"Iris," a significant painting by Claude Monet, the French Impressionist painter, was auctioned in Paris for 50 million euros, or about 1.89 billion baht. This set a record as the highest auction price ever achieved for an artwork in France, after the painting was kept in the mansion of the wealthy Schlumberger family for several decades.
The painting "Iris" by Claude Monet was sold at Sotheby's auction house in Paris, France, for 50 million euros, approximately 1.89 billion baht including buyer's fees. This represents the highest auction price ever recorded for an artwork sold in France.
This painting measures 1.60 meters tall and 1.80 meters wide. It had never been removed from the Paris mansion of the Schlumberger family, a wealthy dynasty that made its fortune in the oil service industry and was known only through black-and-white photographs. The work previously belonged to Jean Schlumberger, who lived from 1889 to 1983.
The auction for "Iris" featured intense bidding lasting 45 minutes, with six collectors competing before an Asian private buyer won via telephone, represented by Jane Hua, Vice President of Sotheby's.
Before the auction, Sotheby's estimated the painting's value between 22 and 30 million euros, noting this was the highest estimate ever given for a painting auctioned in France.
"Iris" was painted by Monet late in his life and is one of four paintings from the Schlumberger family collection auctioned this time. These works passed from Monet to his son Michel Monet, were then purchased by art dealer Katia Granoff, and later entered the Schlumberger family collection, remaining private for decades.
In addition to "Iris," the painting "Saule pleureur ou L’Arbre de feu," depicting a weeping willow in Monet's garden at Giverny, sold for 9.7 million euros. "La Seine à Vernon, Arbres" from 1894 sold for 4.3 million euros, and "La Maison à Travers les Roses" fetched 2.5 million euros.
Jean Schlumberger began seriously collecting art in the 1950s, working closely with Katia Granoff at a time when Monet's late works were less popular than today. In 1958, Schlumberger may have helped finance Granoff's purchase of works from Michel Monet's studio, giving the dealer access to paintings that later became highly sought after by collectors.
This auction was part of the Schlumberger family's collection sale, with all lots selling successfully. The total sales reached 74.4 million euros, about 83.7 million U.S. dollars, marking a record high for Sotheby's fine art auctions in Paris. Nearly three-quarters of the works sold above their pre-auction high estimates.
Other artists also attracted attention, such as Pierre Bonnard's "La Cueillette des Prunes," never publicly exhibited since 1956, which sold for 2.5 million euros—over three times its high estimate of 800,000 euros—setting a new auction record for the artist in France.
Gustave Moreau's drawing "Rêve d’Orient" made 1.4 million euros, a new record for the artist's line drawings, while Camille Claudel's 1905 bronze sculpture "La Valse" sold for 832,000 euros, more than double its low estimate.
However, three paintings by Paul Cézanne, designated as "national treasures" by the French government, were withdrawn from the auction just hours before it began. After discussions between the Schlumberger family and the city of Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne's birthplace, the city planned to acquire the works for display at the Granet Museum, supported by the French Ministry of Culture.
This auction took place during the centenary year commemorating Monet's death on 5 December 1926. Paris hosted two major exhibitions: "Monet, Painting Time" and "Stories of Landscapes, from Monet to Hockney."