1878
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Manet Monet < 1879 Caillebotte Sargent Paris Self portrait II US painting < 1940 Wild West
See also : Manet Monet < 1879 Caillebotte Sargent Paris Self portrait II US painting < 1940 Wild West
MANET
1
1878-1879 Self Portrait with palette
2010 SOLD for £ 22.4M by Sotheby's
In 1878 or 1879, Edouard Manet painted two self portraits, which were the only ones of his career. Perhaps he wanted to change the image that his contemporaries had of him, fifteen years after such powerful and scandalous progresses of modern art as were le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Olympia.
Manet is not a rapin. This colloquial term used in Paris at that time applied to partygoer artists who courted easy milliners who were known as grisettes. Instead, his elegant jacket and hat, and his full and forked beard provided the image of a grand bourgeois.
The oil on canvas 85 x 71 cm reinforces the quest for respectability by including the professional attributes of the artist: his brushes and palette. There is however an obstacle to the social success of Manet : he stares into space, sadly. Aged 47, he is already sick.
Manet is often classified among the Impressionists, whom he was one of the first to support. He was rather a great experimenter of the artistic language, and each of his paintings is a bit unique. This one is among the most prestigious. It was sold for $ 18.7M by Christie's on May 12, 1997, lot 107, and for £ 22.4M by Sotheby's on June 22, 2010, lot 9. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Manet is not a rapin. This colloquial term used in Paris at that time applied to partygoer artists who courted easy milliners who were known as grisettes. Instead, his elegant jacket and hat, and his full and forked beard provided the image of a grand bourgeois.
The oil on canvas 85 x 71 cm reinforces the quest for respectability by including the professional attributes of the artist: his brushes and palette. There is however an obstacle to the social success of Manet : he stares into space, sadly. Aged 47, he is already sick.
Manet is often classified among the Impressionists, whom he was one of the first to support. He was rather a great experimenter of the artistic language, and each of his paintings is a bit unique. This one is among the most prestigious. It was sold for $ 18.7M by Christie's on May 12, 1997, lot 107, and for £ 22.4M by Sotheby's on June 22, 2010, lot 9. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1 bis
for reference
1878-1879 Self Portrait with cap
Bridgestone Museum, Tokyo
For Edouard Manet, a portrait painting had to consider the transition between light and shadow like for any other theme. He preferred executing it outdoors, quickly, in a single sitting session. Commissioners did not like his candid unflattering representations which in some way anticipate by around 10 years the self portrait masterpiece by le Douanier Rousseau.
The self portrait with cap, which is the only full length standing self portrait in his career, meets these rules. Its image is shared by Wikimedia.
The self portrait with cap, which is the only full length standing self portrait in his career, meets these rules. Its image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
1878 Rue Mosnier aux Drapeaux
1989 SOLD for $ 26.4M by Christie's
A keen Republican and a friend of Zola, Edouard Manet was appealed by the depiction of daily life with its pleasures and pains.
After the Franco-Prussian war and the Commune, the Troisième République was established, endeavoring to bring back peace and prosperity. From May to October 1878 in Paris, the Exposition Universelle is the showcase of that recovery.
A Fête de la Paix is inserted in the calendar of the Exposition at June 30 to honor the French Republic. It is an opportunity to let crowds occupy the streets and to hang from the windows the French tricolore flag. Two years later the feast becomes yearly and national and is transferred to Bastille day.
Monet and Manet represented the feast in an opposite style. Monet's Rue Montorgueil is a masterpiece of Impressionnisme, intermingling the atmosphere of the feast with the colors of innumerable flags.
Manet's depiction is not festive but social. The rue Mosnier was painted from Manet's studio window. It is only occupied by sparse horse carriages with bourgeois at mid and far distances. and a disabled man in the foreground, behind a ladder carried by a worker out of field. The one legged beggar in a difficult walk with crutches symbolizes the ravages of war. The top down view reveals a garbage area behind a fence.
