Monet has popped up out of nowhere with a collection of magnificent canvases.. .With Renoir, that makes two hard-up painters I am putting up. It's qu… - Frédéric Bazille

[ Monet is] ..hard at work for some time now. His paintings has really progressed, I'm sure it will attract a lot of attention. He has sold thousands of franc's worth of paintings in the last few days, and has one or two other small commissions. He's definitely on his way.

Don't worry! I bring to it all the necessary objectivity, don't be alarmed.. ..dirty machinists, very dumb musicians, a very old [choreographer] Monsieur Auber, and everyone only thinks about getting her job done as quickly as possible to earn a living.

The big classical compositions are finished; an ordinary view of daily life would be much more interesting.