Summary

TAPE: EF01/0492 IN_TIME: 13:26:45 DURATION: 2:01 SOURCES: APTN RESTRICTIONS: DATELINE: June 26th/File, London SHOTLIST: 1 GV Ext Sothebys 2 GV flag of 'Sotheby's' File footage from 26/04/01 3 WS two men holding up painting 4 Var CUs painting 5 SOT Philip Hook, Sotheby's Senior Director of Impressionist and Modern Art: He did 23 in this series of haystacks at different times of day, under different lights, different weather conditions and 15 of those pictures are in major museums at the moment so this is one of only 8 out of captivity, if you like The unique thing about this one is that it's just not been seen in public since 1895 It's been in the private collection of two French families ever since 1895 APTN - 26th June 2001 6 GVs auction NO NEEDLES IN THIS HAYSTACK ========================== Haystacks, Last Rays of the Sun, a painting by French impressionist Claude Monet, was sold for £101 million British pounds (143 million US dollars) at auction in London , Sotheby's auctioneers said on Wednesday In a packed auction room three contenders pushed the haystacks up to almost double the pre-sale estimate of £57 million British pounds (8 million US dollars) - a record for a painting from the artist's 23-piece Haystacks series according to Sothebys The painting has not been seen in public for over a hundred years Now it will probably go back into privacy The successful buyer remained anonymous Monet worked on his iconic Haystacks series between 1890-91 and it marked a radical departure from his earlier Impressionist work He painted the group under varying impressions of light at different times of the day and under differing weather so as to achieve almost abstract effects The series of 23 canvasses are now recognised by art historians and critics as an important landmark in the development of modern art The work was originally bought directly from Monet by his friend Paul Gallimard in 1891, the year after it was painted It was last seen in public in 1895 when it was exhibited in Paris at the Galerie Durand-Ruel It was later acquired in 1953 by a private French collector The winning bid was short of the record £198 million (pounds) paid for a Monet painting, Waterlily Pond and Path by Water, which went under the hammer at Sotheby's in 1998 But at this price the bidder is almost certainly not representing a public collection The other Monet on sale, Au Parc Monceau, which depicts a group of Parisian women in their Sunday best, also exceeded its estimate The painting was expected to fetch 2 million British pounds (29 US dollars) - it went for 37 million British pounds(52 million US dollars) In an unprecedented deal the proceeds will be shared with the heirs of a Jewish couple who were forced by the Nazis to sell it It took 2 years for Sotheby's to contact and establish the family of the former owners Now they can be compensated for their loss