On October 22, 2026, Claude Monet’s monumental painting ‘Iris’ was sold at Sotheby’s Paris for €50 million including fees, setting a new record for the most expensive Impressionist artwork ever auctioned in France. The sale was conducted via a phone bid, with the winning client represented by Jen Hua, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia.
‘Iris’ is the largest work from Monet’s celebrated Iris series and came from the collection of Jeanne Schlumberger, an heir to the Schlumberger oil company. The auction featured 27 works from her collection, including three additional paintings by Monet. Three-quarters of the lots from the Schlumberger collection exceeded their high pre-sale estimates, contributing to a total sale value of €74.4 million, well above the pre-sale estimate of €40 million.
Among the other Monet works offered was ‘Saule Pleureur’ (Weeping Willow), which was valued between €9 million and €12 million. The auction also saw the withdrawal of three paintings by Paul Cézanne, classified as national treasures, just hours before the sale. According to Sotheby’s, these works were withdrawn with the intention of returning them to Cézanne’s hometown of Aix-en-Provence.
On the same day, Christie’s Paris held a separate auction featuring 26 works, including two paintings by Monet. ‘Bord des falaises à Pourville’ sold for €12.7 million, and ‘Trois pots de tulipes’ fetched €3.1 million. Other notable sales at Christie’s included Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Jeunes filles au bord de la mer’ at €5.8 million and Pablo Picasso’s ‘Nature morte au gruyere’ at €3 million. The total for Christie’s sale reached €41.6 million, including buyer fees.
These major auctions in Paris highlight the ongoing global demand for Impressionist and modern art. The record-breaking sale of Monet’s ‘Iris’ demonstrates the enduring appeal of his work and the willingness of collectors to invest significant sums in culturally important pieces.
The success of the Sotheby’s auction reinforces Paris’s position as a leading center in the international art market, attracting collectors and investors from around the world. Such landmark sales provide insight into current trends and the valuation of artistic heritage on a global scale.
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