On the occasion of the centenary of Claude Monet's death, Sotheby’s Paris opens its doors from April 9, 2026 for a free exhibition of two unreleased landscapes, ahead of the Evening Sale of Modern and Contemporary Art on April 16. A wonderful opportunity to immerse in the light and color of the master of Impressionism.
The Islands of Port-Villez and Vétheuil, Morning Effect had never been shown together in a century. Painted at twenty years old and just twenty kilometers apart, these canvases trace Monet’s artistic arc—from his early experiments in Giverny in 1883 to the bold chromatic strides that foreshadowed his Water Lilies.
In The Islands of Port-Villez (1883), Monet sets up aboard his boat-studio and captures the Seine at Port-Villez: the water glitters, islets drift in a mosaic of blues and greens, and the light seizes the eye. This painting, previously known only from a black-and-white photograph, was acquired directly from the artist by dealer Paul Durand-Ruel and shown in New York in 1907 and 1911 before slipping from public view until 1954.
Vétheuil, Morning Effect (1901), nearly twenty years later, forms part of a series about the village of Vétheuil. The Seine takes the foreground, the Notre-Dame church rises in the distance, and a boat glides across the water. Monet subtly distills light and atmosphere here, capturing the ever-changing river he once vowed to paint “for all his life.” This work was purchased directly from Monet by the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery, exhibited and kept in several prestigious Paris collections, and has remained in the same family since 1972. It had not been shown to the public since 1928.
Two paintings, two visions, one river... Off to the 8th arrondissement to dive into this free exhibition and admire these historic masterpieces before they head off to the auction block.
Dates and Opening Time
Starts April 9, 2026
Location
Sotheby's
83 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris 8
Access
Metro 9 or 13 Miromesnil
Prices
Free
