(Photo: Property from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art)
Along with the art world in general, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City expects to hold a customary farewell for a Claude Monet painting that has been in its collection for an impressive ten years. This stunning painting, "Moulin de Limetz," depicts a French commune in 1888 and is planned to be sold at Christie's at the beginning of May of this year. Professional art critics and producers have estimated this painting to cost $18 million to $25 million.
Historical Significance
The singularity of which is further enhanced by the fact that it is co-owned by the heirs to Emilie Rose Atha, which is perhaps why this exquisite piece of artwork received so much attention, especially after its identical twin was sold at Sotheby's for $25.6 million, which was way more than it was forecasted to fetch. One of these green studies - Moulin de Limetz - serves as a prelude to Monet's series of paintings, a distinguishing aspect of the later part of his career. Representing both historical and artistic value, the painting is important.
Price Estimation and Provenance
It could come out that the anticipated sale price will not be much higher than the price of the painting sold by Monet in 2019 ($110.7 million for "Meules") by the auction record. The artwork's provenance and credibility could be the additional reasons for the great interest in the picture. Obtained in the famous Impressionist art dealer's collection, Paul Durand-Ruel, in 1890, was the initial step that the painting took on the path of accumulating wealth of the most distinguished collectors that ended with its settlement at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in 1986.
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Global Interest and Significance
Co-head of Christie's 20th century evening sales, Imogen Kerr, is sure there will be new crews of art collectors worldwide. She believes that it is due to the worldwide fame of these artworks and the fact that the joy of quality work is always the same. This 19th-century masterpiece, which not only boasts the ability to appeal to art lovers but also has the magnetism necessary to attract investors, has earned a reputation among art enthusiasts and art investors all over the globe as a timeless work of art of great artistic value.
Museum's Decision and Ethical Considerations
In addition, the museum's selling of the painting is narrated as an opportunity in a way that will lead to more art acquisitions; in other words, the museum is committed to providing art that will last for that generation to come. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Arto will employ the proceeds from the portrayed sale to purchase more artworks further to secure its status, precisely when the art world is undergoing rapid transformation.
Nevertheless, selling artwork from museums' holdings is always a moral issue in the art community; Christie's's affirms that "Moulin de Limetz" is directly not being deaccessioned because the work of art was never wholly owned by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. With the date set for the auction, art lovers impatiently wait for the finale of this grand sale that is bound to make another chapter of the Monet legacy and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in the artistic world.
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