Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies,” which is fresh to auction, will headline Christie’s first evening sale of 20th—and 21st-century art at its new Asia headquarters in Hong Kong on September 26. The painting, titled Nymphéas (1897–99), is estimated to be worth HK$200 million to HK$280 million ($25 million to $35 million), positioning it as one of the region’s most valuable Western artworks ever auctioned.
The work depicts the water-lily pond at Monet’s Giverny home in France and is notable as one of the first in the artist’s iconic series. It remained within Monet’s family for decades after his death in 1926 and has now been consigned by a private collector.
Nymphéas will be a highlight of Christie’s auction at its new location in The Henderson, a Zaha Hadid-designed building that underscores the auction house’s commitment to the Asian market. Another significant piece, Zao Wou-ki’s 05.06.80–Triptyque (1980), estimated at HK$78 million to HK$128 million ($10 million to $15 million), will also feature prominently in the sale.
This move by Christie’s reflects a growing trend among auction houses to cultivate the Asian market for high-value Western art. Western Impressionist and modern works have increasingly been offered at live auctions in the region, though pieces with multimillion-dollar price tags remain relatively scarce. The decision to auction the Monet in Hong Kong signals a decisive vote of confidence in the region’s appetite for blue-chip Western art.
Christie’s new headquarters opening coincides with similar moves by its competitors. Sotheby’s and Bonhams are also launching new flagship locations in Hong Kong this year, while Phillips expanded its regional presence with a new Asia headquarters in West Kowloon last year. These developments come at a time of overall market uncertainty, with some recent sales of major Western artworks falling short of expectations. For instance, at Sotheby’s 2022 sale of the Long Museum founders’ collection, Amedeo Modigliani’s Paulette Jourdain (1919) underperformed with a final sale price of $34.8 million against a presale estimate of $45 million.
The record for the most expensive Western artwork sold in Asia is held by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Warrior (1982), which fetched HK$323.6 million ($41.7 million) at a Christie’s sale in 2021. Meanwhile, the highest auction price for any artwork in Asia belongs to Zao Wou-ki’s nearly 33-foot-long triptych Juin-Octobre 1985, which sold for HK$510 million ($65.2 million) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2018.
Claude Monet, born on November 14, 1840, in Paris, is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of the Impressionist movement, a revolutionary force in modern art. Monet’s work is characterized by his fascination with light, colour, and nature, elements he masterfully captured through his innovative brushwork and composition.
Monet’s artistic journey began at an early age. After receiving formal training at the Académie Suisse, he formed close ties with other artists who would become key figures in Impressionism, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frédéric Bazille. Monet’s early works often depicted scenes from his daily life, but his move to Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris, in the 1870s marked a pivotal moment in his career. Here, Monet began experimenting with capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, which became central themes in his work.
One of Monet’s most celebrated series is his Water Lilies paintings, which were created during the latter part of his life. These works, inspired by the water garden he designed at his home in Giverny, represent the culmination of his exploration of light, reflection, and the changing nature of the landscape. The Water Lilies series, with its emphasis on color and abstraction, profoundly influenced the development of 20th-century art, paving the way for movements such as Abstract Expressionism.
Monet’s dedication to his craft, even in the face of personal and health challenges, including the loss of his wife and the onset of cataracts, affected his vision. Despite these difficulties, he continued to paint until his death on December 5, 1926. Today, Monet’s works are celebrated globally, with pieces held in major art institutions and private collections, symbolising the legacy of a man whose vision and technique redefined the possibilities of painting.
Christie’s upcoming sale will be a significant test of the strength of the Asian market for Western art amid the broader economic slowdown.