Top 10: World's Most Expensive Paintings
83Introduction
If the media is anything to believe, the world's economy is in a terrible state. So to make everyone feel better, we take a look at the incredibly large amounts of money people have spent on some of the world's finest paintings.
The top 10 list comes from both auctions and private sales from around the world, although the majority of the sales come from the last 5 years.
Interesting to know, the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa was insured for $100 million back in 1962. Adjusted for inflation to 2005 would make it worth $645 Million! Of course, there aren't many people in the world who can afford such paintings, us mere mortals have to live with canvas art.
10. Jasper Johns - False Start - $80,000,000
10. Jasper Johns - False Start - $80,000,000
Bought in 2006 by the founders of the Citadel Investment Group Anne and Kenneth Griffin for $80 Million made this one of the most expensive American paintings in the world. Johns is a regarded as a Neo-Dadaists and say he rejected the unique individualism of the Abstract Expressionists.
9. Claude Monet - Le Bassin aux Nymphéas - $80,400,000
9. Claude Monet - Le Bassin aux Nymphéas - $80,400,000
One of Monet's most famous paintings. "Le Bassin aux Nympheas" from the "water lilies" series. The painting, depicting a beautiful scene of a bridge with floating water lilies became the most expensive Monet back in 2008 when it sold for double the previous highest Monet.
8. Vincent van Gogh - Portrait du Dr Gachet - $82,500,000
8. Vincent van Gogh - Portrait du Dr Gachet - $82,500,000
This is a previous "most expensive painting" after selling in 1990 to a Japanese Businessman for a staggering $82,500,000. It was painted 100 years before in 1890 and is one of two paintings depicting the great artists doctor.
7. Francis Bacon - Triptych 1976 - $86,300,000
7. Francis Bacon - Triptych 1976 - $86,300,000
The Irish painter is known for some dark and evil paintings. The Triptych 1976 collection was part of a much larger series of triptychs (three panels of art creating one image). It was purchased at auction in 2007 by Russian billionaire and Chelsea Football Team owner Roman Abramovich.
6. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Baur II - $87,936,000
6. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Baur II - $87,936,000
Adele Bloch-Baur was the wife of Industrialist Ferdinand Bloch-Baur and was an avid fan and sponsor of Klimts. The Austrian artist only ever painted one woman twice, this was here. Christies looked after the auction which netted close to $88 Million back in 2006.
5. Pablo Picasso - Dora Maar au chat - $95,216,000
5. Pablo Picasso - Dora Maar au chat - $95,216,000
2006 was a good year for expensive art. In May, this Pablo Picasso fetched almost twice it's estimate ($50 Million) when an anonymous Russian Bidder picked it up for a little over $95 million. Dora was Picasso's Mistress and the image has a cat resting on her shoulder.
4. Pablo Picasso - Garcon a la pipe - $104,168,000
4. Pablo Picasso - Garcon a la pipe - $104,168,000
Regarded by many art critics as one of Picasso's "average" paintings, "Garcon a la Pipe" (Boy with Pipe) stunned the art world by fetching a little over $104 Million which makes this the most expensive painting to be sold at an auction. Sotheby's of New York was were the magic happened back in 2004 almost 100 years after it was painted (1905)
3. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer - $135,000,000
3. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer - $135,000,000
This is the second of the two Klimt's depicting Adele Bloch-Bauer and was subjected to somewhat of a controversy. The painting was sold after the Austrian government forced a previous owner to return it to it's rightful owner after it was stolen by the Nazis in World War 2. The current owner is Ronald S. Lauder, the cosmetics heir.
2. Willem De Kooning - Woman III - $137,500,000
2. Willem De Kooning - Woman III - $137,500,000
Between 1951 and 1953, abstract impressionist Willem De Kooning painting 6 Woman paintings. This one, number 3 was originally hung in Iran until it was deemed "unsuitable" for public display. It was traded off for the last Tahmasabi Shahnameh. It was then sold to financial Billionaire Steven Cohen for the staggering $137.5 million.
1. Jackson Pollock - No5 1948 - $140,000,000
1. Jackson Pollock - No 5 1948 - $140,000,000
One of the most known abstract impressionists in the world. American Jackson Pollock is not to every one's taste, but he's one of America's best known Artists. It's also huge! It measures a staggering 8ft by 4ft. It's un-confirmed about the price of this piece, and who the current owner is. Inside reports say it went for $140 million back on 2006 to Mexican David Martinez.
