Sotheby’s Paris achieved a landmark result for its modern and contemporary art sale, totaling €35 million ($41 million) and surpassing its high estimate. The auction was headlined by two Claude Monet paintings that had been hidden from public view for roughly a century, including 'Vétheuil, effet du matin' (1901), which sold for €10.2 million ($12.1 million), setting a record for the artist at auction in France.
The sale's success, which saw an 84 percent increase over the previous year's equivalent event, signals a robust resurgence for the Paris art market. With over 60 percent of lots selling above their high estimates and many works making their auction debuts, the results reflect a high level of global collector confidence and reinforce Paris's growing status as a primary hub for high-value art transactions.