From Robb Report · Devorah Lauter for ARTNews · · 1m 20s
Monet's rare iris painting heads to Paris auction
A never-before-seen Claude Monet from his final years could shatter France's auction record.
In brief
A never-before-seen Claude Monet from his final years could shatter France's auction record. A previously unknown Monet iris painting estimated at 25 to 34 million dollars is going to auction in Paris this October, potentially breaking France's record for a sold painting. Originally reported by Robb Report.
Monet masterpiece emerges from private collection
Sotheby's Paris will auction a never-before-publicly-shown Claude Monet from his Iris series, kept in the Jeanne Schlumberger collection for decades.
Painted in Monet's final years
The work dates from 1914 to 1917 and 1924 to 1925, created just one year before the artist's death in 1926.
Estimated at $25 to $34 million
The painting carries an estimate of 22 to 30 million euros, or 25 to 34 million dollars, making it a major contender for auction records.
Abstract irises reflected in water
The work depicts purple and yellow irises reflecting on water in Monet's characteristic abstracted style from his later period.
Could break France's auction record
If sold at the high estimate, the painting would shatter the country's current record for a sold painting at auction.
Auction set for October 2026
Sotheby's Paris will present the work this October, with the painting unveiled to the public for the first time today.
The main idea
A previously unknown Monet iris painting estimated at 25 to 34 million dollars is going to auction in Paris this October, potentially breaking France's record for a sold painting.
