Claude Monet

Cyrus J. Lawrence, New York (acquired circa 1891 and sold: New York, The American Art Association, January 21-22, 1910, no. 71)
Richard H. Lawrence, New York (sold: New York, The American Art Association, January 28-29, 1926, lot 174)
Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired at the above sale)
Durand-Ruel, New York (acquired from the above on April 15, 1946)
Private Collection (circa 1957)
Marc Blondeau, Geneva
Louis Stern Fine Arts, Los Angeles (acquired from the above in 1994)
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1995)

New York, Union League Club, Monet, 1891, no. 79
London, Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd., Selected Pictures by Claude Monet, 1936, no. 10
Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, Exposition du Centenaire de Monet-Rodin au profit de l'entraide des artistes, 1940, no. 26
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Collects: Impressions of France, 1998, no. 47, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 2000 (on loan)

Maurice Malingue, Claude Monet, Monaco, 1943, illustrated in color p. 64
Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet, biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. I, Paris, 1974, no. 640, illustrated p. 391
Daniel Wildenstein, Monet Catalogue Raisonné, vol. II, Paris, 1996, no. 640, illustrated p. 243 (with the measurements 60 by 79 cm)

Original canvas. There are minimal, isolated areas of tiny flake-loss in the sky and some minor surface scuffs along the right framing edge, almost half-way down from the top. Under ultra-violet light, there are minimal, scattered specks of retouching in the sky and a few tiny specks in the water. There is a thin layer of surface dirt that could easily benefit from a cleaning. Over all, this work is in very good condition. Colors: Over all, there is less gray-purple tonality in reality and the blue is a bit paler then it appears in the catalogue illustration.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This remarkably prescient depiction of the Seine at Vétheuil from 1881 foreshadows the many luminous depictions of his water lily pond that Monet would paint nearly two decades later.  At this point in his career, Monet was beginning to move away from the visually accurate transcriptions of light and color that had occupied him in the 1870s, when he was heavily involved with exhibiting his work with the rest of the Impressionist group in Paris.   Now he began to experiment with a variety of brushstrokes, compositional formats, and motifs.  In the present work, for example, Monet focuses on the multi-colored reflection of the foliage in the calm waters of the river.   The overall misty atmosphere of the landscape permeates his palette, which is composed primarily of hazy blues and greens.  As we can see here, the changes in Monet's painting of the 1880s are largely a function of his ever-increasing emphasis on the elements of painting itself: brushstroke, palette, surface, and compositional format.  The canvases of this period, as the present work attests, are much more atmospherically unified than any of his earlier works.

This new change in Monet's style came about not long after the artist moved with this family to Vétheuil in April of 1878, after living in Argenteuil for seven years.   The village was located on the Seine about twenty-five miles northwest of Paris, and it was here that he lived with his friend and patron Ernest Hoschedé for over two years.    Due to financial pressures and the need to sell his paintings, he experimented with new styles that would ultimately define the course of his career.   As is the case for the present work, many of the pictures strike a remarkable balance between the naturalist-realist origins of Impressionism and the bold experimentation that became such an important element in the "series" paintings that began to dominate his work from the late 1880s.