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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Meules is the most expensive Monet painting identified in the public auction results reviewed here: it sold for $110,747,000 at Sotheby’s New York on May 14, 2019. The ranking below orders eight reported auction results by price, using auction-house figures in US dollars. It combines Sotheby’s table of top Monet auction results from 2018 through the first half of 2023 with earlier Christie’s sale records; it is not a census of every Monet auction.
The eight highest reported auction results
Amounts below are the reported sale prices, not estimates. Sotheby’s reports several of its results rounded to the nearest tenth of a million or whole million; those figures are retained at the precision the auction house provides.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Monet. The Triumph of Impressionism (Bibliotheca Universalis) | $23.30 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Monet | $13.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Monet: The Bigger Picture | $25.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Monet. The Triumph of Impressionism (Klopper) | $33.09 | Buy on Amazon |
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Monet: The Essential Paintings | $34.06 | Buy on Amazon |
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| Rank | Painting | Reported price | Auction house and location | Sale date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meules (1890) | $110,747,000 | Sotheby’s, New York | May 14, 2019 |
| 2 | Nymphéas en fleur (circa 1914–1917) | $84,687,500 | Christie’s, New York | May 8, 2018 |
| 3 | Meule (Grainstack) (1891) | $81,447,500 | Christie’s, New York | November 16, 2016 |
| 4 | Le bassin aux nymphéas (1919) | $80,451,178 | Christie’s, London | June 24, 2008 |
| 5 | Le Parlement, soleil couchant (1903) | $76 million | Christie’s, New York | May 12, 2022 |
| 6 | Le bassin aux nymphéas (1919) | $70.4 million | Sotheby’s, New York | May 12, 2021 |
| 7 | Waterloo Bridge, soleil voilé (1903) | $64.5 million | Christie’s, New York | November 9, 2022 |
| 8 | Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute (1908) | $56.6 million | Sotheby’s, New York | May 17, 2022 |
What the top-ranked sales show
Meules leads by a clear margin
Sotheby’s reported Meules sold for $110,747,000 in 2019 and said the result broke Monet’s previous auction record. It remains first in Sotheby’s artist ranking. The next-highest result in this list, Nymphéas en fleur, brought $84,687,500 at Christie’s in 2018.
Several recurring subjects appear in the ranking
The eight results include Monet’s Haystacks, Water Lilies, London views of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge, and Venice’s Grand Canal. The two listings titled Le bassin aux nymphéas are separate sales of works dated 1919, in 2008 and 2021.
#1 Best Overall
Prices reflect different reporting precision
Christie’s reported the 2008 London sale of Le bassin aux nymphéas as £40,921,250 / $80,451,178 / €51,683,539. This ranking uses Christie’s reported dollar amount rather than recalculating a conversion. Sotheby’s overview table gives several later results in rounded millions, so those are not exact-to-the-dollar figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret “ever sold”
This is a ranking of the highest publicly reported auction results identified in the sources used for this list, not a verified record of every Monet auction or private transaction. Sotheby’s “Top 10 artworks sold at auction” table covers 2018 through the first half of 2023; Christie’s records supply the earlier 2016 and 2008 results included here. Sotheby’s table places its next two results, Nymphéas at $56.5 million and Coin du bassin aux nymphéas at $50.8 million, below the eighth-ranked sale.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Height: 10.75in / 27cm, Depth: 2in / 5cm, Width: 8.75in / 22cm
- By Daniel Wildenstein
- Hardcover
- 588 pages
- Imprint: Taschen
Rank #3
Rank #2
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