Monet masterpiece comes out of the shadows

A masterpiece by Claude Monet which has not been seen in public for over a century has been unveiled at an auction house.

Prairie de Limetz is expected to fetch up to €4.85m at a landmark sale of Impressionist and modern art at Christie's next month.

The auction in London will also include a Renoir tipped to sell for up to €9.71m and works by Manet and Cezanne.

Monet's painting depicts the iconic poplar trees on the bank of the River Epte near the artist's home in Giverny, France.

The oil-on-canvas painting was purchased directly from his studio shortly after he painted it in 1888 and has not been on public display since 1889.

Combining brilliant light effects with a complex geometrical structure, it belongs to a series of radiant views of Antibes and Giverny painted in the summer of 1888.

It is one of a number of paintings being prepared by Christie's staff before they go on public exhibition in New York.

They will then be on view in London where they will go on sale on February 4.