Art Records Will Be Broken

It is a lifetime since anyone not connected with the family of a mysterious French art collector set their eyes on Monet's 1904 masterpiece, Nymphéas, The Independent on Sunday reports. The painting, considered to be the artist's most important - the lack of a horizon paved the way for abstract art - has hung on the same private wall for 81 years. One of Monet's iconic waterlilies series, it was bought by the unknown art collector from the artist's son, Michel, in the 1920s, exhibited in Paris in 1936 and has not been seen in public since. It has never been cleaned, never restored, never auctioned. Paintings such as this come on to the art market literally once in a lifetime. But, the week after next, in what promises to be the most remarkable sale that London's art world has ever seen, Nymphéas will be just one among a host of Impressionist, modern and contemporary works that will set records for at least five artists, and ensure that this is the richest auction week that Europe, and possibly the world, has ever known. In the same week, under the hammer at Christie's on Wednesday 20 June is Lucian Freud's Bruce Bernard which will make him the most expensive living artist. Close behind at Sotheby's is Damien Hirst's Lullaby Spring at £3m-£4m, which will be a new record for the artist. With other work from Warhol, Hockney, Riley, Bacon, Degas and Gauguin, to name just a few, the total sales estimate for the week is £474m. This eclipses the European art sales record of £386m set in February and is not far off the world record of $1.4bn set in New York in May. (For full source and article click the Headline). Irish Art