Lilla Cabot Perry

Lilla Cabot Perry spent ten summers as Claude Monet’s neighbor at Giverny, absorbed Impressionism at its source, and then spent decades preaching it — lecturing, writing, and painting — to a skeptical Boston. American Impressionism owes her a genuine debt, and the market has spent recent years repaying it.

Revere Auctions provides free auction estimates for Perry’s work: send photographs of the front, back, and signature and our specialists will respond promptly.

Who Was Lilla Cabot Perry?

Born Lilla Cabot in Boston in 1848, into the city’s intellectual aristocracy, she married the scholar Thomas Sergeant Perry and came to serious training only in her thirties — the Cowles School in Boston, then Paris. She was a published poet as well; the sensibility shows in her painting.

In 1889 an exhibition of Monet stunned her, and that summer the Perrys took a house at Giverny near his; over ten summers she painted beside him, received his counsel, and became one of the few painters he genuinely befriended. She carried his canvases and his gospel back to Boston, lecturing and writing the recollections of Monet that historians still cite.

Three years in Tokyo, where her husband taught, added Japan to her subjects. Her later decades centered on Hancock, New Hampshire, painting portraits, figures, and landscape to the end; she died in 1933.

What Did Perry Paint?

Perry’s work falls into portraits and figures — often her daughters, painted with Boston School refinement warmed by Impressionist light — Giverny and French landscapes, Japanese subjects from the Tokyo years, and late New Hampshire landscapes.

The figure pictures of women and children are her most sought-after works, with the Giverny landscapes close behind for their history as much as their light.

How Much Is My Lilla Cabot Perry Painting Worth?

Several things determine what a work by Lilla Cabot Perry brings at auction:

• Subject — figures of women and children lead; Giverny subjects carry their Monet association; Japanese subjects are rare and interesting
• Period — Giverny-era and mature Boston work stands highest
• Quality of light — the pictures that fuse Boston drawing with Impressionist color are the prizes
• Condition — unlined, unfaded surfaces are rewarded
• Provenance — family or exhibition history from her documented career adds weight

The honest answer is that no two are alike, and the difference between an ordinary example and an exceptional one is a conversation with a specialist, not a chart. Send us photographs through our free auction estimate form — front, back, signature, and any labels — and we will tell you what you have.

The Market for Perry

Perry’s market has strengthened decisively as museums have rebuilt the history of American women Impressionists around figures like her. Strong works bring five figures at auction in recent years, with the best figure subjects well beyond, while smaller landscapes remain approachable.

It is a moving market, which is exactly when a current specialist estimate matters most.

How to Sell a Work by Perry

The strongest results for a Lilla Cabot Perry painting come at auction, where national and international collectors bid against each other. Revere Auctions offers free, no-obligation auction estimates: send photos and dimensions and our specialists respond with a current market valuation and a recommendation on how to sell. Consigned works are professionally photographed, cataloged, and marketed through our fine art auctions to a worldwide bidder base, and we regularly arrange shipping for consignors across the country. If you need a formal written valuation for insurance or estate purposes, our appraisal and valuation services team can help; you can also read more about how selling at auction works.

Related: American & Western paintings, our fine art department, appraisal services, free auction estimates.

Reviewed by the fine art specialists at Revere Auctions, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Lilla Cabot Perry: Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Lilla Cabot Perry painting worth?

Strong works bring five figures at auction, with the best figure subjects higher; smaller landscapes trade more modestly. The market has been rising. Revere Auctions provides free auction estimates.

What was Perry’s relationship with Monet?

Neighbor, student in spirit, and friend across ten summers at Giverny from 1889. She promoted his work in America, and her published recollections of his teaching remain a key source for historians.

What did Lilla Cabot Perry paint?

Portraits and figures — often her daughters — French and Giverny landscapes, Japanese subjects from three years in Tokyo, and New Hampshire landscapes from her summers in Hancock.

Where can I sell a Lilla Cabot Perry painting?

At auction, in a market actively re-valuing American women Impressionists. Revere Auctions offers free estimates and formal appraisals.

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