In Monet’s Footsteps: Finding the Views Behind Two Long-Lost Color Paintings | Sotheby’s

Why It Matters

Seeing these paintings in color restores a missing chapter of Monet’s evolution, informing collectors, historians, and the broader public about the origins of modern abstraction and the economic potential of newly authenticated works.

Key Takeaways

• Two lost Monet paintings revealed in color after 50 years.
• Locations: Port‑Villez islands and Vetheuil, painted 1883 and 1901.
• Monet used studio boat, then early car to explore Seine region.
• Vetheuil series marks Monet’s shift toward abstraction and modern composition.
• Rediscovery underscores Seine’s lasting impact on Impressionism and contemporary art.

Summary

The Sotheby’s video documents the first public viewing in color of two Monet canvases that have been hidden for more than half a century. The works—‘Lizzie la Pointe de Villez’ (1883) and ‘Vetheuil Effet du Matin’ (1901)—were located on the Seine’s banks, the very sites where Monet painted them.

The film follows the narrator’s journey from Giverny to the vanished islands of Port‑Villez, showing how the artist arrived by studio boat in 1883. It then retraces his 1901 road trip in one of France’s earliest automobiles to Vetheuil, where Monet produced fifteen variations of the same motif, experimenting with light, atmosphere, and color.

Key observations include Monet’s use of a square canvas—an unusually modern choice—and his gradual move toward abstraction, letting color dictate form while still referencing the landscape. The narrator notes that the islands have been altered by dredging, yet the paintings preserve a fleeting visual record.

The rediscovery reinforces the Seine’s pivotal role in shaping Impressionism and foreshadows 20th‑century abstract art, offering scholars fresh material for provenance research and boosting the market value of Monet’s late works. It also creates a cultural tourism loop, inviting visitors to experience the exact vistas that inspired the master.

Original Description

Join Sotheby’s expert Etienne Hellman on an exclusive pilgrimage to the very landscapes that inspired Claude Monet. We retrace the artist’s path along the Seine, first by boat to the spot where he painted Les Îles de Port-Villez (1883), and then by car to the cliffs of Vétheuil, the setting for Vétheuil, effet du matin (1901), two masterpieces never seen in their original vibrant colors for over 50 years.

This immersive journey reveals how the changing light and the river itself shaped these two masterpieces across two distinct eras of Impressionism. From the quiet waters of 1883 to the vibrant morning of 1901, discover the hidden angles and atmospheric secrets behind these exceptional works.

These two masterpieces will be part of the Modern & Contemporary Art auction the 16 April 2026, in Paris.

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