Claude Monet

Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired from the artist in 1881)
Ernest May, Paris (acquired from the above in 1882 and until circa 1958)
Knoedler & Co., New York
Sam Salz, New York
Martin J. & Sidney A. Zimet, New York (acquired from the above in 1962)
The Henry Zimet Foundation, New York (a gift from the above. Sold: Sotheby's, London, 23^rd October 1963, lot 2)
Purchased at the above sale by the father of the present owners

New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Summer Loan Exhibition, 1962, no. 59

Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet, biographie et catalogue raisonné, Lausanne & Paris, 1974, vol. I, no. 699, illustrated p. 415
Daniel Wildenstein, Monet, Catalogue raisonné, Cologne, 1996, vol. II, no. 699, illustrated in colour p. 262

The canvas is strip-lined. Apart from some scattered spots of retouching mainly in the sky, an area of retouching to the left of the upper framing edge and a thin line of retouching to the right framing edge, visible under ultra-violet light, this work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although the greens are brighter 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."

In 1880, Monet moved to the town of Vétheuil along the Seine river where he would remain until settling in Giverny by 1883. The artist's paintings of Vétheuil reflect a critical development in the evolution of his style, a time when he was willing to strike out from the now-established techniques of his early Impressionist idiom that he had perfected while living in Argenteuil in the 1870s. In Berges de la Seine près de Vétheuil, this development is exemplified with the heightened horizon line and the rushing movement which characterizes the foreground. This particular view of Vétheuil includes the Plain of Lavacourt and, visible in the distance, poplar trees which would  become a focus for him in the 'series' paintings of 1891-92 (fig. 1). The fields at Lavacourt feature prominently in the masterworks from this period and the artist was clearly drawn to the rich foliage of this area.

The significance of Vétheuil for Monet's artistic pursuits was evoked in an interview the artist provided to Emile Taboureux from La Vie Moderne in 1880. As Daniel Wildenstein describes, 'The highlight of the interview was Monet's abrupt reaction to the request to see his studio: "My studio! I have 'never' had a studio, and can't understand how one can shut oneself up in a room. To draw, yes; to paint, no." And then the declaration: "There is my studio!", with a sweeping gesture embracing the Seine, the hills and Vétheuil as a whole' (D. Wildenstein, Monet or the Triumph of Impressionism, Cologne, 1996, vol. I, p. 162).

Many of the Vétheuil landscapes strike a balance between the naturalist-realist origins of Impressionism and the bold experimentation in capturing the changing light of day that became an important element in his 1890s masterpieces. The landscapes painted in 1880 already show the artist exploring the variations of atmospheric light in views across the Seine that included the belltower of Vétheuil and the villa 'Les Tourelles' (fig 2). Painted the following year, Berges de la Seine près de Vétheuil belongs to a similar series. According to Daniel Wildenstein's catalogue raisonné on the artist's work, there were three oils painted from this particular vantage point in 1881. The present work is the most ambitious of the three in its spontaneity of form and bold dialogue with abstraction.

Fig. 1, Claude Monet, Peupliers sur les bords de l'Epte, 1891-92, oil on canvas, The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

Fig. 2, Claude Monet, Vétheuil en été, 1880, oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York