Museums in Milwaukee and St. Petersburg, Florida, have agreed to lend a Monet painting according to the World Series result. A Brewers victory would bring Houses of Parliament: Effect of Fog, London to Milwaukee; a Rays win would send Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect to Florida. The paintings remain their museums’ property, with loan and exhibition dates to follow the series.
The Milwaukee Art Museum in Wisconsin and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg in Florida have agreed a temporary Claude Monet painting loan linked to baseball’s World Series championship. If the Milwaukee Brewers win, St. Petersburg will send Houses of Parliament: Effect of Fog, London to Milwaukee. If the Tampa Bay Rays win, Milwaukee’s Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect will go to Florida.[1], [2]
The agreement concerns a temporary loan. Ownership of both paintings remains with their museums; the loan period and exhibition dates are to be announced after the series. Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect is currently on view in Milwaukee. The museum dates the canvas to around 1900, while noting that it bears the date 1903. It entered the collection through the bequest of Mrs. Albert T. Friedmann.[1]
St. Petersburg’s Houses of Parliament painting dates from 1904. Both works depict London subjects.[1]
Milwaukee museum director Kim Sajet and St. Petersburg museum chief Klaudio Rodriguez backed their respective teams in the announcement. Sajet welcomed the prospect of showing two Monets together, while Rodriguez said he hoped to host Milwaukee’s painting. In 2011, Milwaukee agreed a similar painting-loan wager with Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art before Super Bowl XLV, the American football championship game.[1]
