Despite a Turbulent Art Week, the Paris Auctions Delivered Stellar Results
Observer ·
A cautious market rallied around historical storytelling and blue-chip names, with little room for surprises beyond the presale arrangements. Claude Monet’s 'Iris' achieved €50 million at Sotheby’s, becoming the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France, while the Schlumberger and Durand-Ruel collections demonstrated the enduring appeal of notable provenance.
The French protests neither dampened sales at Art Basel Paris nor delayed the auctions held the same week, which delivered strong totals across the major houses. Paris is still Europe’s leading art capital, heading a sector that reached $4.5 billion last year (up 9 percent) and accounts for more than 50 percent of the European Union’s art market. In total, the city’s October auction series brought in nearly €300 million. What follows is a look at that figure by house:
Opening the Parisian auction season, Phillips ’s Vente Art Moderne & Contemporain et Desig n sale on Oct. 21 achieved white-glove results across its 48 lots (following five withdrawals), totaling almost €5 million. “It has been an exceptional week in Paris, with the energy surrounding Art Basel bringing collectors and art enthusiasts from across the world to the city,” Clara Rivollet , head of sale and international specialist of Modern and Contemporary Art in Paris, said in a statement. She added that the house welcomed more than 1,000 guests to its opening reception earlier in the week.
Joan Miró ’s Peinture (1930) led the auction, fetching €503,100 with fees, just shy of its €550,000 high estimate. Consigned from the collection of Marcel Brient, who inherited it from Louis Clayeux, who himself acquired it directly from the artist, the fresh-to-market canvas is one of only nine 1930 oil paintings recorded in Miró’s catalogue raisonné and one of three in this vertical format. Made during his “anti-painting” period of experiments with collage and unconventional materials, it features organic forms and violet, yellow, red and ultramarine accents floating against an earth-brown ground. It was included in the artist’s 1964 exhibition at Tate Gallery that subsequently moved to Kunsthaus Zürich.
Other top lots included Marc Chagall ’s iconic Le cheval à la lune (1943), which sold just over its low estimate for €464,400, and Jean-Paul Riopelle ’s Avant le Printemps (1964), which sold just above its high estimate for €312,500 with fees. Another Chagall, Amoureux à l’Arc de Triomphe (1966), sold for €245,100 against a €140,000-180,000 estimate, while his Bouquet d’arums (1952) achieved €206,400 against a €180,000-250,000 estimate, confirming the strength of his market, particularly in Europe.
Asian artists also performed strongly. Hsiao Chin ’s Pintura 5 (Painting 5) (1958) sold for €374,100, far surpassing its €50,000 low estimate. After moving to Milan, Hsiao co-founded the Punto movement in 1961 with Italian artist Antonio Calderara and Japanese artist Azuma Kenjiro , proposing a synthesis of Eastern and Western approaches to abstraction. His own spiritual abstraction brings Chinese calligraphic sensibility and Taoist and Zen thought into conversation with Western modernism. The result follows a string of strong performances, including Inner Light (1966), which sold at Phillips London in June for £516,000. In November 2025, 3812 Gallery launched the Hsiao Chin Archives, followed by a solo exhibition, “Illuminated Heart,” in London in spring 2026, which likely contributed to the renewed market attention. The painting, included in the archives exhibition at 3812 Gallery in Hong Kong, last sold at auction in 2017 for approximately $20,800.
Contemporary artist Liu Guofu also performed well above expectations, with an atmospheric mountain scene, painted in 2025, fetching €283,800 against a €60,000-80,000 estimate and setting a new record for the artist. Earlier in the sale, a Sanyu drawing reached its high estimate at €18,000, following strong recent results for his paintings in Hong Kong, where two horse compositions fetched $8.17 million and $6.03 million this spring at Christie's and Sotheby's , respectively. A painting by Zao Wou-Ki sold for €38,500, just above its high estimate.
Pairing the sale with design also paid off, with results often far beyond expectations. Early on, a pair of wall lights by Georges Jouve reached €51,600 against a €10,000-15,000 estimate, while Philippe Anthonioz’s Lampe ‘Terre’, modèle n. L022 sold for €15,600, roughly double its €6,000-8,000 estimate. A table by French designer Jean Royère achieved €25,800 against a modest €5,000-6,000 estimate, and a set of four chairs later sold for €67,080.
Some design lots far exceeded their estimates: a rare cabinet by Otto Wretling sold for €36,200 (estimate: €7,000-10,000), Line Vautrin’s Soleil mirror for €70,950 (estimate: €30,000-50,000) and a chandelier by Gilbert Poillerat for €45,150. A sumptuous pair of ebony-and-green armchairs by Carlo Bugatti, once in the collection of Jean-Marie Rossi in Paris, sold for €54,180 against a €25,000-35,000 estimate, and toward the end of the sale, a lamp by Clément Rousseau doubled its estimate at €15,000. These results reflect the broader strength of collectible design at auction, which rose 63 percent year over year in the first half of 2026, according to ArtTactic’s RawFacts Auction Review H1 2026 .
The week continued with Sotheby’s evening sale on Thursday, Oct. 22, when the legendary, highly anticipated Schlumberger Collection came to the block. It sold white-glove for a total of €74.4 million over a €39.3 million low estimate, making it one of the most valuable fine-art sales the house has ever staged in Paris. (The highest auction total ever achieved in Paris remains that of the Yves Saint Laurent -Pierre Bergé collection, a three-day sale at Christie’s in 2009 that reached €373.9 million with fees.)
Leading the sale—and the week—was Claude Monet ’s monumental Iris , which realized €50 million ($56.2 million), becoming the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France. Pursued by more than six bidders over an intense 45 minutes, it sold via Jen Hua , Sotheby’s deputy chairman, Asia, bidding by phone on behalf of a collector in Asia. Never seen before on the market, the late masterpiece is the largest of the 20 Iris paintings Monet produced in his final decade that remain in private hands. It had never been publicly exhibited and is in remarkable condition, unlined and unvarnished.
Another masterpiece by the father of Impressionism, Saule pleureur , or L’Arbre de feu , similarly unlined and unvarnished, achieved the evening’s second-highest price at €9.7 million, meeting its estimate and ranking among the highest prices ever paid for the artist at auction in France. Never before exhibited or auctioned, the canvas belongs to an exceptionally rare series of only 10 Weeping Willow paintings Monet made in 1918-19 and depicts the motif he offered the French state to mark the Armistice.
Earlier in the sale, another late Monet, La maison à travers les roses , also fresh to the market, sold mid-estimate for €2,545,000, while La Seine à Vernon, l’arbre reached €4.2 million against a €1.2-1.8 million estimate. Never before offered at auction or publicly exhibited, the painting was known only through a black-and-white photograph in the catalogue raisonné. It is the only example in Monet’s 1894 series with a tree prominently in the foreground.
The enduring power of fin-de-siècle Symbolism is drawing renewed market attention as more mystical readings of modern art history gain traction across institutions. Gustave Moreau ’s intricate gouache Rêve d’Orient soared to €1.4 million against a €600,000-800,000 estimate, surpassing the artist’s previous record of $2,750,000, set in 1989. The work last appeared on the market in 1971. Another Moreau, Virtus , followed, selling within estimate for €576,000, while the artist’s depiction of Saint Sebastian fetched €384,000, well above its €150,000-250,000 estimate. (In December 2025, a smaller oil on panel by Moreau exceeded its high estimate by approximately 116 percent, selling at Sotheby’s London for £431,800.)
Pierre Bonnard ’s La Cueillette des Prunes set another record at €2.5 million. Last shown publicly 70 years ago, the work is believed to be one panel of a larger triptych. A more traditional Bonnard portrait, last on the market 90 years ago, sold within estimate for €140,800. Among the other top results, the opening lot, Camille Claudel ’s La Valse (1895), a sculpture of two interlocked dancers and lovers, fetched €832,000 against a €400,000-600,000 estimate. One of Alberto Giacometti ’s now highly coveted lamps sold just above its high estimate for €217,600.
On the day of the sale, Sotheby’s announced that three seminal early paintings by Paul Cézanne, recently designated trésors nationaux, would be withdrawn and would instead return to the artist’s hometown of Aix-en-Provence . With the support of the French Ministry of Culture, the city aims to acquire them for the Musée Granet, where they will hang alongside other important works by the artist.
Assembled over more than four decades by Jeanne Schlumberger in close collaboration with the legendary dealer Katia Granoff , the collection reflects Schlumberger’s pioneering vision as one of the first private collectors to recognize and champion Monet’s revolutionary late works. At a time when these paintings attracted little interest in France, the two women helped shape their rediscovery, acquiring exceptional works long before their significance was widely acknowledged. Before the Musée Marmottan Monet became the sole repository of Monet’s estate in 1966, the Schlumberger Collection was one of only three collections in Paris dedicated to preserving his work. That legacy drew spirited bidding in the room and on the phones, and the collection was enthusiastically received by collectors and the public alike, with its six-day preview attracting more than 9,000 visitors.
The sale continued the following morning, bringing the total to €137.7 million, with Modernités and Surrealism and Its Legacy generating €63.2 million, against a combined estimate of €59.2-86 million. Among the standout results, František Kupka ’s Espace non-descriptif achieved €9 million, setting a new auction record for the artist in France and marking the second-highest price ever paid for his work at auction. Alberto Giacometti’s Tête crâne , appearing at auction for the first time, soared to €8.7 million after attracting eight bidders, more than quadrupling its low estimate.
A group of six preparatory gouaches for Marc Chagall’s seminal Le Cirque series, consigned directly from the artist’s estate, totaled €4 million, surpassing their combined high estimate, while Alexander Calder ’s Mobile made its auction debut at €3.4 million.
The Surrealism & Its Legacy sale achieved €24.6 million, led by Joan Miró’s La Tige de la fleur rouge pousse vers la lune , which realized €5.7 million. The sales also set new market benchmarks for Richard Prince, Mark Grotjahn, Gabriel Orozco, Wolfgang Tillmans, Victor Brauner and Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi , whose Sovekammer (Bedroom Interior) was the first work by the artist ever offered at auction in France.
Also on Thursday night, Christie’s sale of the Durand-Ruel Collection, Generations of Vision , achieved white-glove results across its 27 lots, totaling €41,658,640, near the upper end of its presale estimate. More than a century after Paul Durand-Ruel helped transform Impressionism from a misunderstood movement into an international cultural and commercial force, the prestige of his family’s collection drew more than 160 bidders from around the world.
Leading the sale was Claude Monet’s Bord des falaises à Pourville , which achieved €12.8 million, placing it among the most valuable works by the artist ever sold in France, though well short of the €50 million achieved by Iris at Sotheby’s. Alfred Sisley set records with La Route du Cœur-Volant en hiver, Louveciennes , which sold within estimate for €2.7 million, followed by Un Verger , which, backed by a third-party guarantee, fetched €3.7 million against a €1.5-1.7 million estimate. Held by the Durand-Ruel family since its acquisition and fresh to the market, the history making painting appeared in the first Impressionist exhibition, held in 1874 in the studio of the photographer Nadar.
Gustave Loiseau also set successive records—a view of the Normandy cliffs opened the sale at €768,000, and L’Aiguille et la Porte d’Aval (Étretat) followed immediately at €793,600 with fees, both against estimates of €150,000-250,000. Less familiar than many of his Post-Impressionist peers, Loiseau is best known for his landscapes of Normandy, the Seine and the changing atmosphere of the French countryside. His previous record was $774,000, achieved at Christie’s New York in November 2021 for L’hôtel de Mademoiselle Ernestine, Saint-Jouin (Finistère) ou Le verger de Mademoiselle Ernestine, Saint-Jouin (1908). Relatively few of his works have come to auction since.
Among the other top results, Renoir’s Jeunes filles au bord de la mer (1894), an exquisitely vibrant scene of elegant young girls enjoying the seaside sun, achieved €5.8 million, comfortably within its €4-6 million estimate. Dating from a pivotal year in the artist’s career, the painting has been widely exhibited in shows devoted to Renoir and the movement.
Camille Pissarro ’s Le Louvre, soleil d’hiver, matin , a crisp, bright winter scene from a series whose companion works belong to the Musée d’Orsay and the Saint Louis Art Museum, achieved €2,545,000, landing mid-estimate with the backing of a third-party guarantee. It was last shown publicly in the artist’s 2017 exhibition at the Musée Marmottan.
The following morning’s sale, which included more works from the Durand-Ruel Collection alongside works from the Marlene and Spencer Hays Collection, brought the house an additional €17.9 million. The momentum continued in the evening with 2 0th/21st Century: Paris Evening Sale including Thinking Italian , which totaled €66.014 million across 88 lots, exceeding its low estimate by 79 percent.
