A century-and-a-half after the dawn of Impressionism in 1874, Claude Monet’s Meules à Giverny (1893) will be auctioned at Sotheby’s modern evening auction on May 15th. The famed piece, notable for its iconic haystacks, is anticipated to hammer above $30 million.
“As one of his most beloved and important series, the haystacks embody Monet’s meticulous approach to painting,” said Sharon Kim, Sotheby’s deputy chairman of Impressionist and Modern art. “In revisiting scenes at different times of day and seasons, he carefully detailed the subtle changes in the landscape caused by the varying light and atmosphere to create a subtle and harmonious vision across his works, showcasing his continued experimentation with brushwork and looking ahead to his further evolution with the Nymphéas [water lilies] that would usher in an entire new era of modern art.”
Meules à Giverny is one of Monet’s last works to focus on his signature haystack motif. In recent years, these works have garnered increasing attention from the secondary market. Five years ago, his painting Meules (1890) hammered for $110 million at Sotheby’s, which set the artist’s record price and remains the highest Impressionist sale at auction.
This artwork is particularly significant due to its provenance. First brought to the United States in 1895 by the American landscape painter Dwight Blaney, Meules à Giverny was soon donated to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, then remained in private American collections for decades. This will be the first time the painting will be seen on the secondary market.
