Monet’s $ 50 million view of Venice returns to the lagoon before Sotheby’s auction in New York

More than 100 years after the first and only visit of the French painter Claude Monet, to Venice, during which the master of Impressionism created an extraordinary series of 37 paintings that captured the inimitable views of the city, the masterpiece “Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute “will return to the lagoon on 20 April for a special exhibition at Palazzo Gritti on the occasion of the inauguration of the 59th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, before appearing at auction as the main lot of the ‘Modern Evening Auction’ of Sotheby’s in New York on May 17 with an estimate of $ 50 million. Executed in 1908, “Le Grand Canal” is a glittering and luminescent view of the Grand Canal and the church of Santa Maria della Salute and is one of the most beautiful works ever created by the artist, and the culmination of the series painted during the Venetian stay of Monet. Prior to its special presentation in Venice, “Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute” will embark on a global tour, stopping first in Taipei, where on March 27, it will be presented to the public for the first time in 25 years since it was exhibited. at the Kimbell Art Museum in 1997; it will then be in Hong Kong (April 8-11), London (April 23-26) and New York (May 6-17). On April 20, “Le Grand Canal” will be exhibited in the historic Palazzo Gritti, from where the view is almost exactly like the one depicted in the painting. It will be the centerpiece of Sotheby’s activities in Venice during the opening of the Biennale Arte, which will include a highly curated series of events and the painting will also be admired by a group of select guests at a splendid dinner at Palazzo Gritti, co-hosted by Charles Stewart, CEO of Sotheby’s, Brooke Lampley and Olivia Walton, just appointed president of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. “Le Grand Canal” will be the star of Sotheby’s “May Modern Evening Sale” in New York where the masterpiece is expected to reach a figure of around 50 million dollars. The offering follows a series of Monet’s masterpieces that have been sold in consecutive New York sales at Sotheby’s for more than $ 50 million in recent years: the staggering $ 50.8 million achieved last November for ” Monet’s Coin du bassin aux nymphéas “from 1918 and” Le Bassin aux nymphéas “sold for $ 70.4 million in May 2021. Helena Newman, president of Sotheby’s Europe and world head of impressionist and modern art at the auction house , said: “Monet’s acclaimed series of paintings are among the most instantly recognizable and undesirable in the world. Among them, his views of Venice are perhaps the most fascinating, channeling the magic of the city onto the canvas. this exceptionally rare work at auction follows the great achievements of modern masterpieces in our global halls over the past twelve months and represents a wonderful opportunity for collectors seeking the best of the best. “Julian Dawes, head of modern art at Sotheby’s America, added:” Few artists have captured the popular imagination as strongly as Claude Monet, whose works continue to inspire awe for their beauty and perspective experimentation. . Bathing the eternal city of water in sublime light and iridescent pigments, Monet anticipated the lyrical abstractions and bold coloring that would define artistic advancement in the second half of the twentieth century. His bold brushwork and palette allude to the later genius of artists such as Rothko, Mitchell, Richter and Thiebaud, among the many inheritors of Monet’s unparalleled legacy. “Many of Monet’s canvases during his three-month trip to Venice in 1908 they are found in important collections of international museums, such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Fine Art Museums in San Francisco, and the series of works is among the artist’s most sought after and acclaimed. “Le Grand Canal” is undoubtedly the most beautiful of a discreet group of six canvases painted from the steps of Palazzo Barbaro looking across and down the Grand Canal towards Santa Maria della Salute. Monet and his wife Alice traveled to Venice in the autumn of 1908 at the invitation of Mary Young Hunter, a wealthy American who was introduced to the French couple by John Singer Sargent. Welcomed by a circle of wealthy Americans in Venice, Monet spent his time at the Palazzo Barbaro and the Grand Hotel Britann ia, both on the Grand Canal, capturing some of the most iconic images of his career. Monet’s depiction of the domes of Santa Maria della Salute on the Grand Canal, seen from the steps of Palazzo Barbaro, marks a striking juxtaposition between the detailed depictions of Venice by the ancient masters and the even more sumptuous and picturesque 18th century views of the famous lagoon city. Monet’s series introduces a fresh approach that subtly captures the ever-changing splendor of light on the city’s ancient buildings and the water that surrounds them.