Rue Mosnier aux drapeaux, oil on canvas 65 x 80 cm, was sold for $ 26.4M by Christie's on November 14, 1989. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
After the Franco-Prussian war and the Commune, the Troisième République was established, endeavoring to bring back peace and prosperity. From May to October 1878 in Paris, the Exposition Universelle is the showcase of that recovery.
A Fête de la Paix is inserted in the calendar of the Exposition at June 30 to honor the French Republic. It is an opportunity to let crowds occupy the streets and to hang from the windows the French tricolore flag. Two years later the feast becomes yearly and national and is transferred to Bastille day.
Monet and Manet represented the feast in an opposite style. Monet's Rue Montorgueil is a masterpiece of Impressionnisme, intermingling the atmosphere of the feast with the colors of innumerable flags.
Manet's depiction is not festive but social. The rue Mosnier was painted from Manet's studio window. It is only occupied by sparse horse carriages with bourgeois at mid and far distances. and a disabled man in the foreground, behind a ladder carried by a worker out of field. The one legged beggar in a difficult walk with crutches symbolizes the ravages of war. The top down view reveals a garbage area behind a fence.
Rue Mosnier aux drapeaux, oil on canvas 65 x 80 cm, was sold for $ 26.4M by Christie's on November 14, 1989. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1878 MONET
Roses et Brouillard
2021 SOLD for $ 10.4M by Sotheby's
Facing a great financial hardship, Claude Monet and his family moved in August 1878 from Argenteuil to Vétheuil. Obviously the degradation of Camille's health worsened the situation.
Renoir was keen of painting still lifes of potted flowers. Monet managed to follow because tabletop with flowers would be easier to sell than his outdoor paintings. His output in that new theme in very scarce. In 1879 and 1880 he will also try the tabletops of fruit and game.
The two flowers paintings acquired from Monet in June 1878 by a Parisian collector were very probably Roses et brouillard and Bouquet de glaïeuls, lis et marguerites.
Monet was a skilled painter whatever the theme and these two works are very different. Roses et brouillard displays a very tight texture of tiny vegetal elements in a ceramic pot, just as Renoir did in the same year with his pot of lilacs, sold for £ 6.9M by Sotheby's on June 25, 2024, lot 37.
Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard), oil on canvas 83 x 62 cm, was sold for $ 10.4M from a lower estimate of $ 4M by Sotheby's on May 13, 2021, lot 1007. The image is shared by Wikimedia. Brouillard is a French obsolete wording for the gypsophila, in English baby's breath.
Fleurs dans un pot by Monet. Compare :
"Fleurs dans un pot" by Claude Monet (full title: Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard), painted in 1878) is a vibrant Impressionist still life depicting a bouquet of roses in a pot, surrounded by a misty, atmospheric haze suggested by the title ("roses and fog/mist"). This work is one of Monet's rare returns to floral still lifes in 1878, during his Vétheuil period, when poor weather limited outdoor painting and prompted indoor subjects from his garden flowers.
Renoir was keen of painting still lifes of potted flowers. Monet managed to follow because tabletop with flowers would be easier to sell than his outdoor paintings. His output in that new theme in very scarce. In 1879 and 1880 he will also try the tabletops of fruit and game.
The two flowers paintings acquired from Monet in June 1878 by a Parisian collector were very probably Roses et brouillard and Bouquet de glaïeuls, lis et marguerites.
Monet was a skilled painter whatever the theme and these two works are very different. Roses et brouillard displays a very tight texture of tiny vegetal elements in a ceramic pot, just as Renoir did in the same year with his pot of lilacs, sold for £ 6.9M by Sotheby's on June 25, 2024, lot 37.
Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard), oil on canvas 83 x 62 cm, was sold for $ 10.4M from a lower estimate of $ 4M by Sotheby's on May 13, 2021, lot 1007. The image is shared by Wikimedia. Brouillard is a French obsolete wording for the gypsophila, in English baby's breath.
