The October 22 sale at Sotheby’s Paris also made Iris the most expensive Monet sold in France, though Picasso’s 1989 sale remains higher after adjustment for inflation.
Claude Monet’s Iris sold at Sotheby’s Paris on October 22, 2026, for €50 million including fees, according to The Art Newspaper. It became the most expensive Monet sold in France and set the country’s art-auction record in nominal terms—comparing prices without adjusting for inflation.
The inflation-adjusted French record remains with Picasso’s Les Noces de Pierrette, sold at Drouot in Paris in 1989 for 314.9 million French francs. The newspaper puts that price at €48 million after currency conversion, or €104.2 million after also accounting for inflation—more than twice the Iris result.
Six potential buyers competed for nearly 45 minutes before Iris went to a telephone bidder. Painted in 1924–25, it is the largest work in Monet’s Iris series and had not been shown publicly since its creation, the newspaper reports.
Iris came from Jeanne Schlumberger’s collection. All 27 works offered from that collection sold, including three other Monet paintings, and three-quarters sold above their high estimates.
| Work or collection | Pre-sale estimate, excluding fees | Sale total, including fees |
|---|---|---|
The black, gold and green edition follows September’s sold-out preorders. Nintendo’s replenished launch-day stock also quickly sold out.
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| €22 million–€30 million |
| €50 million |
| Jeanne Schlumberger collection: 27 works | €40 million | €74.4 million |
The Paris result leaves Monet’s worldwide auction record unchanged. That remains the $110.7 million including fees paid for Meules (1890) at Sotheby’s New York in 2019.
Her 16 September–October shows grossed $125.5 million and sold 539,000 tickets, setting records for revenue and attendance per performance.
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Wolf Alice will support every concert on the April–July run, including both London shows. Subscriber presales begin November 2, followed by Visa access and an Artist Presale before general sales open November 6.
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