Rediscovered Monet Landscapes Head to Auction

Sotheby's Paris is set to present two rediscovered Claude Monet landscapes at its Art Moderne et Contemporain Evening Auction on 16 April. The works, titled Les Îles de Port-Villez and Vétheuil, effet du matin, have remained unseen by the public for decades.

Les Îles de Port-Villez, an oil on canvas from 1901, depicts a scene near Monet’s Giverny home. It has a $6.5m–$8.7m estimate. It was previously only known through black-and-white photographs.

Vétheuil, effet du matin, painted in 1883, captures the Seine near Vétheuil, a significant location for Monet's early landscapes. It has a $3.2m–$5.4m estimate.

The reappearance of these paintings from private collections offers insights into different stages of Monet's career and his consistent engagement with variations of light and atmospheric conditions in his Impressionist landscapes.