Chapter 29 – Two Grunts Rising

These later chapters have so much action and the settings have been described and portrayed, so unfortunately, it’s difficult to add material here. Perhaps I’ll have some drawings in the future, but for now, most of the story is in the story.

“He lives,” said Carmen. She dropped her fan and looked directly at the painter. Camille Monet in Japanese Costume – Claude Monet 1876

Obviously not Carmen in this picture and she’s not distressed. Actually, this is more or less Monet thinking, “Okay, if I’m going to sell out, it’s going to be big and bright.” He and Camille were living in Argentiel, just outside of Paris, and Monet had a huge garden built on credit and needed to sell a painting to pay his gardeners. Japonism was all the rage in Paris at the time, so here you go. This painting is in Boston — I’ve seen it a couple of times, and it’s sort of shockingly garish among the water lilies and haystacks.

He wanted to follow her, but he, too, was wearing a silk kimono with a floral pattern, and a wig pinned up with chopsticks. He would need to change before going out into the street and she’d get away, but he had some idea of where she might be going.

Henri in a kimono – photo by Maurice Guilbert