In October, the eyes of the global art market turn to Paris. During Paris Art Week, associated with the fifth edition of Art Basel Paris, the French capital becomes a unique gathering place for collectors, dealers, advisors, and museum professionals. This year’s program at Christie’s is among the most important events of the autumn season. Christie’s auctions in Paris are attracting tremendous interest. Interestingly, on October 22, Sotheby’s will also hold an auction in the French capital. Such a concentration of major artworks is a unique opportunity for art enthusiasts.
Christie’s auctions in Paris
The four upcoming auctions will feature works with a total estimated value exceeding 100 million euros. At their core are four historic collections: Durand-Ruel, Antonio Homem Sonnabend, Marlene and Spencer Hays, and “Radiant Modernism.”
The most important day will be October 22. At 2:30 PM, Christie’s will present the Durand-Ruel: Generations of Vision collection, featuring 62 works connected to the family of the famous art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. An hour later, the 20th/21st Century: Paris Evening Sale will begin, including the Thinking Italian section. The following day, auctions of modern and contemporary art will take place.
The greatest attention is drawn by Claude Monet, Bord des falaises à Pourville, estimated at 11–15 million euros. The painting remained in the Durand-Ruel family for over 140 years. It is precisely this element—the exceptional provenance—that gives the auction its special significance. Durand-Ruel was not merely an art dealer. On the contrary, he was one of the most important figures who helped shape the international Impressionist market. Alongside Monet, Christie’s will also offer, among others, Jeunes filles au bord de la mer by Renoir (4–6 million euros), Le Louvre, soleil d’hiver, matin by Pissarro (2–3 million euros), as well as a work by Sisley estimated at 2.5–3.5 million euros.
Christie’s auctions in Paris – not just Impressionism
The evening auction of 20th and 21st-century art will be equally fascinating. Among the most important works are Untitled by Joan Mitchell from 1957, estimated at 5–7 million euros and offered at auction for the first time, Saint-Cloud by Paul Signac (1.5–2 million euros), works by Caillebotte, Léger, Degas, Vuillard, and Giacometti, as well as Ode to Love by Jeff Koons from the Antonio Homem Sonnabend collection, valued at 2.5–3.5 million euros.
Thinking Italian in France
A special segment will be Thinking Italian, dedicated to Italian art of the 20th and 21st centuries. The highest estimates were given to Minoutcha by Amedeo Modigliani – 5–7 million euros – and Concetto spaziale, Mezzogiorno in Piazza S. Marco by Lucio Fontana – 5.5–7.5 million euros. The offer also includes works by Giorgio de Chirico, Alighiero Boetti, Alberto Burri, and Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Competition or escalation of prestige? Auction of Jeanne Schlumberger’s collection at Sotheby’s
On the same day, Sotheby’s is holding its Paris auction, presenting the Jeanne Schlumberger collection. This provides important context for the Christie’s events. Although both sales tell a different story. Sotheby’s is offering, among others, a late Monet Iris from 1924–1925. Meanwhile, Christie’s returns to a Monet from 1882 and to the story of the family that played a fundamental role in promoting Impressionism. Two paintings by the same artist thus illustrate two different moments in his career: the mature language of Impressionism and the late phase, increasingly moving toward abstraction.
This overview clearly illustrates what today’s high-end art market is all about. The value of a work is determined not only by the artist’s name and reputation, but also by its provenance, rarity, exhibition history, and place in art history. In the case of the Durand-Ruel collection, all these elements come together in an exceptionally striking way. The Christie’s auctions in Paris and the Sotheby’s auction are extraordinary events for every art enthusiast.
Christie’s and Sotheby’s
That’s why Paris in October will be more than just a series of auctions. Christie’s is showcasing over a century of art history here. From Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, through Modernism and the Italian avant-garde, to postwar and contemporary art. At the same time, it reminds us that great collections are not just assemblies of works. Sotheby’s is presenting the greatest Impressionist masterpieces from the Schlumberger collection.
These images are records of the decisions, tastes, and beliefs of people who often recognized artistic value long before it was confirmed by the market.
