Art market observers anticipate a boost in sales during the autumn auction season, driven by several works from French Impressionist painter Claude Monet. This December marks 100 years since Monet's death.
Sotheby's will feature Monet's 'Iris' in its “Le Temps Retrouvé: The Schlumberger Collection” sale on 22 October. This large painting, completed shortly before the artist's death, was previously known only through a black-and-white photograph. It has an upper pre-sale estimate of €30 million, which Sotheby's states is the highest ever for a painting at auction in France.
Also at Sotheby's, 'Saule pleureur (Weeping willow)', painted in 1918-1919, is valued at up to €12 million. Additionally, Christie's will hold a sale on 22 October, featuring Monet's 'Bord des falaises à Pourville', an Impressionist work from 1882, which is expected to fetch between €11 million and €15 million.
The Sotheby's sale also includes three early works by Paul Cézanne, 'La Ferme', 'Arbres au Bord de la Rivière', and 'Ciel Entre les Arbres', with upper estimates ranging from €600,000 to €800,000. These pieces, originally part of a single mural, have been designated Trésors nationaux due to their cultural significance to France.