Claude Monet's 'Iris' becomes most expensive artwork sold at auction in France, Sotheby's says

Claude ​Monet's "Iris" was ​sold late on ‌Thursday for €50 ​million ($56.05 million), becoming the most expensive work of ‌art sold at auction in France, Sotheby's said. The painting, completed toward the end of ‌Monet's life, attracted frantic bidding with ‌six people battling it out for 45 minutes for the piece, before the final two ⁠continued ​to scrabble ⁠for a further 20 minutes.

"Iris" finally went ⁠to an Asian collector who bid over ​the phone. The painting was one of several ⁠works up for auction from the Schlumberger Collection ⁠and ​had been expected to sell between €22 million and €30 million.

The previous French ⁠auction record was set in 2010, by Amedeo ⁠Modigliani's "Head ⁠of a Caryatid," which sold for €43.2 million. ($1 = 0.8921 euros)