½ in.].’ The record book confirms the date: ‘Wounded by bullet 27 April 1915…. Unfit [for military service] for 6 months.’234 A month after Jean was shot, Renoir wrote to one of the Bernheim sons: ‘Dear Gaston…Jean has been badly wounded; a bullet penetrated through the front of his thigh and out through his buttock, breaking the top of his femur. He is suffering terribly and is condemned to stay completely still for months. Just one centimetre higher up and he would have been killed. How lucky he was. Kindest regards, Renoir.’235
Aline hurried to Gérardmer to be with her injured son. In a gesture of goodwill, she asked the head of the military hospital if she might donate some supplies; the hospital administrators gave her a long list, all of which she brought in her chauffeured car.236 She stayed in a nearby hotel for several weeks, not wanting to leave with Jean’s health in such a precarious state. Jean’s injury was preventing blood from flowing into his left leg, which turned a deep blue, indicating early stages of gangrene. To avoid an amputation, Jean’s doctors performed a Laroyenne operation,237 making holes in his pelvis and upper thigh into which they inserted rubber pipes which circulated filtered water to flush the pus from his wound, thus restoring blood flow. On about 14 May, Aline wrote: ‘My dear Rivière, Last night Jean underwent a serious operation which lasted more than an hour. When they brought him back to his bed, he was very ill and I left him feeling very worried. Because of this, I was in a hurry to see him this morning; I found him in a much better state than I dared hope. His fever at eight this morning was 37.4°C [99.3°F]. You see how little that is. The doctor I saw last night did not hide the fact that Jean’s condition is still very serious. An infection is still to be feared, but if he continues to improve, in ten days’ time we can consider him saved. Luckily he was in good health when this bullet hit him…. I will keep you up to date and thank you for all the trouble you’ve gone through but I believe that we have time on our side. Most affectionately, Aline Renoir.’238
Soon after surgery, Aline again wrote to Rivière: ‘Jean is doing better. I don’t know whether I should claim victory yet…. Today is the nineteenth day [since he was shot]. It truly is a miracle…. Most affectionately, Aline Renoir.’239 Jean’s gangrene receded as his leg turned from dark blue to lighter blue to pale pink to healthy skin colour. He regained the use of his leg, but always walked with a limp, since his left leg remained shorter than his right. On Saturday, 22 May, Aline again wrote: ‘My dear Rivière, I am leaving Gérardmer…. You know, my leaving means that Jean is doing well. The poor thing has still another forty-five days here, so I promised to come back to see him.’240 Four days later, Aline explained her complicated travel plans to Rivière: ‘I am leaving Jean this evening. I’m going to Essoyes where I’ll arrive tomorrow evening at nine o’clock. I will be in Paris on Monday evening, only for a few days.’241 Then she intended to spend a little time with Renoir in Cagnes while she organized her family to move up to Paris so that she could more easily visit Jean in Gérardmer.
Jean was moved to a different hospital before Aline had a chance to return to Gérardmer. Almost a month after she left, on 21 June 1915, Rivière wrote to Renoir from Paris: ‘Dear friend, I learned from a postcard I received today that Jean was transported to Besançon and that he was settling in well…. According to the tone of his postcard, it seems that our wounded one valiantly underwent the long [146 km (91 miles)] and certainly difficult trip. If there is something I can do here, please let me know.’242 Jean reported his own status lightly and with good humour. On 22 June, he wrote to Aline from Besançon: ‘I am doing very well here, spending pleasant afternoons in the shade of cherry trees…. The treatments are not the same as Professor Laroyenne’s but they’re sufficient for what I have now. My wound could be cared for by anyone. It’s an easy dressing to do. For example, Miss Tititi243 has been replaced by a more forbidding sister who is looking to impose convent discipline on us. That doesn’t please us after having lived so freely in the woods, and I am afraid the nun will be driven crazy by the exuberance of the Chasseur Officers being cared for here. Love to you all. Jean.’244
Perhaps because Jean’s own condition had gone from something dire to something minor, when he learned that his mother was taken ill, he assumed that she would quickly recover. The day before, on 21 June 1915, Jean had written to her: ‘Dear Mama, Papa’s letter…told me that you are ill. I hope that it isn’t anything serious. For that matter, the fact that you are thinking of undertaking the journey [back to visit me] makes me think you are not suffering too much. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t want you to tire yourself out needlessly…. The best hotel here is the Hôtel d’Europe, rue de la République. Love to all of you, Jean.’245 Unfortunately, Jean had underestimated the seriousness of his mother’s condition. Three days later, Renoir was writing: ‘Dear Mr Bernheim, my wife is very ill, almost beyond hope. I am stuck in bed myself and cannot go to visit Jean in Besançon.’246 It took another two days for Jean to become aware that Aline was not well enough to travel. Then he wrote: ‘Dear Mama, I’m still doing very well. Now it’s your turn to be taken care of, not I, who do nothing more than wait around in bed, which I have now got used to and find almost agreeable. Try to get well soon and above all don’t worry about me. My wound is healing.’247