Fleurs dans un pot by Monet. Compare :
- Roses et brouillard, sold by Sotheby's on May 13, 2021, lot 1007.
- Bouquet de glaïeuls, lis et marguerites, sold by Sotheby's on November 12, 2018, lot 44.
"Fleurs dans un pot" by Claude Monet (full title: Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard), painted in 1878) is a vibrant Impressionist still life depicting a bouquet of roses in a pot, surrounded by a misty, atmospheric haze suggested by the title ("roses and fog/mist"). This work is one of Monet's rare returns to floral still lifes in 1878, during his Vétheuil period, when poor weather limited outdoor painting and prompted indoor subjects from his garden flowers.
- Roses et brouillard (the one titled Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard), sold May 13, 2021, lot 1007): This achieved a strong result, selling for approximately $10.4 million (from an estimate starting around $4 million or higher in some reports). It features densely packed pink/red roses as the focal point, interwoven with delicate white baby's breath (gypsophila) or similar filler flowers creating a "foggy" or misty effect through light dabs and broken brushwork. The pot is ornate and golden/yellowish-green, placed on a surface with scattered petals. The background is muted and atmospheric, with Impressionist techniques emphasizing light, texture, and vibration over precise detail—loose, energetic strokes capture the lush, almost explosive quality of the blooms.
- Subject and flowers — Roses et brouillard centers on soft, romantic pink/red roses with misty filler creating a hazy, intimate feel; Bouquet de glaïeuls... uses taller, dramatic red gladioli, white lilies, and daisies for a brighter, more vertical and lively display.
- Composition — The rose piece is denser and more compact, with a textured "brouillard" effect from tiny dabs evoking fog or dew; the gladioli piece is more open and classical, with flowers fanning out and a patterned vase adding decorative interest.
- Palette and mood — Both are exuberant and colorful, typical of Monet's Impressionist handling of light and spontaneity, but Roses et brouillard leans warmer and softer (pinks, greens, whites in a misty veil), while Bouquet de glaïeuls... contrasts cool blues/grays with vivid reds and whites for freshness.
- Technique — Shared loose brushwork, avoidance of realism, and vibrant light unify them, yet the rose work emphasizes atmospheric density, and the gladioli one highlights structural elegance and floral variety.
- Market performance — Both fetched high prices in the $9–10 million range, reflecting strong demand for Monet's rare 1878 still lifes (only a handful from this year), which show his skill in intimate, garden-inspired subjects before his full focus on landscapes and water lilies.
Bouquet de Glaïeuls, Lis et Marguerites
2018 SOLD for $ 9.6M by Sotheby's
In a more classical composition than the example above, Bouquet de glaïeuls, lis et marguerites features a tight spray of gladioli, lilies and daisies in a painted vase.
This oil on canvas 83 x 62 cm was sold for $ 9.6M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2018, lot 44. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Such a vivid rendition of flowers will inspire van Gogh in the next decade.
Bouquet de glaïeuls, lis et marguerites (sold November 12, 2018, lot 44): This realized about $9.6 million (from an estimate of $7–10 million). It presents a taller, more vertical arrangement in a decorated porcelain vase (with floral motifs and handles), featuring bold red gladioli (glaïeuls) as the dominant spikes, white lilies, and daisies (marguerites) for contrast. The composition is more classical and structured, with flowers spreading outward against a cooler, light blue-gray background. Monet's brushwork remains vivacious and spontaneous, unifying the scene through light and color echoes (e.g., bouquet hues reflected on the vase and table), but it feels airier and more elongated compared to the denser rose cluster.
This oil on canvas 83 x 62 cm was sold for $ 9.6M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2018, lot 44. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Such a vivid rendition of flowers will inspire van Gogh in the next decade.