Question...
If money was no object, which would you hang on your wall?
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Thanks Alison. Yeah I read a few whilst researching this, and It annoyed me that they missed out some. That's why I wrote this one, to show people there are some very nice (and expensive) pieces of art out there!
Andre
Liked the False start one though I don't think I'll ever understand why paintings that look quite simple to me fetch the maximum :D
it's all just conspicous consumption, really. great list, and I like most of them, but wouldn't quite pay that......
Great list - I like it a lot and some nice piactures here (and some I'd PAY you to burn) but that's art isn't it? A matter of personal taste?
@Abhishek87 - False Start is one of only a few I like too.
@ LG - The monetory value seems to be a little high for some of them
@ Julie - I would class it as art, but in my personal opinion, there's one or two that could do with being burned, or at least hung in a private gallery!
Ah, but "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and that is what makes art so fascinating, ne'st pas? Wonderful piece of info here. I love to read about art auctions and yet, at the same time feel some sadness that some of these artists (like Monet, Degas) died paupers. I hope they somehow know how much joy their art brings to the ages. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I absolutely LOVE art. Can't necessarily do it myself, but truly appreciate it.
@Dink96 - Thanks a lot, although I think "beauty is in the eye of the BEERholder" suits some of them better! Yeah I love art too, and although I can;t put together something as traditional as these, I can dabble with some (spray) paint!
I can't believe so many would put up Francis Bacon, why?
@Andromeda10 - I actually like Franci Bacon paintings, if you have a look at his work, he paints dark and evil images really well, yet still keeps the main feel quite light and open.
My favorite artist of all time is Willem De Kooning! Thank you for sharing these works. Art says so much about the person who constructs it. I enjoyed seeing these so much.
@Paula - Your welcome. I spend all day surrounded by art, nothing worth quite as much as these though!
I used to be on hub pages. For what it's worth I love this hub. I never knew art could cost so much. $86 mil. Who knew! I guess they are worth it. Thanks-Julie
This was a great hub, interesting and informative. Thanks for your research.
cool hub to send art lovers to
wow...thats quiet an expensive list. I would love love love to own a Van Gogh painting...It would be amazing to own one!
Great hub thanks. Will be interesting to see how the current economic climate affects the art world. But I guess if you have enough money to buy one of these then you probably won't be affected by the credit crunch!! LOL
Personally if I had the dosh I would go for the
Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer
I became an admirer of Picasso only in the last decade or so, and I would love to own Dora Maar au chat.
I was happily surprised to see no contemporary art here. Like Hirsch or the balloon dog guy or the football player who pretends to do art.
Fun article! Thanks for writing it! I love that Picasso.
Thanks for the interesting Hub !!!
I find Van Gogh so interesting, so layered with emotion and unexpected nuance...his portrait of the good Doctor is such an openly personal take on this person with whom he was on such intimate terms...
great paintings but i couldn't understand .......y they are getting famous
What can i say, it's art! We let it speak, and if we can't understand, it doesn't change anything about the who and the why of it. I just love art! I enjoyed this list very much.
WhoArtNow
Interesting hub!
Art is a language in itself!
How amazing to be able to take a one dimensional surface and create such depth!
Thank you for sharing!
Blessings!
I just Love Monet,s work It is Just the best to me.
Amazing. And to think poor Vincent van Gogh died unrecognized and poor. Funny when you look at paintings in books or online. I could never appreciate Jackson Pollack until I saw one of his paintings in person. I went from a Pollack scoffer to a Pollack lover - it was the most incredible painting!
I'm simply astounded at the legacies that artists leave in their paintings.
great paintings.
I can understanding why these paintings went for so much money ; they are all incredible!!! great hub.
Interesting list but this has to be put into context. A very small percentage of the world's great art comes onto the art market and not many 'old masters' at all, certainly very few of the really greats. For instance, how much would someone pay for the Mona Lisa? $200million, $500million, a billon?
It is partly the limited supply of good art that forces up the price for those who can pay (or are silly enough to pay?) Indeed I can't help thinking that a large proporton of modern paintings achieve greatness not through their inate quality but through their astronomical dollar values. Maybe in 500 or 1000 years time some of these 'great' modern paintings will be downrated and given the status they really deserve, interesting yes, but hardly great works.
So you mean if I created a painting like No5 1948 I could make some serious money? lol Gee, maybe I can draw after all!
