Two highly significant works by the Impressionist master Claude Monet are poised to command record-breaking figures at an upcoming London auction. Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary Evening sale will feature a 1907 'Nympheas' (Water Lilies) painting, which carries an estimated value of between £30 million and £40 million. This represents the highest estimate ever placed on a Monet work to come to auction in Europe.
The 'Nympheas' painting is described by Sotheby's as a "lyrically ethereal and luminous view" of Monet's renowned water lily pond at Giverny, belonging to a pivotal series created between 1904 and 1909. Alongside it, a rare and intimate early portrait of his first wife, Camille Doncieux, titled 'Camille assise sur la plage a Trouville', is expected to fetch between £7 million and £10 million. This 1870 work depicts Camille on the Normandy coast and is one of only a few portraits of her to ever appear at auction, given her passing at the age of 32 in 1879.
Helena Newman, Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and Chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art Worldwide, highlighted the unique nature of this offering. She commented that the simultaneous presentation of these two works, painted almost half a century apart, provides an extraordinary opportunity to trace the evolution of Monet's artistic practice. Newman suggested that the portrait of Camille serves almost as a "manifesto" of his pioneering 'plein air' approach, laying the visual foundations for the revolutionary artistic language he would later develop.
Both paintings are being offered from the same private collection and will be presented in London for the first time. The 'Nympheas' remained in the collection of the esteemed patron and collector Anne Bass for nearly four decades, while the portrait of Camille previously belonged to Peggy and David Rockefeller. Having been part of major American collections for generations, their arrival in London marks a significant moment for the European art market.
Sotheby's emphasises that the pairing of these two pieces "encapsulate both the origins and culmination of Monet’s revolutionary artistic practice", drawing on his two most enduring sources of inspiration: his iconic water garden at Giverny and his beloved wife, Camille. The auction, a key event in the global art calendar, is scheduled to take place in London on 24th June, attracting collectors and enthusiasts from around the world.
Monet is known to have painted approximately 250 oil paintings of water lilies during his lifetime, making this particular 1907 piece a significant addition to the market. The sale underscores London's continued prominence as a global hub for high-value art transactions and a centre for showcasing masterpieces of art history.