Bouquet de glaïeuls, lis et marguerites (sold November 12, 2018, lot 44): This realized about $9.6 million (from an estimate of $7–10 million). It presents a taller, more vertical arrangement in a decorated porcelain vase (with floral motifs and handles), featuring bold red gladioli (glaïeuls) as the dominant spikes, white lilies, and daisies (marguerites) for contrast. The composition is more classical and structured, with flowers spreading outward against a cooler, light blue-gray background. Monet's brushwork remains vivacious and spontaneous, unifying the scene through light and color echoes (e.g., bouquet hues reflected on the vase and table), but it feels airier and more elongated compared to the denser rose cluster.
Autumn 1878 Pommiers
2026 SOLD for $ 19.6M by Christie's
Pommiers, oil on canvas 55 x 66 cm painted by Monet in 1878, was sold for $ 19.6M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Christie's on May 18, 2026, lot 22A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Monet painted apple trees (pommiers) in several phases, but the most cohesive “series” comes from his early Vétheuil period in 1878. This was shortly after he moved to the rural village on the Seine in 1878 amid financial hardship, seeking unspoiled natural motifs.
The 1878 Vétheuil Autumn Apple Tree Series
In autumn 1878, Monet produced at least four paintings focused on fruit-laden apple trees, often on hillsides (such as the Chantemesle hills). These were part of his exploration of local motifs like the Seine, fields, and orchards during a period of intense outdoor work despite challenging personal circumstances.Key examples include:
Pommiers, Vétheuil (Apple Trees, Vétheuil) is an 1878 oil on canvas painting by Claude Monet (Wildenstein 490), measuring 21 ¾ x 26 in. (55.2 x 66 cm.). It dates to Monet's early period in Vétheuil, a village on the Seine where he moved in 1878 and produced many landscapes capturing rural, unindustrialized nature.
Key Features
Painting Technique
Monet employs classic Impressionist methods here, emphasizing direct observation of nature (en plein air):
Overall, it captures the joyful, luminous countryside typical of Monet's best early Impressionist landscapes: optimistic, sensory, and focused on the "effect" of a specific moment rather than literal detail. As it's currently at auction, high-resolution images on the Christie's site would best reveal the nuanced brushwork and color interplay.
Related Apple Tree Works
Monet used loose, broken brushstrokes and a vibrant palette (greens, yellows, reds for fruit, blues in shadows) to capture fleeting light and atmosphere rather than botanical detail. In the 1878 series, dappled sunlight filters through foliage, creating a sense of warmth, depth, and movement. The effect is luminous and optimistic—celebrating nature’s bounty amid his own difficulties. He varied angles, distances, and light conditions across canvases, a hallmark of his emerging serial approach.
This small but vibrant group bridges his Argenteuil landscapes and later systematic series, highlighting Monet’s focus on seasonal change, rural harmony, and the “effect” of a moment.
Caillebotte owned Monet’s 1878 Pommiers, Vétheuil by 1879. It remained in his collection until his death, illustrating his direct support for Monet during the Vétheuil period.
Monet painted apple trees (pommiers) in several phases, but the most cohesive “series” comes from his early Vétheuil period in 1878. This was shortly after he moved to the rural village on the Seine in 1878 amid financial hardship, seeking unspoiled natural motifs.
The 1878 Vétheuil Autumn Apple Tree Series
In autumn 1878, Monet produced at least four paintings focused on fruit-laden apple trees, often on hillsides (such as the Chantemesle hills). These were part of his exploration of local motifs like the Seine, fields, and orchards during a period of intense outdoor work despite challenging personal circumstances.Key examples include:
- Pommiers, Vétheuil (Wildenstein 490, the one at Christie's): 55.2 × 66 cm, signed, showing sun-dappled trees laden with fruit. It has strong provenance, including Gustave Caillebotte.
- Apple Trees near Vétheuil (Wildenstein 488): Larger format (around 62 × 82.5 cm), in a private collection or museum holdings like the Arkansas Arts Center in some references.
- Other variants: Views from the Vienne-en-Arthies valley (with distant hamlet visible) and one showing Vétheuil in the background. One is titled Pommiers sur la côte de Chantemesle.