(btw - that was my favorite)
If I have a billion I'll pay double the price for that Willem De Kooning painting just to burn it. It's very ugly the buyer can buy the same painting for just dollar from a kindergarten art school.
Despite their immense value, theres only about three in that lot i could hang on the wall in my house....and it didnt surprise me in the slightest that monet's bridge painting headed the pack by a large margin. Although its an aquired taste, there is beauty within the ugliness of Pollocks painting.....but the one I really couldnt stand was bacon's Triptych.....that was ghastly!! Still....each to his own.
P.S.....what happened to Van Gogh's Irises? I thought that was ranked no. 6 at 90 million dollars.
Don't understand Jackson Pollock's work: the painting is not aesthetically pleasing, do not seem to have any apparent meaning - like someone has splashed paint randomly. Rubbish!!
These all are not able to get the top 10 position
Couldn't understand why No. 5 and Woman III were sold for such a high price? there is nothing artistic about them.. splashing ink and basic kindergarden style painting have nothing to do with art..
Abstract and Expressionist art is valuable when it results in tight well-organized compositions like Jasper Johns' False Start. Too many paintings in these traditions are sloppily organized. Despite modern democracy, all good art is essentially aristocratic.
i just dont get it... who would pay that?
I can't believe that paintings would cost like that. Really amazing.Great hub.I am now informed.
hilarious how everyone wants the claude monet. it's really not the most interesting... or beautiful
I love the cat on Dora's sholuder :)
they are AMAZING and wile dear !!!
helps me with my fine arts work
Wow amazing art
Great hub, looking forward to come back and fascinted by your posts. Thank you.
Ron from http://www.intervalstraining.net
nice paintings i can't belive these are hand made paintings
its all a nice paintings...
what a an amazing abstract art painted by Jackson Pollok!!!!great!!
these paintsing are terrible i draw better !
What absolute CRAP!!!
All these pics r tooo good but ,pic#2 is not gud as much as it should be
All these pics r tooo good but ,pic#2 is not gud as much as it should be
I can paint better than these stupid paintings
This comment goes for the #1 Painting. I wouldn't buy a painting that looks like splatter if it's from a professional painter. I've painted better.
contact anareshwara@gmail.com for any type of paintings...
come on get real these are atrocious ick
they forget beauty of money absolut best paintings are stored in many store rooms in whole world
It never ceases to amaze me how paintings can be worth so much money.
But I understand why they are, they're so beautiful and intriguing. Nice Hub
hey people i would rather say these paintings should b placed in a museum instead of tempting people for spending or the correct word would b "wasting" their hard earned money on this things.. no offence to art lovers but plzz guys give it a thought, the money the buyers spend on these kind of things how many people can send thier whole lifes happily,,,"billions of happy smile rather than just urs"
In your voting choices you should add a choice for NONE
this is clearly a case of "the emperors clothing"
very very nice painting
very very nice paintig by Gustav Klim.You are the best painter in the world.How neet,cleen,and beatiful painting you made.The dress of the women is so so nice and the hat also.The background is so so so so so so sooooooooooooo nice.
Claude Monet your painting looks like a real photo.
very very nice painting
Jasper Johns - False Start it's very impressive painting
these painting are terrible i draw better
I guess they painted the last one with dinosaur shit for it to be worth that much...
its it is art i can also make better art
these paintings are the best examples of great humen imagination if someone can really really understand art
I believe artist sholud able to enjoy there works before death often time artist has been celebrated after life so many died in poverty. lets change these mentallity and appreciate them while alife and after life.
Art is not a joke or junk is the power of creative minds, so it can not be quantify with just word of mouth it goes beyond that.
How do you like my clothes? What! I'm naked? How'd that happen!...but...but.....darn it!
If you think this is art, then please go see a psychiatrist...you seriously need help, and fast!
..i appreciate art so much..but still have ages to understand where this beauty comes from..how we come up with great ideas and creativity, only God knows...nice hub by the way, though i must say money can't buy talent..it's priceless..they deserve it..
I LIKED MOST OF THE PAINTING IF I EVER HAD MONEY I WILL BUY THE PORTRAIT OF ADELE BLAUCH BAUER
You just reminded me of why I enjoyed Art History so much in school. That painting of Jackson Pollock was one of the final pieces I studied - I can't believe it sold for $140 million! Thanks for sharing - voted up and interesting :)
Alison 3 years ago
Wow, I've just read another one of these expensive art lists, and it missed out so many of these! Good job. Alison