Monet's 'Iris' fetches 50 mn euros at Paris auction

"Iris," a monumental painting by Impressionist Claude Monet, sold for 50 million euros ($56 million) including buyer fees in Paris on Thursday, becoming the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France.

The 1.60 metre high and 1.80 metre wide work had never left the billionaire Schlumberger family's mansion in Paris and was known only through a black-and-white photograph.

It was acquired by Jeanne Schlumberger (1889–1983), according to Thomas Bompard, co-head of the Modern and Contemporary Art Department at Sotheby's France.

"Iris" had been estimated at between 22 and 30 million euros, “the highest valuation ever given to a painting offered at auction in France,” Sotheby’s noted when presenting the sale.

It was painted by Monet in his twilight years.

Alongside "Iris", three other canvases by Monet were included in the sale, among them "Saule Pleureur" (Weeping Willow), valued at 9-12 million euros.

The sale comes in the year marking the centenary of Monet's death on December 5, 1926, which is being commemorated by two Paris exhibitions -- "Monet, Painting Time" and "Stories of Landscapes, from Monet to Hockney."

Three paintings by Paul Cezanne classified as "national treasures" were withdrawn from the sale a few hours before the auction began "with a view to their return to the artist's hometown, Aix-en-Provence," Sotheby’s said.

It followed an agreement between the current owners and the city of Aix-en-Provence, which, with the support of the French culture ministry, is considering acquiring these works.

Another Paris auction on Thursday by Christie's saw 26 works being sold, including two Monet paintings -- "Bord des falaises a Pourville", which went for 12.7 million euros and "Trois pots de tulipes", which sold for 3.1 million euros.

A work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Jeunes filles au bord de la mer," fetched 5.8 million euros, while "Nature morte au gruyere" by Pablo Picasso sold for 3 million euros.

The total amount of Christie’s sale was 41.6 million euros, buyers fees included.