Pommiers, Vétheuil (Apple Trees, Vétheuil) is an 1878 oil on canvas painting by Claude Monet (Wildenstein 490), measuring 21 ¾ x 26 in. (55.2 x 66 cm.). It dates to Monet's early period in Vétheuil, a village on the Seine where he moved in 1878 and produced many landscapes capturing rural, unindustrialized nature.
Key Features
- Subject and Composition: The painting depicts apple trees (pommiers) on a hillside, likely at the foot of the Chantemesle hills above the road from Vétheuil to La Roche-Guyon. It shows a rural landscape with trees in the foreground or midground, possibly bearing fruit or foliage, set against rolling hills, a valley, and distant elements like fields or sky. Monet often revisited similar motifs (apple trees/hillsides) in series during 1878, exploring variations in light and season.
- Provenance and Context: It belonged early to fellow Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte and was exhibited at the 4th Impressionist exhibition in Paris in 1879. It later entered a private U.S. collection.
Painting Technique
Monet employs classic Impressionist methods here, emphasizing direct observation of nature (en plein air):
- Loose, Visible Brushwork: Quick, broken strokes and dabs capture forms without sharp outlines. Foliage and fruit likely appear as clusters of vibrant touches rather than detailed rendering.
- Color and Light Priority: He builds the scene through color relationships and light effects. Expect a bright, "blond" palette with greens, blues, earth tones, and accents of reds/pinks (for apples or blossoms in related works) to convey sunlight, shadows, and atmosphere. No black; shadows use complementary colors for vibrancy.
- Atmospheric Effects: Subtle color transitions and varied brush directions suggest depth and movement. In related Vétheuil works, he blurs boundaries between elements (e.g., land/sky or foliage/hills) to prioritize overall impression over precise topography.
Overall, it captures the joyful, luminous countryside typical of Monet's best early Impressionist landscapes: optimistic, sensory, and focused on the "effect" of a specific moment rather than literal detail. As it's currently at auction, high-resolution images on the Christie's site would best reveal the nuanced brushwork and color interplay.
Related Apple Tree Works
- Spring blossoming trees (e.g., Le Pommier / The Apple Tree, Wildenstein 523, 1879): A single prominent blossoming tree, often with a path and figure, capturing silvery or golden light. There are variants showing the same motif under different light conditions.
- Earlier examples from Argenteuil (e.g., Pommiers en fleurs, 1872) show Monet experimenting with orchards and blossoms.
- Later works (1880s–1900s) include scattered apple trees in Giverny gardens or blossom scenes, but these are not a tight serial group like the haystacks, poplars, or Rouen Cathedral.
Monet used loose, broken brushstrokes and a vibrant palette (greens, yellows, reds for fruit, blues in shadows) to capture fleeting light and atmosphere rather than botanical detail. In the 1878 series, dappled sunlight filters through foliage, creating a sense of warmth, depth, and movement. The effect is luminous and optimistic—celebrating nature’s bounty amid his own difficulties. He varied angles, distances, and light conditions across canvases, a hallmark of his emerging serial approach.
This small but vibrant group bridges his Argenteuil landscapes and later systematic series, highlighting Monet’s focus on seasonal change, rural harmony, and the “effect” of a moment.
Caillebotte owned Monet’s 1878 Pommiers, Vétheuil by 1879. It remained in his collection until his death, illustrating his direct support for Monet during the Vétheuil period.
1878 Green River by Moran
2008 SOLD for $ 17.7M by Christie's
The railway, superseding the dangerous Oregon trail, allows the emergence of civilization into the wilderness of the Western American territories that are not yet upgraded into states.
The village of Green River in Dakota Territory is served by the Pacific section in July 1868 before the famous transcontinental junction of 10 May 1869. Green River will be part of Wyoming in the later division of states.
Green River was incorporated as a city in 1868 and became a rallying point for geological and geographical expeditions starting with Powell in 1869.
Thomas Moran arrives by train to Green River in 1871 to join the Hayden expedition. The admirer of Turner is dazzled by the variety of colors: the reflection in water adds green and lavender to the yellow and orange of the cliffs. He immediately realizes a first watercolor. He does not seek realism but idealization and the result is sumptuous.
An oil on canvas 64 x 122 cm painted in 1878 in intense colors was sold for $ 17.7M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by Christie's on May 21, 2008, lot 26. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The village of Green River in Dakota Territory is served by the Pacific section in July 1868 before the famous transcontinental junction of 10 May 1869. Green River will be part of Wyoming in the later division of states.
Green River was incorporated as a city in 1868 and became a rallying point for geological and geographical expeditions starting with Powell in 1869.
Thomas Moran arrives by train to Green River in 1871 to join the Hayden expedition. The admirer of Turner is dazzled by the variety of colors: the reflection in water adds green and lavender to the yellow and orange of the cliffs. He immediately realizes a first watercolor. He does not seek realism but idealization and the result is sumptuous.
An oil on canvas 64 x 122 cm painted in 1878 in intense colors was sold for $ 17.7M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by Christie's on May 21, 2008, lot 26. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1878 La Rue Halévy by Caillebotte
2019 SOLD for $ 14M by Sotheby's
Paris is experiencing cultural transformations. Inaugurated in 1875, the immense Opéra de Paris becomes the symbol of the wealthy bourgeoisie to which the Caillebotte family belongs.
La Rue Halévy vue du sixième étage, oil on canvas 60 x 73 cm painted by Caillebotte in 1878, was sold for $ 14M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2019, lot 17. The image below, shared by Wikimedia, was copied from an art book.
As wide as a boulevard, the rue Halévy leads from the boulevard Haussmann to the Opéra, which is visible beyond the Haussmannian buildings. This aerial cityscape is bold for its time. The street is pleasantly animated with sparse pedestrians and carriages.
Caillebotte definitely likes this district. After the death of their mother in that same year, Gustave and his brother Martial move to the 3rd floor at 31 boulevard Haussmann, less than 200 meters from the position of the previous sight. Their balcony overlooking the boulevard is the theme of several paintings in 1880 and 1881.
La Rue Halévy vue du sixième étage, oil on canvas 60 x 73 cm painted by Caillebotte in 1878, was sold for $ 14M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2019, lot 17. The image below, shared by Wikimedia, was copied from an art book.
As wide as a boulevard, the rue Halévy leads from the boulevard Haussmann to the Opéra, which is visible beyond the Haussmannian buildings. This aerial cityscape is bold for its time. The street is pleasantly animated with sparse pedestrians and carriages.
Caillebotte definitely likes this district. After the death of their mother in that same year, Gustave and his brother Martial move to the 3rd floor at 31 boulevard Haussmann, less than 200 meters from the position of the previous sight. Their balcony overlooking the boulevard is the theme of several paintings in 1880 and 1881.
1878 RENOIR
1
L'Ombrelle
2013 SOLD for £ 9.7M by Christie's
On February 6, 2013, Christie's sold for £ 9.7M from a lower estimate of £ 4M a small oil on canvas, 62 x 51 cm, made by Renoir in 1878, lot 13. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The woman is quietly sitting alone in the garden. She holds an elegant ombrelle (parasol) that protects her from the sun.
The garden of Renoir vibrates of many colors to such an extent that we do not even notice that the flowers were not drawn. The impression is due to the texture, so anticipating also the art of Van Gogh and Klimt. Monet had opened the way with his grassy slopes of Argenteuil.
Renoir, aged 37, is at the best of his creativity. Two years before, he had painted the Bal du Moulin de la Galette whose sharp drawing looks closer to Manet, and which was sold $ 78M by Sotheby's on May 17, 1990.
The style of the Femme à l'ombrelle is rather in the following of another of his masterpieces of 1876, the Swing (in the Musée d'Orsay), where the sunspots filtered through the undergrowth are added to the mystery of the garden.
In a comparable Impressionist style, an oil on canvas painted in 1881 by Berthe Morisot was sold for £ 7M in the same 2013 sale.
The woman is quietly sitting alone in the garden. She holds an elegant ombrelle (parasol) that protects her from the sun.
The garden of Renoir vibrates of many colors to such an extent that we do not even notice that the flowers were not drawn. The impression is due to the texture, so anticipating also the art of Van Gogh and Klimt. Monet had opened the way with his grassy slopes of Argenteuil.
Renoir, aged 37, is at the best of his creativity. Two years before, he had painted the Bal du Moulin de la Galette whose sharp drawing looks closer to Manet, and which was sold $ 78M by Sotheby's on May 17, 1990.
The style of the Femme à l'ombrelle is rather in the following of another of his masterpieces of 1876, the Swing (in the Musée d'Orsay), where the sunspots filtered through the undergrowth are added to the mystery of the garden.
In a comparable Impressionist style, an oil on canvas painted in 1881 by Berthe Morisot was sold for £ 7M in the same 2013 sale.
2
Les Lilas
2024 SOLD for £ 6.9M by Sotheby's
The Impressionnistes painted potted flowers after they reassessed Chardin. Still-lifes made a substantial contribution to securing the livelihood of the young artists.
Throughout his six decade career Renoir executed about 600 still life paintings, most of them to be immediately sold to collectors. He specially enjoyed painting flowers which brought him a relaxation and freedom that he could not feel with human sitters.
Les Lilas, oil on canvas 65 x 54 cm painted in 1878, was sold for £ 6.9M from a lower estimate of £ 2M by Sotheby's on June 25, 2024, lot 37. Please watch the short video shared by the auction house.
The dense bunch of purple lilacs perfectly matches the early impressionist vibrant brush style, providing an impression of freshness. The bouquet is placed in a ceramic vase that reminds an early occupation of Renoir as a porcelain painter at Limoges.
Throughout his six decade career Renoir executed about 600 still life paintings, most of them to be immediately sold to collectors. He specially enjoyed painting flowers which brought him a relaxation and freedom that he could not feel with human sitters.
Les Lilas, oil on canvas 65 x 54 cm painted in 1878, was sold for £ 6.9M from a lower estimate of £ 2M by Sotheby's on June 25, 2024, lot 37. Please watch the short video shared by the auction house.
The dense bunch of purple lilacs perfectly matches the early impressionist vibrant brush style, providing an impression of freshness. The bouquet is placed in a ceramic vase that reminds an early occupation of Renoir as a porcelain painter at Limoges.
#AuctionUpdate: Standing as one of his most accomplished floral compositions, ‘Bouquet de lilas’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir fetched £6,880,000 after a nearly 10 minute bidding battle, more than 2X its high estimate.#SothebysLondon pic.twitter.com/Yn4hxaEsvy
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) June 25, 2024
1878 Capri by Sargent
2025 SOLD for $ 11.4M by Christie's
The Mediterranean island of Capri is famous for its beautiful coastline just outside the Bay of Naples, blue-green water, architecture, rich culture and the beauty of its people.
Born 22 years earlier in Florence during one of the regular trips of his expatriate parents, The 22 year old US artist John Singer Sargent spent the summer 1878 in Capri.
After four years of training in Paris with Carolus-Duran, Sargent studies in Capri the diagonal of sunlight and shadow within a long and narrow stone staircase leading to a bright blue sky between two rows of typical dazzling white Mediterranean walls. This oil on canvas 82 x 46 cm painted in the summer of 1878 was sold for $ 4.1M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2016, lot 14.
He was welcomed to work in the local studio of Frank Hyde and took as a model a beautiful girl of Greek ancestry aged 17 named Rosina Ferrara.
