In 1887, on the River Epte just outside Giverny, Claude Monet embarked on a series that would quietly transform his life and redefine modern art.
Sotheby’s Specialist Scott Niichel takes to the water to retrace Monet’s steps as he painted La Barque Bleue—a radiant, deeply personal work capturing Marthe and Blanche Hoschedé floating amid shimmering reflections. Long before his celebrated Water Lilies, this canvas unlocked an entirely new way of seeing light, water, and abstraction.
On the surface, two anonymous women on a blue boat. In reality? A family portrait so personal Monet kept it until the last year of his life. Discover why this “Women in Boat” became the turning point to his legendary water lily series. Landscapes made him famous.
Experience this Monet masterpiece that’s on offer as part of the Modern Evening Auction, presented by CELINE, taking place 18 November at the historic Breuer building in New York.