Monet Haystacks painting sells for record $110.7m at New York auction
Work is just one of four Monet paintings to have been sold at auction this century
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An oil painting by Claude Monet hailed as an “undisputed masterpiece” has set a new world record after being sold for $110.7m (£85.6m) at auction.
The work is part of Monet’s Meules (Haystacks) series comprising 25 paintings, which depict life near his home in the Normandy region of France.
The sale is the first time an Impressionist painting has been sold for more than $100m. Nymphéas en Fleur was previously the most expensive Monet painting, selling for $84.7m in May 2018.
“The winning bid shatters the previous record for the highest sum ever paid for a work by Monet, signalling the enduring value and popularity of the French impressionist master; the bid is also the record for any impressionist work of art,” Sotheby’s said.
The painting was last auctioned in 1986, when it fetched just $2.5m, and had been in the hands of one family for nearly a century. It is one of just four of Monet’s works to be auctioned this century.
Its buyer reportedly beat five other bidders at the sale in New York. Sotheby’s did not name the new owner.
The example is one of eight works from the series that remain in private hands. The other 17 examples are in the collections of leading museums around the world, including the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments