Claude Monet's Irises to be auctioned for the first time

The heirs of the Schlumberger family will auction a painting by Claude Monet “Irises” at Sotheby’s auction in Paris. The auction will be held on October 22. Bloomberg reports.

According to experts, the cost of the painting of the late period of the artist’s work (1924-1925) ranges from €22 million to €30 million (up to $25 million).

Irises were created by Monet at his estate in Giverny. The painting has never been publicly displayed before. The owner of the canvas – Jeanne Schlumberger, the wife of the co-founder of the world’s largest oilfield services company Schlumberger (now SLB) Marcel Schlumberger – kept it in her private Paris residence. The picture was preserved in an impeccable state - without lacquer coating and duplication of canvas.

The auction is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of Claude Monet, which is celebrated this year. Sotheby’s experts note that if the “Irises” are sold at the top of the estimate, the deal will set an absolute record value for paintings sold at auction in France.