Despite Renoir’s assertion that he was too ill to travel, the painter began making plans to visit Jean with one of his maids, Grand’ Louise. The trip that Renoir envisioned would have taken seven hours on two different trains (changing in Lyons), an ordeal during the war for a man who could not walk. Jean thought this was a terrible idea and wrote in the same letter to his mother: ‘I must confess that I am not reassured to know that Papa is going to travel alone with Louise. Once they get to Besançon station, what will they do? And how will they change trains? I would be very sorry if Papa, by coming to see me, were to tire himself out. Much love to you all, Jean.’248 Young Jean touchingly expresses the depth of his feelings for his old father, aged seventy-four. Fortunately for Jean’s peace of mind, Renoir never attempted this trip. The same day that Jean wrote this letter, the Renoirs moved from Les Collettes to their Nice apartment, Place du Voeu, so that Aline would be closer to her doctor. Renoir lamented to Maleck: ‘I am in Nice. My wife who is very sick has me stuck here. I cannot go to see Jean at Besançon. This poor boy waits for us every day. She [Aline] is doing a little bit better this evening.’249
In spite of this optimism about Aline’s condition, she died the next day, 27 June 1915, a month and a day after leaving Jean in Gérardmer. She was fifty-six. The cause of death was kidney failure due to her untreated diabetes. As Renoir had predicted twelve years earlier, her albuminuria foreshadowed her premature end. Aline died in the family’s Nice apartment in the presence of Renoir and Coco, then nearly fourteen. At the time, Pierre was with Véra and Claude junior in Paris.250 Immediately on hearing the news, he left for Nice. The day after Aline’s death, Pierre and Renoir’s friend Deconchy, the mayor of Cagnes, signed the death certificate: ‘The twenty-seventh of June, nineteen fifteen, two o’clock in the afternoon, Aline Victorine Charigot, born in Essoyes, Aube, 23 May 1859, unemployed, daughter of Claude Charigot, deceased, and Thérèse Emilie Maire, his unemployed wife, married to Pierre-Auguste Renoir,
living in Cagnes, Alpes Maritimes, has deceased, Place du Voeu.’251
Jean was still recovering in Besançon. Soon after Aline’s death, Véra and Maleck went separately to the military hospital there to tell him. On 1 July, four days after Aline’s death, Renoir wrote in concern for Jean’s sorrow: ‘My dear Vollard, Jean was notified by Sergine and Madame André. You are therefore free from the task. Write him something. That should distract him, St Jacques Hospital, Besançon.’252 Two days later, Renoir thanked Maleck: ‘My dear Marguerite, I am very grateful that you made that mad dash to Besançon. You did me a big favour, a very big favour. We will speak of it later on. All the best to your husband. Yours truly, Renoir.’ He further delayed his trip to visit Jean because of Aline’s death and his own poor health. In the same letter to Maleck, he explained: ‘Jean wrote to tell me not to go to Besançon, that he is being evacuated to Paris. So I’m waiting here, not knowing what to do.’253
When Aline died on 27 June 1915, even though both were gravely ill, neither Renoir nor Aline had burial plots. It could be that he refused to think about his death. Despite wartime and despite being in Nice, he found a temporary solution. He arranged that Aline’s body be placed in the burial crypt of their Nice landlords, the Roumieux-Faraut family, in their burial plot, number 3434, in the Château Cemetery in Nice.254 Three months after Aline’s death, on 22 September 1915, Renoir had Pierre purchase a burial plot in the Essoyes cemetery. Not only was that cemetery practically in the backyard of Renoir’s home, but Renoir’s brother Victor, who had moved to Essoyes, had also been buried there in 1907.255 Pierre went to Essoyes and purchased the plot in his father’s name. The sales document states: ‘We, the Mayor of the town of Essoyes in view of the request posed by Mr Renoir Auguste, artist painter residing in Cagnes (Alpes-Maritimes) to obtain in the town cemetery a burial place for the tomb of Mme Charigault [a common misspelling] Aline, his wife, and her descendants and ascendants…. It is granted in perpetuity to M. Renoir, Auguste to cover an area of 3.25 metres × 2.5 metres × 1.3 metres [c. 11 × 8 × 4½ ft] of ground in the communal cemetery to place the tombstone of Mme Charigault Aline, her descendants and ascendants.’256 This phrasing deliberately excludes Renoir, who did not intend to be buried with his wife. Indeed, Renoir’s wording on this bill of sale clearly expresses his intentions: after his death, his children could not place his body in Aline’s plot. Perhaps being in the same plot as Aline was distasteful to Renoir because of their stormy past – especially Aline’s firing of Gabrielle, which had left Renoir ‘helpless as a baby’.257