A Year of Expansion, Masterworks and Museum Moments
As we reflect on the past year, 2025 was certainly a defining year in our history. Across fine art, jewelry and historic objects, the year was shaped by the exceptional. We were honored to place masterful works in both distinguished private collections and museums.
Beyond these placements, including two ongoing exhibitions, the year also marked important growth for the gallery. We’re expanding our physical presence with a permanent Aspen location set to open this winter, and we have seasonal placements in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and Neiman Marcus in Dallas. We can safely say that this year was one of continued commitment to presenting objects of enduring cultural importance on both a national and international stage, and we cannot wait to see what 2026 will bring.
Join us as we revisit the moments that shaped our year the most.
Top Art Sales of 2025
1. Edgar Degas — Ukrainian Dancers
Placement: Private Collection
| Ukrainian Dancers by Edgar Degas. Circa 1899. M.S. Rau (sold). |
One of the defining achievements of Degas’ late career, Ukrainian Dancers stands at the summit of his celebrated dancers series. Executed in 1899, this pastel exemplifies Degas’ most daring exploration of color, movement and form, rendered with extraordinary density and expressive force. Its stature is underscored by its dedicated presentation at the J. Paul Getty Museum’s landmark 2017 exhibition on the series. With rare subject matter, extensive publication history and early provenance tracing directly to the artist’s family, this work represents Degas at his most radical and accomplished.
2. Paul Gauguin — Teuraheimata a Potoru
Placement: Private Collection
| Teuraheimata a Potoru by Paul Gauguin. Circa 1892. M.S. Rau (sold). |
Painted during Gauguin’s first Tahitian voyage (1891–93), this portrait belongs to the most transformative period of his career. Gauguin produced remarkably few formal portraits during this time, making Teuraheimata a Potoru an exceptional survival. The painting embodies his revolutionary approach to flattened form and saturated color—ideas that would fundamentally shape modern art. Depicting the daughter of a Polynesian king and acquired directly from the artist in Tahiti in 1892, the work combines historical specificity, unbroken provenance and exhaustive scholarly documentation.
3. Claude Monet — Falaise et Porte d’Amont par gros temps
Placement: Private Collection
Executed in 1886, this powerful seascape captures Monet at a pivotal moment, as he turned decisively toward immersive landscape painting. Part of his celebrated Étretat series, the work favors raw atmosphere—wind, surf and shifting light rendered through rapid brushwork and luminous color. Closely related examples reside in major museums.
| Falaise et Porte d’Amont par Gros Temps by Claude Monet. Dated 1886. M.S. Rau (sold). |
Top Museum Placements
1. Diego Rivera — Delfina y Dimas
Placement: Dallas Museum of Art
| Delfina y Dimas by Diego Rivera. Dated 1935. M.S. Rau (sold). |
This intimate and psychologically resonant portrait by Rivera found a permanent home at the Dallas Museum of Art, joining one of the most respected collections of modern Latin American art in the United States.
2. Edward Hopper — The Battery, Charleston, South Carolina
Placement: Gibbs Museum of Art, Charleston, SC
| The Battery, Charleston, South Carolina by Edward Hopper. Circa 1929. M.S. Rau (sold). |
A rare Southern subject within Hopper’s body of work, this painting’s placement in Charleston provides a meaningful geographic and cultural context for one of America’s most important artists.
On Loan to Major Institutions
1. Pierre-Auguste Renoir — Après le bain
The Morgan Library & Museum & Musée d’Orsay
Exhibition: Renoir Drawings
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Après le bain by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Circa 1898. M.S. Rau (sold).
Circa 1898. M.S. Rau (sold). |
This important Renoir drawing was selected for an international exhibition examining the artist’s draftsmanship, affirming its importance within his works on paper.
2. Federico Zandomeneghi — Les deux sœurs
Palazzo Roverella
Exhibition: Zandomeneghi e Degas
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Les deux sœurs by Federico Zandomeneghi. Dated 1895. M.S. Rau (sold). |
Presented alongside works by Degas, this painting highlights Zandomeneghi’s close artistic dialogue with the Impressionist circle and his growing institutional recognition.
Top Jewelry of 2025
This year, we had the opportunity to work with some of the most remarkable gemstones in the world but a few stood out... some perfect Golconda diamonds.
- Cartier Golconda Diamond Ring, 18.09 carats
- Golconda Diamond Drop Earrings, 20.47 carats
- Kashmir Sapphire and Golconda Diamond Ring
Top Antiques & Rarities
- Tiffany Studios Laburnum Floor Lamp — a monumental achievement of American decorative arts
- Campo del Cielo Meteorite — a relic from space, billions of years old
- Tiffany & Co. Ewer Presented to President Abraham Lincoln — given to Lincoln upon his 1860 election victory
Looking Ahead
2025 was a year that reaffirmed what defines M.S. Rau: our unwavering pursuit of the best of the best. As we look ahead, we remain focused on what matters most—placing works of true importance into collections where they will be honored, preserved and admired for generations to come.
