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.
