Monet painting sold at auction
Jun. 19th, 2007 02:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anam_moonA view of the River Thames painted by Claude Monet sold for almost $36 million at auction Monday, kicking off a week of big-budget sales on the London art market.
"Waterloo Bridge, Temps Couvert" ("Waterloo Bridge, Overcast Weather") was bought by an anonymous American bidder for $35.6 million including buyer's premium during a sale at Christie's auction house.
The price — more than double the work's pre-sale estimate — is the second-highest ever for a Monet at auction. The record of $39.7 million was set at Sotheby's in 1998.
"Waterloo Bridge, Temps Couvert" is one of a series of views of the bridge and river that Monet painted from his room at the Savoy Hotel near the start of the 20th century.
Another Monet, the water lily painting "Les Arceaux de Roses, Givenchy," sold for $17.8 million Monday, just below its pre-sale estimate.
Bobby Read, an expert at art insurer Hiscox, said the sale showed the art market is "going from strength to strength."
"Paintings like the Monets sold at Christie's are few and far between," he said.
Monday's sale of impressionist and modern art begins a week of high-profile auctions by Christie's and its rival, Sotheby's, that experts say could generate almost $1 billion.
"Waterloo Bridge, Temps Couvert" ("Waterloo Bridge, Overcast Weather") was bought by an anonymous American bidder for $35.6 million including buyer's premium during a sale at Christie's auction house.
The price — more than double the work's pre-sale estimate — is the second-highest ever for a Monet at auction. The record of $39.7 million was set at Sotheby's in 1998.
"Waterloo Bridge, Temps Couvert" is one of a series of views of the bridge and river that Monet painted from his room at the Savoy Hotel near the start of the 20th century.
Another Monet, the water lily painting "Les Arceaux de Roses, Givenchy," sold for $17.8 million Monday, just below its pre-sale estimate.
Bobby Read, an expert at art insurer Hiscox, said the sale showed the art market is "going from strength to strength."
"Paintings like the Monets sold at Christie's are few and far between," he said.
Monday's sale of impressionist and modern art begins a week of high-profile auctions by Christie's and its rival, Sotheby's, that experts say could generate almost $1 billion.
