Monet's 'Iris' Carries Record $33.7 Million Estimate At Paris Auction

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A Claude Monet painting, Iris (1924–25), carries an estimated value of up to $33.7 million, marking the highest estimate ever set for a painting at auction in France, according to Sotheby's. The work, from the artist's final years at Giverny, is the largest piece from Monet's last decade that remains in private hands. It is part of 27 lots from the Schlumberger Collection at Sotheby's, which are expected to achieve between $44.1 million and $60.6 million during a Thursday evening sale.

This week, Paris's auction houses, including Christie's and Sotheby's, anticipate combined sales between €185 million and €266.3 million ( $207.9 million and $299.2 million ) across five evening sales over two days. This figure represents the highest estimate for a sale week to date in the city. Last October, the two rival houses generated a total of $212 million from six auctions, a 30 percent increase compared to equivalent sales in 2024.

New York-based advisor Evan Beard noted,“It's a good Impressionist and modern week,” expressing his intention to bid on several lots. The sales feature a significant number of Impressionist works, including 85 pieces from the collection of the heirs of Paul Durand-Ruel, a 19th-century dealer who championed Impressionism. Christie's is presenting a 27-lot sale on Thursday afternoon, led by Monet's Bord des falaises à Pourville (1882), estimated at $12.67 million to $17.27 million. This sale, which includes five guaranteed lots, is projected to reach $33.3 million to $47.6 million. An additional 58 lots from this collection will be offered in a day sale the following afternoon.

Sotheby's announced the withdrawal of three Paul Cézanne paintings from the Schlumberger Collection just hours before their scheduled sale. These works, collectively estimated between $1.6 million and $2.3 million, were recently designated national treasures and are slated for acquisition by the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence, with the support of the French Ministry of Culture.

Christie's has successfully relocated its“Thinking Italian” auction from London to Paris in 2022, a move described as“very successful” by Liberte Nuti, an advisor active in both cities. The top lot in Christie's 20th and 21st century sale, which incorporates“Thinking Italian,” is Lucio Fontana's 1961 Concetto spaziale, Mezzogiorno in Piazza S. Marco, estimated at $6.2 million to $8.4 million. This auction, encompassing 84 lots, is expected to yield between $99.3 million and $142 million.

Sotheby's 40-lot Modernités sale on Friday could generate $36.9 million to $53.9 million. It is highlighted by Espace non-descriptif (1914–22), an abstract work by Czech artist František Kupka. Nuti remarked that Kupka is“not an easy artist to find” and called the piece“a rare jewel.” If it sells within its $6.7 million to $9 million estimate, it would become the artist's second-most expensive work sold at auction. The current record for Kupka was set by Sotheby's London in 2021, when Le Jaillissement II (Tryskání II) (1922) sold for $10.3 million, according to the Artnet Price Database.

Sotheby's Surrealism and Its Legacy sale, also scheduled for Friday, has become a key event in Paris's auction week due to rising market demand for Surrealist art. This year, it is poised to bring in $29.6 million to $42.7 million across 33 lots. A similarly sized sale last October achieved $26.9 million. Leading this sale is René Magritte's 1950 Morceaux Choisis, estimated at $5.6 million to $7.9 million.

Evan Beard observed the relative scarcity of contemporary art, and a complete absence of emerging contemporary art, across the auctions, saying,“it's interesting how little contemporary art is on offer, and zero emerging contemporary.” The most recent work featured is Wolfgang Tillmans's 2016 Greifbar 53 at Sotheby's Modernités event. A 2026 Michelangelo Pistoletto mirror work is included in Christie's 20th and 21st century sale, but it is being sold by the artist for charity. Beard attributed this trend to a“flight to quality,” noting,“It's back to the classics.”

Phillips, known for its contemporary art offerings, is also expanding its presence in Paris. The house's Wednesday evening sale at 94 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, featuring 20th and 21st century works, generated a total of $5.6 million from 53 lots, with 91 percent sold. Joan Miró's 1930 Peinture, from the collection of Marcel Brient, was the highest-selling lot at $565,500, including fees. Phillips also achieved an auction record for Chinese painter Liu Guofu, whose Cold Mountain 25-6 (2025) sold for $319,000 against an estimate of $67,400 to $89,900.

We previously reported:

Artcurial Paris will hold two sales on October 24, 2026, offering works by Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard, Paul Gauguin, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and more.

Source: Artnet News

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