As the Milwaukee Brewers face the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series, two museums are making a friendly bet. The Milwaukee Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in St Petersburg, Florida, are each backing their local team. The losing team’s museum will lend a Claude Monet painting to the winning team’s museum.
Milwaukee held a 2–0 lead before Game 3, leaving the Brewers two wins away from victory. Whichever team wins will claim its first World Series title. A Brewers victory would bring St Petersburg’s Houses of Parliament: Effect of Fog, London to Milwaukee. Painted in 1904, it shows a grey London scene with two boats on the Thames.
If the Rays recover and win, St Petersburg will receive Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect, dated 1903. It is the Milwaukee museum’s only Monet. The painting shows sunlight shining on the Thames, with factory smoke rising in the background.
Both works belong to Monet’s London series, so the loan will temporarily reunite two paintings from that group. The artist repeatedly painted London scenes to explore changes in weather and light. Both paintings are currently displayed in their home museums, and details of the loan will be announced after the series ends.
