In 2019 Claude Monet’s ‘Meules’ broke records, selling at auction for 110.7 million USD. The painting, which features sun-dappled haystacks in the French countryside, was created in 1890 – the year Monet turned fifty and first bought property. His new home in Giverny was girt by fields, peppered with these large, geometric haystacks.

Monet’s ‘Meules’ is a compositional triumph. The diagonal, receding line of haystacks draws the viewer’s eye towards the sunlight, glowing happily in the background. Interestingly, unlike the artist’s contemporaries who too painted haystacks, Monet strips his vision of anecdotal detail. There are no dogs frollicking, birds flocking or people working; only the haystacks, still and suggestive of pastoral vitality.

Perhaps Monet’s decision to capture only the haystacks lies with his notion of ‘mirror object passages’, which describes an object’s primary function as reflective of its surroundings. These objects are ciphers for light, atmosphere and breeze – phenomena that can only be perceived obliquely. As one art historian noted, Monet “does not want to represent the reality of things, he wants to record the light which lies between him and the objects”. Monet was interested in both capturing the impression of light and preserving the immediacy of experience.

In Philippe Le Miere’s ‘after Claude MONET Meules’, ‘Meules’ the painting becomes a mirror object for art history itself. It is an impression of an impression, suffused with the extreme monetary value placed on ‘Meules’. Le Miere asks why certain works are elevated, as well as how the passage of time shifts their meaning.

‘after Claude MONET Meules’ is a visually and intellectually immersive find. It will enliven collections of contemporary pop art, impressionism and fans of Monet.
 

Philippe LE MIERE (1975 - )
'after Claude MONET Meules' 2021
acrylic on canvas
Image Size: 38 x 51 cm
Dimensions: 38 x 51 cm
Signed: Signed lower right Le Miere, inscribed verso Philippe Le Miere, title and date
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Work of art comes unframed to allow for safe and economical shipping. Contact us if you would like to arrange for this to be professionally framed.
Availability: in stock
Condition:As New: The work of art is in the same immaculate condition as when it was created. This could be the description for a work of art that may have been in storage for years, never sold on the market but may still be some years old.
© The Artist or Assignee