1821 fine pencil drawing of Thomas Moore's cottage at the Allée des Veuves, near the Champs Elyseés in Paris, with inscription from Moore
Framed and under glass, the image measures 9.25 x 6.75 inches (23.5 x 17 cm), neatly mounted by the artist "L. F." on larger sheet with double ink rule border, dated Paris, 1821 in pen. With Moore's pencil inscription in the lower margin, "Our residence in the Allée des Veuves, in the years 1820 to... [signed] T. Moore." With window cut in the back of the frame to reveal a caption in ink, initialed T. M.: "Our residence in the Allée des Veuves, Champs Elysées, 1820." We don't know if both of these inscriptions are by Moore, but have more faith in the ink one on the verso. Moore arrived in Paris in 1819 and fell in love with the city, and especially its fine restaurants, but it was hard to find the peace and quiet he needed for his work. "However, at the end of January 1820, Moore managed rent what he described as a “cottage” on the Allée des Veuves. Now the ultra-chic Avenue Montaigne (8th arrondissement), Moore’s biographer Ronan Kelly describes the place then as "a long shabby lane vaguely synonymous with prostitution and other illicit liaisons". But the cottage had at least a garden, so it promised to be "as rural and secluded a workshop as I ever had", according to Moore" (from the website IrishmeninParis). By 1821 Moore and his family had decamped to another residence. We don't know who L. F. is who did the drawing. Provenance: collection of Rolf and Magda Loeber. Very Good. Item #ML12873
Price: $750.00