Make way for Monet! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: Claude Monet’s Water Lilies painting will be the centerpiece of Christie’s first evening sale of 20th and 21st century art at its new Asia headquarters in Hong Kong. Nymphéas, a 127-year-old artwork that remained in the Monet family for decades, could now grace your halls. Monet’s beloved water lily pond at his home in Giverny inspired some of his greatest masterpieces (he created more than 250 water lily paintings), which now grace the walls of prestigious museums such as the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Kagoshima City Museum of Art and the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome.
This remarkable work, measuring 73.3 x 101 cm, has the potential to become one of the most valuable Western works of art ever auctioned in Asia. Claude Monet’s Nymphéas are among the most influential paintings in modern art history and are a fitting choice for the inaugural auction at Christie’s new Zaha Hadid-designed headquarters in the Henderson Building.
“As one of the few remaining rare works from Monet’s groundbreaking first Water Lilies series still in private hands, while others can be found in museums around the world, this painting is a truly unique treasure,” said Cristian Albu, Vice Chairman and Head of 20th/21st Century Art at Christie’s Asia Pacific. “We are honoured to be able to present this landmark painting to our discerning collectors in Asia, meeting the increasing demand for iconic Western artworks of the highest quality.” Monet’s 1897 artwork is expected to be the main attraction of the opening auction at Christie’s on September 26.