Among the top lots was Jeff Koons ‘ Ode to Love , a monumental orange stainless-steel sculpture inspired by classical art, which sold close to its estimate at €3.1 million. From the Antonio Homem and Ileana Sonnabend Collection, it was first shown in Koons’ 2018 exhibition at Gagosian.
Two works by Bruce Nauman came from the same collection. None Sing Neon Sign sold at its €512,000 low estimate, likely to its third-party guarantor, while a work on paper sold below its €300,000 low estimate at the guaranteed price of €128,000. The neon featured in the most recent major survey of Nauman’s practice, which traveled from Schaulager in Basel to MoMA in New York; the work on paper was last shown in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection’s 2011 exhibition in Venice, “Ileana Sonnabend: An Italian Portrait.”
Among the unsold works were a bronze rooster by Picasso and a gestural work by Anselm Kiefer . Despite sustained demand for Les Lalanne and a rising market for design, Claude Lalanne ’s unique Singerie failed to find a buyer against its €1.4-1.6 million estimate. It was last exhibited in “Les Lalanne à Trianon” at the Château de Versailles in 2011. Two iconic Moutons fared better, selling above estimate for €1.6 million and €1.7 million, respectively.
Another major casualty of the evening was a 1957 abstraction by Joan Mitchell , withdrawn shortly before the sale, likely for lack of interest at its ambitious €5-7 million estimate. The consignor had acquired it from a 2010 exhibition dedicated to the artist at Galerie Thomas Modern in Munich.
Earlier in the sale, a more naturalistic bronze by Brancusi, L’Enfant endormi , made just after the artist arrived in Paris in 1904, sold within estimate for €640,000. Jean Dubuffet ’s more materially raw bronze Le Commandeur , which evokes the tactility of clay, fetched €1.2 million, far exceeding both its €650,000-800,000 estimate and its third-party guarantee. A closely related sculpture, Le Reître , followed at €704,000. Later in the sale, an unusual abstract work by Baselitz, Oda , fetched €1.04 million.
The auction concluded with the Thinking Italian chapter, a dedicated offering of 25 lots showcasing some of the best of 20th- and 21st-century Italian art. The Italian segment alone reached €21 million, driven by clients from 50 countries bidding in the room and by phone, a sign of renewed strength in a segment that has seen some lows in recent years. The sale also marked the 25th anniversary of the format, which moved from London to Paris in 2022, coinciding with the launch of Art Basel Paris. Brexit had made importing works into the U.K. even more challenging, compounding the often laborious process of exporting them from Italy.
The Italian segment produced one of the evening’s top lots, Amedeo Modigliani’s Minoutcha (1916-17), which fetched €6,205,000, comfortably within its €5-7 million estimate and backed by a guarantee. Unseen on the market for a quarter century, the striking canvas portrays a woman against a dark background, her melancholic presence conveyed through warm peach and pink tones as she meets the viewer’s eye with resilience and inner strength. Although her name is inscribed on the canvas, her identity remains uncertain. Extensively published, the painting was included in the artist’s first retrospective in 1920 and was last shown publicly in the Fondation Pierre Gianadda’s 1990 exhibition dedicated to him in Martigny.
The other leading lot was Lucio Fontana ’s stunning yellow Concetto spaziale, La fine di Dio , which achieved €6,815,000 against a €5.5-7 million estimate. Once in the collection of Paolo Marinetti , the work was included in “Lucio Fontana: Venezia/New York,” staged at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and the Guggenheim in New York in 2006-07.
A pink Fontana slash opened the Italian section above its high estimate at €2.5 million, while a red Concetto spaziale later sold for €768,000, more than double its low estimate, confirming the strength of the artist’s market. Arnaldo Pomodoro ’s golden sphere also beat expectations, soaring to €678,000 against a €300,000-500,000 estimate. Two works were sold to benefit good causes. Mario Schifano ’s Verginale (1961) sold for €320,000, benefiting the Magazzino Italian Art Foundation in New York State, while proceeds from the €450,000 sale of Michelangelo Pistoletto ’s Migrante will support the Preventive Peace Worldwide project.
Taken together, the Paris sales confirmed a cautious market concentrated around great provenance and blue-chip names, with little room for surprises beyond the presale arrangements.