Claude Monet

Van Houten (sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 12th June 1953, lot 11)
Leonardo Benatou, Paris
Private Collection, USA (acquired from the above on 4th November 1955; sale: Christie's, New York, 4th May 2004, lot 18)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Monet in Holland, 1986-87, no. 30, illustrated in the catalogue

Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet, Biographie et catalogue raisonné, Lausanne, 1974, vol. I, no. 305, illustrated p. 247
Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet, Catalogue raisonné, Cologne, 1996, vol. II, no. 305, illustrated p. 130

The canvas is lined, and the paint surface has been flattened due to this process. There is a thick varnish through which UV light cannot fully penetrate. There is retouching at intervals throughout the lower right quadrant, to all four edges and to the centre of the sky, mainly to the centre left of the horizon. All retouching is indistinctly visible under UV light. The work has been extensively cleaned in the past. This work is in fair condition. Colours: The colours are darker and more harmonious in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Monet's Dutch landscapes, which number around forty in total, constitute a fascinating and somewhat mysterious prelude to the main body of his œuvre. Monet first visited Holland in 1871, staying in Zaandam, and visiting Amsterdam at some point during this trip. However, the brushwork of Le Binnen-Amstel, Amsterdam would suggest a later date, leading Daniel Wildenstein to suggest a date of February or March 1874 for the present work, meaning that Monet must have a made a second, unrecorded, trip to Amsterdam. 

Monet's decision to visit Holland may have had much to do with his admiration for the work of Jongkind, whose work, with its emphasis on painting in the open air, provided an inspiration to many of the earliest Impressionists. Monet first met Jongkind in 1862, and came to regard the older artist as his true master. The Dutch landscape itself also held attractions for the artist; the grey tonalities and distinctive light of the Low Countries drew praise from many French authors and critics in the 19th century, and the great tradition of Dutch landscape painting would also have provided a further stimulus for the artist to make repeated visits to the Low Countries.    

The scene rendered in this work is one Monet returned to on three occasions during these early Amsterdam works. The view is one of the most picturesque vistas in the city, often found in tourist guidebooks and lithographs of the city. The dynamic and confident handling of the paint clearly distinguishes the present work from the canvases on Monet's first trip to Amsterdam, and is among the earliest manifestations of the Impressionist techniques that would become more evident in Monet's mature style. Le Binnel-Amstel, Amsterdam thus constitutes an important and rare document of the early development of Impressionism's foremost figure.