Monet's 'Iris' sells for €50 million, a record for an auction in France
A late Claude Monet canvas that was never shown in public sold for €50 million at Sotheby's in Paris. It is the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France and went to a collector in Asia.
At a glance
- Claude Monet's 'Iris' (1924–25) sold for €50 million (about $56 million) including fees at Sotheby's Paris on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
- It is the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France. The old record was €43.2 million for a Modigliani sculpture in 2010.
- The pre-sale estimate was €22–30 million. Bidding lasted about 45 minutes, and a private collector in Asia won by phone.
- The 1.6 x 1.8 metre canvas came from the Schlumberger family's Paris mansion and was known only from a black-and-white photograph.
- The full Schlumberger evening sale made €74.4 million with every lot sold, Sotheby's biggest fine-art sale in Paris.
Claude Monet's "Iris", a large late painting that had never been shown in public, sold for €50 million (about $56 million) including fees at Sotheby's in Paris on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The auction house said it is the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France. A private collector in Asia bought it by phone after about 45 minutes of bidding.
What happened
"Iris" was the top lot of a Sotheby's evening sale of works from the collection of Jeanne Schlumberger (1889–1983), a member of the family behind the Schlumberger oil-services fortune. The painting dates from 1924–25, near the end of Monet's life, and measures about 1.60 metres by 1.80 metres. It shows irises from the artist's garden at Giverny.
The canvas never left the family's Paris mansion. Until this year, scholars knew it only from a single black-and-white photograph. Sotheby's gave it a pre-sale estimate of €22–30 million, which it called the highest valuation ever given to a painting offered at auction in France.
The final price was far above that range. Sotheby's said bidding lasted around 45 minutes. The winner was a private collector from Asia, bidding by phone through Jen Hua, Sotheby's deputy chairman for Asia.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Painting | Claude Monet, "Iris", 1924–25 |
| Size | About 1.60 m x 1.80 m |
| Estimate | €22–30 million |
| Price with fees | €50 million (about $56.2 million) |
| Buyer | Private collector in Asia, by phone |
| Old French record | €43.2 million, Modigliani "Tête de cariatide", Christie's Paris, 2010 |
| Whole Schlumberger sale | €74.4 million, every lot sold |
The full evening sale made €74.4 million (about $83.7 million), with every lot sold. Sotheby's said it was the most valuable fine-art sale it has ever held in Paris. Three other Monet canvases were offered, including "Saule pleureur" (Weeping Willow), estimated at €9–12 million.
Three paintings by Paul Cézanne that are listed as French national treasures were withdrawn a few hours before the sale. Under an agreement between the owners and the city, they are to go to Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne's home town, which is considering buying them with support from the culture ministry.
Background
Monet (1840–1926) was a founder of Impressionism. In his last decades he painted his garden at Giverny, north-west of Paris, again and again, especially its water lilies, weeping willows and irises. These late, large canvases are now among the most sought-after works in the art market.
The global auction record for Monet is still "Meules" (Haystacks), from 1890, which sold for $110.7 million at Sotheby's New York in 2019. That was also a record for any Impressionist work.
Paris has been gaining ground as an auction centre since Brexit, but the very top works are still usually sold in New York or London. Before this week, the record for any auction in France was €43.2 million, paid for Amedeo Modigliani's stone sculpture "Tête de cariatide" at Christie's Paris in 2010. Some art historians point out that, adjusted for inflation, the 1989 Paris sale of a Picasso painting for 300 million francs was larger.
Reactions
Sotheby's called "Iris" the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France and said the evening was its most valuable fine-art sale in Paris. Thomas Bompard of Sotheby's France confirmed that the painting had been bought by Jeanne Schlumberger and stayed in the family home ever since.
On the same evening, rival Christie's sold 26 works in Paris for a total of €41.6 million. Its top lot was Monet's "Bord des falaises à Pourville", which made €12.7 million.
Why it matters
The result is a boost for Paris as a place to sell top-level art, and a sign that wealthy buyers, including in Asia, will still pay very high prices for the best works even when the wider art market has been slower. It also shows how much value a "rediscovered" painting from an old private collection can carry.
What happens next
The year 2026 marks the centenary of Monet's death on December 5, 1926, and two exhibitions in Paris are honouring him. The major New York auction season follows in November, when more Impressionist works are expected to go on sale. The buyer of "Iris" has not been named, and it is not known whether the painting will be shown in public.
Questions people are asking
How much did Monet's Iris sell for?
Monet's 'Iris' sold for €50 million, about $56 million, including buyer's fees at Sotheby's in Paris on October 22, 2026. That was well above its estimate of €22–30 million.
What is the most expensive artwork sold at auction in France?
Monet's 'Iris' is now the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France, at €50 million. It beat the €43.2 million paid in 2010 for Amedeo Modigliani's sculpture 'Tête de cariatide' at Christie's Paris.
What is the most expensive Monet painting ever sold?
Monet's record remains 'Meules' (Haystacks), which sold for $110.7 million at Sotheby's New York in 2019. 'Iris' is far below that but is a record for any sale in France.
