Claude Monet - Le Bassin aux nymphéas 1917-1920
Le Bassin aux nymphéas 1917-1920
97x129cm oil/canvas
Sold for: USD 15.98 million
Auction house: Sotheby’s, New York
Sale date: 16 May 2017
Seller: Private Collection
Buyer: Anonymous buyer
From Sotheby’s, New York:
Claude Monet’s paintings of his water lily pond at Giverny rank among the most celebrated Impressionist pictures. The profound impact the series made on the evolution of modern art distinguishes this important series as Monet’s greatest achievement. The famous lily pond in his garden at Giverny provided the subject matter for most of his major late works, recording the changes in his style and his constant pictorial innovations. The present work, which dates from circa 1917-20, is a powerful testament to Monet’s enduring vision and creativity in his mature years. Le Bassin aux nymphéas triumphantly achieves monuments of color; the water reflects the skies’ shifting hues and the lilies themselves are elegant touches of paint applied with bravura.