Claude Monet:

a five-year auction market review (2020–2025)

Key takeaways

  • The period’s peak price was $75.96m for Le Parlement, soleil couchant (1900–03) at Christie’s, New York, 12 May 2022.

  • Momentum remained strong: Le bassin aux nymphéas (c.1917–19) made $74.01m at Christie’s, New York, 9 Nov 2023; Sotheby’s, New York, followed with a Nymphéas at $65.5m in Nov 2024.

  • In May 2025, Christie’s sold Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule (1891) for $42.96m, a series record for the Poplars. Lower-value Monets in May–June 2025 traded in the $7m range.

  • For context, Monet’s all-time auction record remains $110.7m for Meules (Sotheby’s New York, 14 May 2019)—outside this five-year window.

 

 

What happened, year by year

2021 – The rebound year
After a quieter 2020 for trophy consignments, supply and pricing rebounded. Sotheby’s New York sold Le Bassin aux nymphéas (1917–19) for $70.4m in May—one of the artist’s top results and a clear sign of depth for major Water Lilies.

2022 – The peak within the period
Christie’s Anne H. Bass single-owner evening sale crowned the year: Le Parlement, soleil couchant (London series) brought $75.96m on 12 May. Days later, Sotheby’s New York set a Venice-series benchmark when Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute achieved $56.6m.

2023 – Strength sustained
At Christie’s New York in November, the two-metre Le bassin aux nymphéas realised $74,010,000, effectively matching 2022’s level and confirming ongoing appetite for large, late Giverny canvases.

2024 – High confidence for prime subjects
Sotheby’s New York sold a Nymphéas (1914–17) for $65.5m in November—again showing that late, large-scale lily ponds remain the most liquid and internationally chased Monets at the very top end.

2025 – Selectivity, but healthy demand
Christie’s New York placed Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule at $42.96m in May (a series high), while Sotheby’s handled mid-single-digit-million works such as Église de Vernon, Soleil ($7.1m) and Aux Petites-Dalles (£5.65m / ~$7.68m) across May–June.

 

 

Important lots (past five years)

  • Le Parlement, soleil couchant (1900–03) — Christie’s, New York, 12 May 2022 — $75,960,000. Period high; headline from the Anne H. Bass collection.

  • Le bassin aux nymphéas (c.1917–19) — Christie’s, New York, 9 Nov 2023 — $74,010,000. Monumental late lily pond.

  • Nymphéas (1914–17) — Sotheby’s, New York, 18 Nov 2024 — $65,500,000 (Sydell Miller Collection/Modern Evening).

  • Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute (1908) — Sotheby’s, New York, 17 May 2022 — $56,600,000; record for a Monet Venice view and for any view of Italy at auction.

  • Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule (1891) — Christie’s, New York, 12 May 2025 — $42,960,000; series record.

  • Le Bassin aux nymphéas (1917–19) — Sotheby’s, New York, 12 May 2021 — $70,400,000. Early signal of renewed strength post-2020.

  • Église de Vernon, Soleil (1894) — Sotheby’s, New York, 13 May 2025 — $7,100,000. Mid-tier pricing aligned with subject and scale.

  • Aux Petites-Dalles (1884) — Sotheby’s, London, 24 Jun 2025 — £5.65m / ~$7.68m. Provenance-rich coastal scene.

 

 

What’s driving prices

  • Subject, scale and date: Large late Giverny lily ponds continue to command the highest prices; London Parliament views and the Venice series are the next-strongest themes.

  • Quality and condition: Fresh-to-market works with good colour and minimal restoration see the most competitive bidding (illustrated by the 2022 Venice and 2023 lily pond results).

  • Guarantees and consignor profiles: Major results were supported by high-profile collections and financial backing (e.g., Bass, Miller), which helped anchor estimates and attract global bidding.

  • Geography: New York remained the centre for top-ticket Monets, with periodic highlights in London and growing presentation in Asia.

 

 

Highest prices: period vs. all-time

  • Past five years (Aug 2020–Aug 2025): Le Parlement, soleil couchant — $75.96m (Christie’s, New York, 12 May 2022).

  • All-time (context): Meules — $110.7m (Sotheby’s, New York, 14 May 2019).

 

 

Bottom line

Monet’s market has been consistently strong at the top end across the last five years, with multiple results above $60mand a period high just shy of $76m. The hierarchy is clear: late, large Nymphéas lead, followed by London and Veniceseries, with other subjects transacting reliably in the mid-single-digit-million to low-eight-figure range depending on quality and scale. Supply remains selective, but when first-rate examples surface, demand is broad and international.

 

References:
May 22, 2025