The Magpie (La Pie)
Painting on canvas (Landscape format) • Claude Monet
Style & Movement
Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas, utilizing broken brushstrokes and dappled light characteristic of early Impressionism
Creation Period
1868–1869
Dimensions & Format
89 cm x 130 cm (35 in x 51 in), horizontal landscape format
Subject Description
A wintry landscape depicting a solitary black magpie perched on a gate against a blanket of snow, with sunlight casting long blue shadows across the snow-covered path, bordered by a wooden fence on the left and a wooded slope on the right, under a pale sky with distant birds in flight.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good, based on institutional preservation standards as the original hangs in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris
Estimated Market Value
Multi-million dollar museum-tier asset (estimated conservatively above $30,000,000 USD given comparable major Monet landscapes)
Auction Estimate
$25,000,000 - $40,000,000+ USD if ever offered on the open market
Provenance History
Commissioned or acquired through various 19th-century French dealers, eventually entering the collection of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris
Art Historical Significance
One of Monet's largest and most famous early snow scenes, marking a crucial development in his exploration of natural light and color, notably his use of colored shadows rather than traditional black and grey tones
Notable Features
Innovative use of blue and purple tones to render shadows in snow, anticipating the core tenets of Impressionist color theory
Condition Issues
Stable museum-preserved condition; minor natural aging of varnishes typical of late 19th-century oil paintings
Conservation Recommendations
Strict climate control (temperature 20°C +/- 2°C, relative humidity 50% +/- 5%), low-lux LED illumination, and periodic surface dusting by professional conservators