Haystack, Sunset Auction History

Painted and signed by Claude Monet in 1891 (Wildenstein W1289) [1][2]. Possibly sold in September 1891 by Monet to “Hamman” for M. Knoedler & Co., New York (noted as uncertain) [1]. By March 1905, owned by James F. Sutton, New York, and lent by him to the Copley Society of Boston’s Monet loan exhibition [1][3]. Inherited in 1915 by his widow, Florence May Sutton [1]. Sold at public auction in New York on January 17, 1917 (American Art Association, “Sutton sale,” lot 156), purchased by Durand-Ruel [1]. Later in 1917, sold by Durand-Ruel (New York) to Robert J. Edwards, Boston [1]. Bequeathed by Edwards to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1925 (Juliana Cheney Edwards Collection; acc. 25.112) [1].

Monet’s grainstack series, painted around 1890–91, is foundational to his serial practice and to the market for Impressionism. While the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston canvas (Wildenstein W1289) has a well-documented provenance, including a 1917 American Art Association sale and subsequent Durand-Ruel transaction, no reliable realized price for that auction has been located in the sources consulted [1][2]. Even without a recorded 1917 figure, the ownership path—linking early American collectors (James F. Sutton; Robert J. Edwards) and major dealers (Knoedler, Durand-Ruel)—speaks to how quickly Monet’s series gained traction in the United States [1][3].

The broader market underscores the enduring significance of the motif. The series’ critical debut at Galerie Durand-Ruel in 1891 helped cement Monet’s reputation and the desirability of these views across collecting generations [7]. In recent decades, top-tier grainstacks have achieved landmark prices: Meules realized $110.7 million at Sotheby’s New York in 2019 (an artist record) and Meule made $81.45 million at Christie’s New York in 2016, while related subjects continued to perform strongly in 2024 [4][5][6].

Against this backdrop, the MFA Boston painting’s secure attribution, early American exhibition history, and passage through Durand-Ruel position it as a key reference point for the series within public collections. Its 1925 bequest to a major museum ensures public access and scholarly visibility, factors that often enhance the cultural—and, by association, market—standing of comparable works that do appear at auction [1][3][7].