Paris is preparing for one of the most important auctions of Old Masters and modern art this year. On October 22, Sotheby’s Paris will host the auction of the Jeanne Schlumberger collection—a remarkable ensemble of Impressionist and Modernist works that have remained out of public view for decades. At the heart of the event is the monumental “Iris” by Claude Monet, estimated at 22–30 million euros. According to Sotheby’s, the entire collection is valued at over 40 million euros, while other sources suggest a range reaching as high as 40–60 million euros.
The auction of Jeanne Schlumberger’s collection in Paris will be a particularly special event also because of its timing. Monet died in 1926, and this year’s sale takes place exactly on the 100th anniversary of his death. The auction will begin on October 22 at 6:00 p.m. CEST, while online bidding will open as early as October 15. The catalog features 26 active lots, including works by Monet, Paul Cézanne, Pierre Bonnard, Gustave Moreau, Chaïm Soutine, Camille Claudel, and Eugène Delacroix.
Auction of Jeanne Schlumberger’s collection in Paris. A Monet that could make history
The biggest star of the evening is “Iris” from 1924–1925. This monumental canvas measures 159.6 by 180 cm. It belongs to Monet’s late period in Giverny. The estimate is 22–30 million euros. Sotheby’s describes the work as the most important painting from this series ever to appear at auction. Moreover, the painting has retained an exceptional provenance: after the artist’s death, it passed to his son Michel, then to the Katia Granoff gallery, and later to the Schlumberger collection.
It is precisely the provenance that is one of the strongest arguments for this sale. “Iris” has not been the subject of intense market trading for decades. It has remained in the hands of successive owners directly connected to the history of Monet’s work. Equally important is the condition of the painting. According to Sotheby’s, the canvas has not been relined or covered with varnish, thus preserving its original painted surface.
Will a record be broken? That cannot be determined today. The estimate of 30 million euros is the upper limit of the expected price, not a guaranteed result. However, Sotheby’s has reasons to expect exceptional interest. The Monet market has clearly been growing in recent years. Collectors, on the other hand, are particularly seeking works from the later period. At that time, the painter was increasingly moving away from the traditional language of Impressionism towards an almost abstract treatment of color and space.
Four paintings by Monet
However, the auction of Jeanne Schlumberger’s collection in Paris is not centered around a single masterpiece. The catalog features as many as four paintings by Monet. In addition to “Iris,” there is “Saule pleureur ou L’Arbre de feu” from 1918–1919, estimated at 9–12 million euros, “La maison à travers les roses” with an estimate of 2–3 million euros, and “La Seine à Vernon, l’arbre” valued at 1.2–1.8 million euros.
Particularly interesting is “Saule pleureur.” The painting belongs to a series depicting weeping willows from the garden in Giverny. It comes from a period when Monet’s painting style was changing. It became increasingly gestural and expressive. Both of the most expensive canvases: “Iris” and “Saule pleureur” – passed from the artist’s studio to his son Michel. Then, through Katia Granoff’s gallery, they ended up with Schlumberger.
Who was Jeanne Schlumberger?
Jeanne Schlumberger (1889–1983), widow of Marcel Schlumberger and a member of one of the most prominent French industrial families, was behind the collection. The Schlumberger family built their fortune in the technology sector related to oil exploration and extraction. However, Jeanne led a much more discreet lifestyle than many collectors of her time.
For over four decades, she consistently built her art collection. Her most important partner was the gallerist Katia Granoff, who played a significant role in the rediscovery of the value of late Monet. At a time when some critics considered the artist’s late paintings too vague and attributed them to vision problems, Granoff and Schlumberger saw in them a harbinger of modernity. Today, a breakthrough has come. It is precisely this period of Monet’s work that is especially valued by collectors.
Cézanne, Bonnard and Soutine
Monet is not the only reason why the Paris auction is attracting the attention of museums and top collectors. The catalog features three works by Paul Cézanne, including “La Ferme,” valued at 600–800 thousand euros, as well as “Ciel entre les arbres” and “Arbres au bord de la rivière,” each estimated at 400–600 thousand euros. There are also two paintings by Pierre Bonnard – “La cueillette des prunes” for 600–800 thousand euros and “Portrait de femme (Mme Alexandre Natanson)” for 100–150 thousand euros.
The collection is complemented by, among others, three works by Gustave Moreau, two by Chaïm Soutine, Camille Claudel’s piece “La Valse, petit modèle,” a painting by Kees van Dongen, as well as works by Honoré Daumier, Eugène Delacroix, and Eugène Boudin. This reveals a consciously constructed narrative: from Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, through Symbolism, all the way to twentieth-century art.
Paris, the capital of the Impressionist market
The auction of Jeanne Schlumberger’s collection in Paris will take place during an exceptionally strong season. Sotheby’s and Christie’s will face off on the same day with two historic collections. Christie’s will present the collection of Paul Durand-Ruel, one of the most important dealers in the history of Impressionism. Its total estimate amounts to 30–43 million euros.
In this way, Parisian October becomes a symbolic meeting of two different histories of the art market. Durand-Ruel represents the gallerist who helped create the Impressionist market. Meanwhile, Schlumberger stands for the collector who was an early believer in late Monet and the modern direction of French painting.
Will “Iris” break the record? We’ll find out on the evening of October 22. What is already certain, however, is that the auction of Jeanne Schlumberger’s collection in Paris will be one of the most important events on this year’s art market. Not only because of the multi-million valuations, but above all because a collection created over more than four decades by a woman whose intuition was ahead of her time is returning to the market.
