SG · International contemporary art platformOn 22 October 2026, Claude Monet’s monumental painting ‘Iris’ was sold at Sotheby’s Paris for €50 million, including buyer’s fees, which is approximately US$56 million. This painting is the largest in Monet’s celebrated Iris series and was consigned from the collection of Jeanne Schlumberger, an heir to the Schlumberger oil company. The winning bid was placed by a client on the phone, represented by Jen Hua, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia.
The auction at Sotheby’s Paris featured 27 works from the Schlumberger collection. Among these were three additional paintings by Monet. According to Sotheby’s, three-quarters of the lots sold for prices above their high estimates. The total for the Sotheby’s sale reached €74.4 million (about US$83.7 million) with fees, which was well above the pre-sale estimate of €40 million. The pre-sale estimates were calculated without fees.
Among the other Monet works offered in the sale was ‘Saule Pleureur’ (Weeping Willow), which was valued between €9 million and €12 million. The auction also included works by other artists, but the focus remained on the significant pieces from the Schlumberger collection.
Shortly before the auction began, three paintings by Paul Cézanne, which had been classified as national treasures, were withdrawn from the sale. Sotheby’s stated that this decision was made with a view to returning the works to Cézanne’s hometown of Aix-en-Provence.
During the same week, Christie’s Paris held a separate auction. At this event, 26 works were sold, including two paintings by Monet. ‘Bord des falaises à Pourville’ sold for €12.7 million, and ‘Trois pots de tulipes’ sold for €3.1 million. These sales demonstrated continued interest in Monet’s works at major Paris auctions.
Other notable results from the Christie’s auction included a work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, ‘Jeunes filles au bord de la mer,’ which fetched €5.8 million. Pablo Picasso’s ‘Nature morte au gruyere’ was also sold, achieving a price of €3 million. The total amount for Christie’s sale was €41.6 million, including buyers’ fees.
The sales at both Sotheby’s and Christie’s in Paris during this period highlighted the strong performance of Impressionist and modern art at auction. The results reflected the significant interest in works by Monet and other major artists, as well as the importance of prestigious private collections such as that of Jeanne Schlumberger.
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