Sotheby's sells art in a Paris apartment, with lunch, until 24 October

A private art sale has moved into a Paris flat, courtesy of Sotheby's. The show is called Chez Sotheby's and runs from 19 to 24 October 2026, the sale page says. The press page is dated 19 October 2026 and says the show is open now.

The address comes only on request. The works hang in what the auction house calls an extraordinary Paris flat. Cultured says the flat looks out on the Jardin des Tuileries. Reported by Cultured, close to $150 million of art will be on offer. The works are for private sale, Cultured adds.

The context

Picasso, Matisse and Warhol are among the artists named on the sale page. Richter, Bacon and Calder are on the list too. No prices appear on the page.

The Cultured headline calls the event an intimate salon in a hidden apartment. The show falls during Art Basel Paris, Cultured says. Art Basel lists its Paris fair for 23 to 25 October 2026. The Sotheby's show starts four days before the Art Basel dates.

How a visit works

One email address covers both viewings and lunch bookings, the Sotheby's page says. Here are the steps from that page.

• Use the email address on the sale page to ask for a viewing.
• Ask in the same email for a lunch table, which the house says is free.
• Reservations cannot be transferred to someone else, the page warns.
• Daily hours run from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening.

What is on the menu

Lunch is served at 1 in the afternoon, Sotheby's says. Tables are limited each day, the page notes. Chef Erika Blu of Atelier Renata is named for the lunch menu. The menu pairs classic Italian dishes with French desserts.

Colin Field will serve the drinks. He is a former head barman of the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris, in the house's words. The drinks range from ice-cold martinis to fine champagne, the page says. Whether tables or viewings remain is not stated on either page.

Our view

We think the trend is selling art in a home setting, judging by the flat and the lunch. Lunch and martinis sit beside works by artists such as Picasso and Warhol, in Sotheby's own account.

My imaginary invitation is still lost in my inbox.

The show ends on 24 October, the press page says, so any request needs to go soon.

Would you visit?