Camille Doncieux

Personal

Vocation

Family

French artists' model, the subject of a number of paintings by her husband Claude Monet, and by his friends Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Édouard Manet. She was mother to two sons with Monet. While in her teens, Doncieux began work as a model. She met Monet, seven years her senior, in 1865 and became his model posing for numerous paintings. She was Monet's mistress, living in poverty at the beginning of his career. His aunt and father did not approve of the relationship with Camille. During Camille's pregnancy with their first son, Monet left her in Paris and stayed at his aunt's country estate to protect the monthly cheque that he received from the family and give the appearance that he was no longer in a relationship with Camille. She was left behind in Paris without funds for her care. In Paris on 8 August 1867, Camille Doncieux gave birth to Jean, her first son with Claude Monet. Camille and Monet were married on 28 June 1870 in Paris with painter Gustave Courbet as a witness. Ernest and Alice Hoschedé came to live with the Monets after the rich family lost their fortune. They lived with them first in Vétheuil and then the two families moved to a larger house on the road from Vétheuil to La Roche-Guyon that would support the 12 member Hoschedé and Monet families and servants. Their second son, Michel was born on 17 March 1878, and Camille's poor health was further degraded. She died of pelvic cancer (although some sources say the cause of her death was tuberculosis, or possibly a botched abortion) on 5 September 1879 in Vétheuil. Monet painted her on her deathbed. Link to Wikipedia biography