“In 1883, Monet and his family settled at Giverny, northwest of Paris. Three years later he acquired an adjacent piece of land and applied for permission to dig a pond, which he hoped would be a source of artistic inspiration,” writes Rebecca Wei, President of Christie’s Asia. “In his petition to the local authorities, Monet specified that the pond would serve ‘for the pleasure of the eyes and also for the purpose of having subjects to paint.”
One of Claude Monet’s (1840-1926) “Water Lilies” or Nympheas en fleur, painted circa 1914-1917 will be offered to bidders in “The Collection of David and Peggy Rockefeller: 19th & 20th Century Art, Evening Sale” on 8 May at Christie’s New York. Monet did not exhibit the Nympheas in his lifetime. “They remained with Monet’s family, largely unknow, for roughly a quarter-century following his death in 1926 and the installation of the Grandes decorations at the Musee de l’Orangerie in Paris in 1927.
Even if you don’t plan on bidding, you can visit Monet’s gardens in Givenry on your next trip to France. And when you’re in Paris, experience his “Water Lilies” series in the oval rooms at l’Orangerie.
Video: Claude Monet’s Nymphéas
Originally posted on Yoursurvivalguy.com.
