iverney

ome time ago Baron Von Lodge was the head of a small country near Switzerland known as Lilliland.

Lady Angela of Alpine Castle, fiancée of the Baron’s, lived just a short walk away from the Baron’s Castle on Castle Lake. In one of Lady Angela’s rooms was a series of paintings by the French impressionist, Claude Monet. He painted a majority of the paintings outside Paris in Giverney.

All of the paintings were genuine and authenticated by reputable sources except for one painting. Lady Angela kept that painting out of sight because there was a rumor that it was not the work of Monet, but a fake.

The Baron, Lady Angela and Professor Hamblin would spend hours looking at the painting to determine its authenticity. An art expert was called in and said that it was a real Monet, but later the art expert was found not to be the expert he claimed to be. Professor Hamblin suggested to the Baron and Lady Angela that the only way they would be satisfied was if they asked Claude Monet to come in person to identify the painting. A formal letter was sent to Monet but his reply was that he could not get away at this time because of a new exhibition was opening in Paris. He did invite the Baron, Lady Angela and the Professor to come to Giverney to visit him at his home and art studio and bring the painting in question.

The trip to Giverney from Lilliland would take a day by train to Paris and coach to Giverney.

All of the plans were made for the trip. Lady Angela was very excited because Monet’s work adorned the special room in her castle and other rooms as well.

Upon their arrival in Giverney, they were warmly greeted by Claude Monet and his wife and family. They toured the art studio and then the artist took a long hard inspection of the painting. Monet said that yes it was definitely one of his pictures. He mentioned that since he liked to study how the sunlight at different times of the day would cast different shadows and colors on the subjects that he was painting, he often painted more than one canvas at a time.

The painting was of the water lilies in his pond at Giverney. He added that when he moved to Giverney, many of the ponds and plants were not there. It was something he had added over the years.

The trip was very successful and most enjoyable. While in Giverney, Lady Angela bought three more paintings to be hung in Alpine Castle.