Edouard Manet's 'Pivoines Dans Une Bouteille' | Christie's

Why It Matters

The sale underscores Manet’s pivotal role in modern art and gives collectors a rare chance to own a piece that directly influenced later avant‑garde masters.

Key Takeaways

• Manet’s ‘Peonies in a Bottle’ marks his first high‑quality peony.
• Painted after the 1863 Salon des Refusés, it reflects Manet’s revolutionary style.
• After a decade, the work heads to Christie's auction with price expectations.
• Provenance includes collector Marilyn Harrison, whose legacy bridges past and future artists.
• Manet’s early works paved way for modern masters like Picasso and Matisse.

Summary

Christie's is set to auction Edouard Manet’s 1863 painting ‘Peonies in a Bottle,’ the first high‑quality work from his short‑lived peony series. The canvas, created in the wake of the Salon des Refusés that launched Manet into notoriety, has not appeared at public sale for nearly ten years.

The work occupies a critical juncture in Manet’s career, bridging the scandal‑driven debut of ‘Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe’ and the later, more infamous ‘Olympia.’ Its rarity—being the last peony piece still in private hands—combined with a distinguished provenance, has generated strong price expectations among collectors.

The painting was owned by Marilyn Harrison, a noted philanthropist and writer who once said art left an indelible impression on her. Harrison’s collection has long served as a conduit for modernist pioneers such as Picasso, Matisse, and later 20th‑century innovators.

The auction highlights Manet’s enduring influence on the trajectory of modern art and offers investors a rare opportunity to acquire a work that helped define the avant‑garde. A successful sale could reinforce confidence in the market for 19th‑century masterpieces that shaped subsequent artistic movements.

Original Description

'Still life is the touchstone of the painter', Edouard Manet once remarked. This still life featuring his favourite flower, the peony, proves why.

In 'Pivoines dans une bouteille', a trio of peonies is arranged in a tall, narrow vase, their rich green flowers framing the lavish petals. Two more stems lie upon the dark wooden tabletop. Against the background, the white, cream and pink peonies dazzle as chromatic illuminations within this quiet scene.

Painted in 1864 in the wake of of the infamous Salon des Refusés of 1863 and the Salon of 1864, the still life offered Manet a respite from controversy while allowing him to work out new painterly ideas and techniques. One of five works in a series, 'Pivoines dans une bouteille' is 'the first painting of this quality and from these daring years, and the last from the series left in private hands,' says specialist Emma Boyd.

🔗 Discover Manet's still life of lasting power from the collection of Marilyn Arison: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6585789?ldp_breadcrumb=back&cid=EM_SM_O_YT_Inc_LDP___24265_2021CNY0525____VID_LinkInBio

📅 20th Century Evening Sale | New York | 18 May