Girl on a rooftop, oil on canvas 50 x 64 cm, features Rosina dancing a tarantella. She turns her back to the viewer and to a seated young man providing the music. The bold composition offers a vertiginous view of the white wall, arguably of the Marina Hotel where Sargent was residing, and a dynamic view of the girl against the sky in an unbalanced position of her solitary jig.
It was sold for $ 5.4M by Sotheby's on May 24, 2001, lot 15 and for $ 11.4M by Christie's on November 17, 2025, lot 58A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
"Capri," painted in 1878 when John Singer Sargent was just 22 years old, marks a pivotal moment in his early career as he transitioned from formal training in Paris under Carolus-Duran to establishing himself as an internationally acclaimed society portraitist. This oil on canvas work, depicting his muse Rosina Ferrara dancing on a Capri rooftop amid radiant Italian sunlight, exemplifies Sargent's burgeoning experimentation with impressionistic techniques, capturing dynamic movement, luminous light, and everyday subjects for personal expression rather than commissioned obligation.
It anticipates key elements of his later masterpiece "El Jaleo" (1882), particularly in its portrayal of rhythmic figural composition and dramatic lighting, highlighting his evolving mastery of Impressionism during a formative expatriate period in Europe. As one of several Capri-themed pieces from this trip—including a nearly identical version titled "Capri Girl on a Rooftop" now in the Crystal Bridges Museum—the painting underscores Sargent's fascination with Italian locales and their interplay of light and shadow, themes that would recur throughout his oeuvre. Its inclusion in the catalogue raisonné and extensive scholarly literature further cements its role as a cornerstone of Sargent's early landscape and figure studies from 1874-1882, bridging his student years to his rise as a leading figure in American and European art circles.
Born 22 years earlier in Florence during one of the regular trips of his expatriate parents, The 22 year old US artist John Singer Sargent spent the summer 1878 in Capri.
After four years of training in Paris with Carolus-Duran, Sargent studies in Capri the diagonal of sunlight and shadow within a long and narrow stone staircase leading to a bright blue sky between two rows of typical dazzling white Mediterranean walls. This oil on canvas 82 x 46 cm painted in the summer of 1878 was sold for $ 4.1M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2016, lot 14.
He was welcomed to work in the local studio of Frank Hyde and took as a model a beautiful girl of Greek ancestry aged 17 named Rosina Ferrara.
Girl on a rooftop, oil on canvas 50 x 64 cm, features Rosina dancing a tarantella. She turns her back to the viewer and to a seated young man providing the music. The bold composition offers a vertiginous view of the white wall, arguably of the Marina Hotel where Sargent was residing, and a dynamic view of the girl against the sky in an unbalanced position of her solitary jig.
It was sold for $ 5.4M by Sotheby's on May 24, 2001, lot 15 and for $ 11.4M by Christie's on November 17, 2025, lot 58A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
"Capri," painted in 1878 when John Singer Sargent was just 22 years old, marks a pivotal moment in his early career as he transitioned from formal training in Paris under Carolus-Duran to establishing himself as an internationally acclaimed society portraitist. This oil on canvas work, depicting his muse Rosina Ferrara dancing on a Capri rooftop amid radiant Italian sunlight, exemplifies Sargent's burgeoning experimentation with impressionistic techniques, capturing dynamic movement, luminous light, and everyday subjects for personal expression rather than commissioned obligation.
It anticipates key elements of his later masterpiece "El Jaleo" (1882), particularly in its portrayal of rhythmic figural composition and dramatic lighting, highlighting his evolving mastery of Impressionism during a formative expatriate period in Europe. As one of several Capri-themed pieces from this trip—including a nearly identical version titled "Capri Girl on a Rooftop" now in the Crystal Bridges Museum—the painting underscores Sargent's fascination with Italian locales and their interplay of light and shadow, themes that would recur throughout his oeuvre. Its inclusion in the catalogue raisonné and extensive scholarly literature further cements its role as a cornerstone of Sargent's early landscape and figure studies from 1874-1882, bridging his student years to his rise as a leading figure in American and European art circles.
