Unseen Monet "Irises" Sells for 8.8 Billion Yen, a Record for French Art
Summary
A work from Claude Monet's "Irises" series, which had never been exhibited before, was auctioned at Sotheby's in Paris on the evening of October 22, 2026, fetching the highest price ever for a Monet Irises work. Consigned by heirs of the Schlumberger business family, the painting sold for 50 million euros (about 8.8 billion yen) including buyer's premium, far exceeding Sotheby's estimate of 22–30 million euros and setting a record for a work of art sold in France. Sotheby's revealed that the buyer was a private Asian collector.
(Source:Bloomberg.com)