News Item: 00019

19th Jun 2007

Monet's Nymphéas sells for £18.5 million

Source: http://www.sothebys.com

Claude Monet's Nymphéas of 1904, a ground-breaking work and one of the finest of Monet's famous waterlily series ever to have come to the market, tonight realised £18,500,000 ($36,724,350) at Sotheby's in London.

No fewer than eight determined bidders drove the price from £8 million up to the final figure, when the hammer fell to a private Asian collector bidding over the telephone. This was the second highest price ever achieved for a work by the artist at auction. (The previous record of £19.8 ($33 million) was achieved for Bassin aux Nymphéas of 1900 at Sotheby's London in 1998).