Monet’s ‘Iris’ to Lead Schlumberger Collection Sale at Sotheby’s Paris

Sotheby’s Paris has announced the sale of 28 artworks from the Schlumberger collection, scheduled for 22 October 2026. The centrepiece of the auction is Claude Monet’s painting ‘Iris’, which carries an estimated value between €22 million and €30 million. This estimate is the highest ever set for a painting at auction in France.

The Schlumberger collection was assembled beginning in the 1950s, with the involvement of Parisian dealer Katia Granoff. It features works by artists such as Paul Cézanne, Pierre Bonnard, Gustave Moreau, Chaïm Soutine, and Georges Rouault, reflecting a focus on avant-garde styles and periods.

In addition to ‘Iris’, the auction will include other significant pieces, with the total estimated value of the sale exceeding €40 million. Three paintings from the collection have been designated as "national treasures" by the French state, a status that gives the government 30 months to consider acquiring them.

Coinciding with the auction, two exhibitions on Monet’s life and landscapes will open in Paris at the end of September 2026: “Monet, Painting Time” and “Stories of Landscapes, from Monet to Hockney”.

This sale presents collectors with a rare opportunity to acquire works from a notable collection, while the national treasure designation highlights the cultural significance of these paintings in France.