The club bought the painting from a member for $500 in 1895.
The Union League Club of Chicago is looking to sell its prized Claude Monet painting to fund remodeling projects at its nearly century-old Loop location.
The club bought the painting, titled « Pommiers en Fleurs, » or Apple Trees in Blossom, from one of its members in 1895 for $500.
Frank DeVincentis, who’s chairing the remodeling effort, declined to speculate on how much the painting might fetch. But he did say the number would surely be well above $7.2 million — the price an Australian art dealer falsely claimed he had a contract to buy it the last time the club contemplated selling it in 2020.
DeVincentis said it’s possible the piece could end up at the Art Institute of Chicago.
« It would be a great story to add to their Monet collection while also satisfying our needs, » he said.
