LONDON.- Claude Monet’s Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume will be a highlight of Christie’s 20/21 London to Paris sale series, offered in the 20th / 21st Century: London Evening Sale on 28 June. Depicting the Thames under an effervescent sunlit haze, Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume (1904, estimate: in the region of £24 million) comes from Monet’s monumental, landmark series entitled Vues du Londres (Views of London), which celebrates London’s unique character, architecture and ever-changing atmosphere. The artist focused on the play of light across the Thames through three principal subjects – Charing Cross Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, and Waterloo Bridge. In contrast to the bustling modernity of the Charing Cross paintings and the solemn grandeur of the Houses of Parliament compositions, Monet’s views of Waterloo Bridge stand as pure meditations on colour, light, and atmosphere, evocatively capturing the shifting character of the famous bridge under varying weather conditions at different times of the day.

The sale of Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume follows the exceptional price achieved for Le Parlement, soleil couchant, from The Collection of Anne H. Bass, which sold for $75.9 million on 12 May 2022, setting a record for a painting from Monet’s Vues du Londres. Of the 41 paintings of Waterloo Bridge which Monet painted, 26 are in public institutions, including The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo; Bührle Foundation, Zürich; Art Institute of Chicago; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. and Kunstmuseum Bern. Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume comes to auction following a long-term loan to the Kunstmuseum Basel.

In Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume, Monet records an early morning view, choosing the moments in which the bright light of the rising sun breaks through the layers of haze and mist, sending rippling golden rays of sunshine into the sky, and across the surface of the water. The painting stands as a testament to Britain's significant impact on international artists, highlighting the cultural dialogue between London and Paris in the art historical canon. Depicting the bridge head-on, its rhythmic arches spanning the entire width of the canvas, Monet allows the structure to become the primary focus of the composition, giving it a solid sense of monumentality amidst the otherwise intangible elements of the scene.

Jussi Pylkkänen, Global President, Christie’s: “London’s Waterloo Bridge is an inspirational subject which led to a celebrated series of paintings, the majority of which grace the walls of the great museums of the world. This example, which has been on long-term loan to the Kunstmuseum Basel, is distinctive for its fabulous morning light effect as the sun rises. It is a poetic masterpiece which will capture the imagination of the world’s collectors when it goes on view here in London on 22 June.”

Bonnie Brennan, President of Christie’s Americas: “It was such a distinct honour to sell the exquisite collection of Anne H. Bass in New York during our May 20/21 Season where we set the record for a painting from Monet’s influential ‘London Series’ with the sale of Le Parlement, soleil couchant. We are thrilled to follow this in London with the vibrant Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume, from the estate of the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul Bulova Guilden.’

Keith Gill, Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, London: “London and Paris have always been at the centre of an exuberant cultural exchange and it was here that Monet discovered the unparalleled attraction of London’s unique, ever-changing environment. Inspired by how the atmosphere, light and architecture changed in an instant, he painted an illustrious series of canvases that capture the vivid light throughout the day on three of the capital’s landmarks. Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume is a radiant example from the series which was last seen on the market over 80 years ago. We are sure London’s significant influence on artists will continue to enthral.”