Some paintings live glamorous lives, hopping from gallery to gallery. Others, it turns out, stay home in their slippers for a hundred years. On Thursday 22 October, Claude Monet’s Iris sold at Sotheby’s in Paris for around €50 million with fees (roughly million), making it the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France.
The best bit? Hardly anyone had seen it. Painted in 1924–25, near the end of Monet’s life, the canvas spent its days in the Paris home of the Schlumberger family. To the outside world it was known mainly from an old black-and-white photograph. Imagine being the art historian who finally got to see it in colour. We’d need a sit-down and a biscuit.
It’s no postage stamp, either. At about 1.6 metres tall and 1.8 metres wide, it’s the largest of Monet’s iris paintings: a swirl of purples, blues and greens from his beloved garden. Six bidders reportedly battled it out for nearly 45 minutes, sailing past the €22–30 million estimate. That’s a long time to keep your phone glued to your ear.
After a hundred years at home, we suspect that frame might be looking a touch… vintage. So, to the lucky new owner: if you fancy a refresh, we’d love to help, and we promise it won’t cost €50 million. Call us. (We’re only half joking.)
The moral of the story: don’t hide your treasures
We’re not suggesting there’s a lost Monet under your spare bed (though do check, just in case). But most of us have something tucked away that deserves better: a watercolour from a holiday, a print from an exhibition you never got round to hanging, your nan’s botanical sketches, or that brilliant photo of the dahlias you grew this summer. Art in a drawer is art nobody gets to enjoy.
Bring a bit of Monet’s garden home
Monet’s irises are a lovely nudge towards floral art as the evenings draw in. A burst of colour is just the thing on a grey November afternoon. A few tips if you’re framing botanical pieces:
- Let the colours breathe. A soft white or ivory mount gives florals room and keeps the eye on the petals. Browse our mount colours; there are over 60 to choose from.
- Pick up a tone. Natural wood suits garden scenes, while a slim gold or silver frame adds a little gallery glamour.
- Protect it. Watercolours and prints fade in sunlight, so if it’s going near a window, choose UV-protective acrylic.
- Got a digital photo of your own garden? We can print and frame it for you in one go.
Try before you hang
The joy of our custom frame designer is that you see your choices as you make them. Pop in your artwork’s size, try different frames and mounts, then use Room View to see it on a wall, either in one of our sample rooms or in a photo of your own. On an iPhone? Try our AR visualiser to see your frame on your actual wall. No hammer, no holes, no “hmm, maybe a bit to the left”.
A centenary worth celebrating
There’s another reason Monet’s in the spotlight: 5 December 2026 marks 100 years since his death. With Christmas round the corner, a framed floral print or a treasured garden photo makes a thoughtful gift for the green-fingered person in your life.
So go on, give your hidden gems their big reveal. They may not fetch €50 million, but they’ll look priceless on your wall.
Pictures: Claude Monet, The Path through the Irises (1917), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain; and Yellow Irises, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The framed pictures are mock-ups, not the painting sold in Paris.