Claude Monet's Iris sold for €50 million (about $56.2 million) at Sotheby's in Paris, setting a record for the most expensive artwork sold at auction in France. Six collectors competed for 45 minutes before the painting went to a private buyer in Asia. It had been estimated at €22 million to €30 million.
The sale formed part of an auction of works from Jeanne Schlumberger's collection. All lots found buyers, bringing the total to €74.4 million and setting a record for a fine-art auction at Sotheby's Paris. Nearly three-quarters of the works exceeded their top estimates.
Three other Monet paintings also sold: Saule pleureur ou L'Arbre de feu for €9.7 million, La Seine à Vernon, Arbres for €4.3 million and La Maison à Travers les Roses for €2.5 million. The four works had passed from Monet to his son Michel before entering the Schlumberger collection, where they remained for decades.
Other standout results included Pierre Bonnard's La Cueillette des Prunes, which achieved a French auction record for the artist at €2.5 million. A Gustave Moreau drawing also set a record for the artist, selling for €1.4 million.
Three early paintings by Paul Cézanne were withdrawn after being designated French national treasures. Aix-en-Provence plans to acquire them for the Musée Granet, with support from France's Ministry of Culture. The auction's results highlight how private collections and public institutions can shape the future stewardship of important art.
