Claude Monet’s Le Parlement, soleil couchant, a magisterial depiction of London’s Gothic Houses of Parliament, as viewed from across the River Thames.Estimated at US$35-45 million
Le Parlement, soleil couchant will be among the top lots of Christie’s Looking Forward to the Past evening auction on May 11, a curated selection of top-quality works that explores the most innovative artists and movements of the20thCentury.
This wonderfully expressive Monet is simply one of the greatest depictions of the Houses of Parliament by the greatest artist of the 19th Century. Moreover, this picture heralds a new age in painting as artists were inspired by Monet to liberate colour and create wonderful abstractions by interpreting real subjects. One could argue that these pictures heralded the end of academic painting as artists were inspired to follow the path of abstraction from 1902 onwards. Monet was the father of modernism”.
Claude Monet’s Le Parlement, soleil couchant remains today one of the most entrancing series to have been composed by the artist duringthe finalphase of his career. Monet’s views of the Thames established a new departure in his work, preparing the ground for his last, mythic feat: the Nymphéas(Water Lilies) series.
Depicting a beautiful sunset over the Houses of Parliament, Le Parlement, soleil couchant belongs to a group of nineteen views that Monet started working on in 1900 and 1901. Le Parlement, soleil couchant and all the other views of Parliament were painted during the late hours of the afternoon and in early evenings. The present work appears to be a fantastical vision: backlit by a luminous pink sky breaching through the crevice sof the clouds, while the ilhouette of Parliament rises like a blue mirage, wavering above the water. Of the series, only five—Soleil couchant included—are still in private collections. The remaining fourteen are part of the collections of some of the world's most important museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Muséed'Orsay in Paris and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
The painting is one of three major works by Monett o feature in Christie’s upcoming Evening Sales in May; the two others come fro the collection of late Goldman Sachs Chairman John Whitehead, a 90-piece collection of classic Impressionist works led by Monet’s Paysage de matin (Giverny), 1888 and Les meules à Giverny, 1885
Le Parlement, soleil couchant will be among the top lots of Christie’s Looking Forward to the Past evening auction on May 11, a curated selection of top-quality works that explores the most innovative artists and movements of the20thCentury.
This wonderfully expressive Monet is simply one of the greatest depictions of the Houses of Parliament by the greatest artist of the 19th Century. Moreover, this picture heralds a new age in painting as artists were inspired by Monet to liberate colour and create wonderful abstractions by interpreting real subjects. One could argue that these pictures heralded the end of academic painting as artists were inspired to follow the path of abstraction from 1902 onwards. Monet was the father of modernism”.
Claude Monet’s Le Parlement, soleil couchant remains today one of the most entrancing series to have been composed by the artist duringthe finalphase of his career. Monet’s views of the Thames established a new departure in his work, preparing the ground for his last, mythic feat: the Nymphéas(Water Lilies) series.
Depicting a beautiful sunset over the Houses of Parliament, Le Parlement, soleil couchant belongs to a group of nineteen views that Monet started working on in 1900 and 1901. Le Parlement, soleil couchant and all the other views of Parliament were painted during the late hours of the afternoon and in early evenings. The present work appears to be a fantastical vision: backlit by a luminous pink sky breaching through the crevice sof the clouds, while the ilhouette of Parliament rises like a blue mirage, wavering above the water. Of the series, only five—Soleil couchant included—are still in private collections. The remaining fourteen are part of the collections of some of the world's most important museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Muséed'Orsay in Paris and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
The painting is one of three major works by Monett o feature in Christie’s upcoming Evening Sales in May; the two others come fro the collection of late Goldman Sachs Chairman John Whitehead, a 90-piece collection of classic Impressionist works led by Monet’s Paysage de matin (Giverny), 1888 and Les meules à Giverny, 1885
Mr. Whitehead, who passed away in February, was among the captains of the global finance industry for four decades, having served as Chairman of Goldman Sachs during its critical phase of global expansion. His signature brand of quiet leadership earned him both success and accolades, making him a sought-after leader and an invaluable resource within finance and government sectors, as well as the philanthropic and educational community. He became a key diplomatic figure at the end of the Cold War, serving as Deputy Secretary of State during the Reagan administration, and later as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He led numerous civic and charitable organizations during his storied career, and in the wake of 9/11, he answered the call to serve as chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, tasked with rebuilding the area around Ground Zero. Throughout his career, he served on a wide range of boards, including Haverford College, the International Rescue Committee, the Boy Scouts of America, and Christie’s own American Advisory Board, among many others.
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
Among the star works from the Whitehead Collection to be featured within the May Evening Sale are Amedeo Modigliani’sPortrait deBéatrice Hastings from 1916 (US$7-10million) and Claude Monet’s Paysage de matin (Giverny) (US$6-8million; pictured page one).Together, these works depict the sweeping range of the collection; Modigliani’s portrait representing the dynamism of the European Avant-Garde and Monet’s landscape evoking the purity of French Impressionism with its revelry in light.
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Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait de Béatrice Hastings, oil on canvas, 1916. US $7-10million
- This dynamic portrait depicts Modigliani’s muse Béatrice Hastings, one of many pen names for South African writer, poet and literary critic, Emily Alice Haigh.
- Hastings frequently posed for Modigliani, with whom she shared an apartment in Monteparnasse.
- Modigliani used portraiture, especially of those in his immediate circle, as a means to explore an idealised aspect of humanity, an image of internal as well as external likeness.
- With its expressive painterly surface, Béatrice Hastings, is in glorious physical condition, giving it the appearance of just having left the easel.
Claude Monet, Paysage de matin (Giverny), oil on canvas, 1888. US $6-8million –
- Paysage de matin (Giverny) is a consummate example of the luminescent landscapes completed by Monet during his distinguished middle career.
- Monet executed these works by situating himself in the midst of the French countryside with the hopes of encapsulating the light and conditions of a summer day within his canvases. Paysage de matin is an exceptional illustration of Monet’s ability to capture the light effects of his beloved Giverny.
- The present work is representative of Monet’s most sought after qualities, contributing to its broad global appeal.
Claude Monet, Les meules à Giverny, 1885