Remember me
The last time this Claude artwork was seen publicly, Mickey Mouse was making his film debut.
The famed Impressionist ’s Vétheuil, effet du matin had remained tucked away for nearly a century (98 years, to be exact) until it re-emerged as part of Sotheby’s latest sale in Paris. The intrigue behind the painting, which was long held in a private collection, and, of course, the man behind it, helped the piece soar: It ended up hammered down for $12.1 million (10.2 million euros), making to the most expensive Monet ever sold at in France.
The artist painted this piece back in 1901, when he—for a short period—moved away from his beloved Giverny (of Water Lilies fame, among others) in northern France and settled into a small hamlet on the Seine called Lavacourt. Across the great river lie the town of Vétheuil, and from his balcony Monet crafted a series of painting depicting the village beyond. One of which, of course, was Vétheuil, effet du matin, which shows the church of Notre-Dame de Vétheuil towering above its neighboring buildings, with the Seine at its feet. The work shows off Monet’s mastery in capturing light and an environment in constant flux, like the river and its surroundings. As such, it blew past its top estimate of 8 million euros after a 10-minute bidding battle.
Monet’s Les Îles de Port-Villez.
Damien Perronnet
And the record holder wasn’t the only Monet up for grabs. After a skirmish with five bidders, Les Îles de Port-Villez ended up hammering down for a cool $7.6 million (6.5 million euros), far above its top estimate of 5 million euros. And with good reason: This piece hasn’t been seen by the public for 115 years, and the sale marks the first time it has been shown in full color since it was made (previously, only black-and-white images of it existed). The work also marks an important time in Monet’s life, painted mere weeks after he settled in Giverny in 1883, a critical location whose landscapes would go on to inspire many a famed creation by the artist. The painting itself is full of the swirling blues and greens of the wooded islets of Port-Villez, which Monet captured by fully ingraining himself in the environment via a specially designed boat studio.
“It was a rare privilege to offer for sale in Paris two significant paintings by Claude Monet, rediscovered a century after their last public appearance,” Aurélie Vandevoorde, co-head of modern and contemporary art, Sotheby’s Paris, said in a press statement. “The intense bidding from across the globe powerfully underscores collectors’ enduring enthusiasm for Impressionist masterpieces presented in the very place of their creation. One hundred years after his passing, Claude Monet continues to stand as one of the most universal and compelling artists in art history.”
Other pieces in Sotheby’s Art Modern et Contemporain event included works from Marc Chagall’s Circus series, the first from the lineup to ever pop up on the block, and a Gerhard Richter that sold for nearly four times its top estimate. In total, the event raked $41 million (35 million euros)—bolstered, of course, by that pair of Monets.
Nicole Hoey
Nicole Hoey is Robb Report's digital editor. While studying at Boston University, she read, wrote and read some more as an English and journalism major. A class taught by a Boston Globe copy editor…
Read More
Comments (0)