Christie’s Paris Art Week 2026 to Feature Over €100 Million in Landmark Auctions

Christie’s organized a series of four auctions during Paris Art Week 2026, with a total estimated value exceeding €100 million. The auctions took place on October 22 and 23, and featured works from four landmark collections: the Durand-Ruel family, Antonio Homem Sonnabend, Marlene and Spencer Hays, and the “Radiant Modernism” Collection.

The schedule began on October 22 at 2:30 p.m. with the auction titled Durand-Ruel: Generations of Visions. This was followed at 3:30 p.m. by the 20th/21st Century: Paris Evening Sale, which included the “Thinking Italian” segment. On October 23 at 10:00 a.m., the Modern Art Sale took place, featuring works from both the Durand-Ruel Collection and the Marlene and Spencer Hays Collection. The final auction, the Contemporary Art Day Sale Paris, was held on October 23 at 4:00 p.m.

The Durand-Ruel family collection included significant works such as Claude Monet’s "Bord des falaises à Pourville," which had remained in the family for more than 140 years. This painting was estimated at €11–15 million. Another highlight was Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s "Jeunes filles au bord de la mer," valued at €4–6 million, a work that has been lent to some of the world’s leading museums.

The Antonio Homem Sonnabend Collection brought together an exceptional group of major Post-War and Contemporary artworks. This collection also included photographs, prints and multiples, and design pieces, offering a diverse range of art from the post-war period to the present.

Public exhibitions of the auction highlights were open from October 16 to 22. These exhibitions were located in the immediate vicinity of the Art Basel fair at the Grand Palais, providing visitors with the opportunity to view the artworks before the auctions.

On October 19, a press preview was held at 4:00 p.m., followed by a preview event from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. during the MaSH (Matignon Saint-Honoré) association’s evening event. These previews allowed members of the press and invited guests to see the collections ahead of the public auctions.

The four auctions and associated exhibitions during Paris Art Week 2026 showcased a wide range of important works from notable private collections, offering collectors and art enthusiasts the chance to acquire pieces with significant provenance and history.