Two Monet paintings unseen for a century head to auction at Sotheby’s Paris

Two Rare Monet Paintings Unseen for a Century Head to Sotheby’s Paris

Two Claude Monet landscape paintings that have been hidden in private collections for more than a century are set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Art Moderne et Contemporain Evening Auction in Paris on April 16. The works, “Les Îles de Port-Villez” and “Vétheuil, Effet du Matin,” together carry a combined estimate of €9 million to €13 million, making them the most valuable Monet paintings to appear at auction in France since 2001, according to Sotheby’s.artnet

Rediscovered After a Century in Private Hands

“Les Îles de Port-Villez,” painted in 1883 shortly after Monet moved to Giverny, depicts the thickly wooded islands stranded in the Seine across from his new home. Estimated at €3 million to €5 million, the painting was last displayed at Paul Durand-Ruel’s Fifth Avenue gallery in the early 20th century and had previously been known only through a black-and-white photograph from the 1950s. Durand-Ruel, an early champion of Monet’s work, even lent the painter 20,000 francs to purchase his Giverny home in 1890.sothebys

The second work, “Vétheuil, Effet du Matin,” dates to 1901 and carries the higher estimate of €6 million to €8 million. It is a pointillistic rendering of the village of Vétheuil as seen from across the Seine, part of a series of 15 canvases Monet painted during the summer of 1901 from a rented house in Lavacourt.artnet

Two Phases of Monet’s Evolution

The pairing offers a rare window into two distinct periods of Monet’s career. In 1883, Monet worked from a customized studio boat, painting the islands with energetic, generous strokes. “He’s saying: ‘I am going to choose the part of the landscape that I want to paint,'” Thomas Bompard, co-head of modern and contemporary art at Sotheby’s Paris, told Artnet News. “He really becomes the master of his aesthetic”.artnet

By 1901, Monet’s circumstances had changed. Famous and financially successful, he had traded the studio boat for a chauffeured Panhard & Levassor automobile. The later painting reflects a more expansive compositional approach, balancing atmospheric feeling with fine detail.artnet

A Rare Opportunity for Collectors

After news of the “Les Îles de Port-Villez” consignment circulated through French collecting networks in January, the second long-held Monet emerged for consignment as well, according to Artnet News. Recent Monet market activity suggests strong demand: a Vétheuil canvas sold for $3.2 million at Christie’s New York in 2025, surpassing its $1.8 million low estimate.artnet

“For a collector to be able to bid on a great Monet which is in perfect condition and has not been seen for a century, it almost doesn’t exist anymore,” Bompard said.artnet