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

PARIS, Oct 23 (Reuters) 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) (Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by ​Kate Mayberry)