Sotheby’s announces a Monet to lead the February sales:
SOTHEBY’S forthcoming London Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 3rd February 2015 will be led by an exceptionally rare and important view of Venice by Claude Monet, Le Grand Canal of 1908, estimated at £20-30 million /$30.6 -45.9m / €25.6-38.3m.
Helena Newman, Sotheby’s Co-Head, Impressionist & Modern Art Worldwide, said: “The market for works by Claude Monet has now reached an all-time point of strength, with bidders coming from four times as many countries as a decade ago. Reflecting the outstanding quality and beauty of the work, Le Grand Canal was prominently displayed for eight years at The National Gallery, London. Given the painting’s rarity and exceptional quality, and the strong price of £19.7m achieved when we sold Monet’s Venice view Le Palais Contarini in 2013, we anticipate enthusiastic global interest prior to the sale in February.”
Painted during a three-month trip to Venice in 1908 – the year of one of the first Venice Biennales – such works depicting Venice are highly sought after by collectors as they represent the peak of Monet’s career. Le Grand Canal has been exhibited around the world, most recently on loan to The National Gallery, London, for eight years (2006-2014) and previously exhibited at the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the Royal Academy of Arts London.
Prior to Sotheby’s auction on 3rd February in London, the painting will be exhibited in Taipei (7th January 2015) Hong Kong (9th-12th January 2015), New York (21st-23rdJanuary 2015) and then London (28th January – 3rd February 2015).
