In the 150th anniversary since the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris, works by the master of Impressionism - Claude Monet - are going under the hammer at Sotheby's.
ADVERTISEMENTThe art world's spotlight turns towards London, as Sotheby's prepares to unveil a collection of unparalleled masterpieces in its Modern and Contemporary Evening auction on 6 March.
Among the coveted offerings are works by some of the most iconic figures in art history, including Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Francis Bacon, each piece carrying its own unique story and artistic brilliance.
At the forefront of the auction stands Monet's "Arbres au bord de l'eau, printemps a Giverny," a mesmerising depiction of tranquil natural beauty painted in 1885.
With an estimated value of up to £7 million (€8.1m), this masterpiece, which has remained in the same private collection for the past two decades, exemplifies the essence of Impressionism.
"It's 150 years since the first Impressionist exhibition was held in Paris. And we're looking back now at the way in which it revolutionised the way that we look at the world through the eyes of the artists. And in particular, it's the front runners like Claude Monet, in front of whose picture I stand now, who led this revolution," explains senior director of Impressionist and Modern Art at Sotheby's, Thomas Boyd-Bowman.
Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary Art sale includes another piece by Monet, as well as other international Impressionists like British artist Alfred Sisley and German Max Liebermann.
Other masterpieces going under the hammer
Another highlight of the auction is Pablo Picasso's poignant portrait, "Luis Vilaro" from 1904, which is estimated to make up to £7 million (€8.1m).
The portrait is an extremely rare example from Picasso's blue period (so called because of the distinctive blue palette employed by the artist at the time). Picasso was deeply moved by the suicide of a close friend during this period and many of the blue period works have a sombre, melancholy tone.
Most of his blue period works are currently held in museum collections and one hasn't reached the market since 2010 (it sold for $51 million (€47m)).
Another of the most anticipated lots is Francis Bacon's haunting study of George Dyer, painted in 1970, which emerges on the market for the first time in over half a century.
Estimated to fetch up to £7 million (€8.1m), the striking portrait captures the tumultuous relationship between the artist and his muse, George Dyer.
"They first met in 1963 and quickly formed an incredibly fraught tempestuous love affair. Highs and lows and I think we see that in Bacon's work. Dyer is a presence in over 40 paintings and had a phenomenal impact on him as a person and indeed as an artist," explains Tom Eddison, the senior director of contemporary art at Sotheby's.
Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary Evening auction will take place in London on 6 March.
