The art world is always full of rumors and speculation. This situation is especially exacerbated by the announcement of high prices for works of art. Headlines such as “the world’s most expensive painting” or “the most valuable artworks” are common in the art market, sometimes met with bewilderment but at the same time arousing curiosity. Works by iconic artists sometimes reach astronomical prices, demonstrating the value of art not only as an aesthetic but also as a commercial commodity. So, what were the most expensive artworks of the last decade? Which famous paintings won the title of “the world’s most expensive art”? In this article, we will explore the 10 masterpieces that fetched the highest prices in the art world and the interesting stories behind them.
Salvator Mundi, Leonardo da Vinci, ca. 1500, in 2017, $450 million
If you follow the art world at all, it is impossible to have missed the news about the sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi. Although the oil on wood painting is attributed to da Vinci, there are also claims that it may have been painted by one of his students, Bernardino Luini or Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio. Restored in 2011, it was purchased by Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2013 for $127.5 million. Interestingly, the intermediary Yves Bouvier bought the painting for only 83 million dollars and pocketed 44 million dollars. In 2017, Russian businessman Rybolovlev sold it to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for $475.4 million at Christie’s auction house. Today, Salvator Mundi is known as the most expensive work of art in history.
Interchange, Willem de Kooning, 1955, in 2015, 300 million dollars
American-Dutch painter Willem de Kooning’s Interchange fetched painting $300 million in 2015 in a private sale between the David Geffen Foundation and hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin. Created in 1955, this painting dates from the period when de Kooning was moving away from painting female figures and becoming interested in abstract art. Even though this sale was a record-breaker at the time, you will be surprised when you see the work at the fifth place of the list! Nevertheless, it still holds its place as the world’s most valuable abstract expressionist work.
The Card Players, Paul Cézanne, 1893, in 2011, $210 million
One of Post-Impressionist master Paul Cézanne’s most famous series, The Card Players, was purchased by the Qatari Royal Family in 2011 for 210 million dollars. This oil painting is considered one of the pinnacles of the French painter’s career. Given the prices of Cézanne’s other works and their visibility in museums, the high value of this sale is not surprising. The Card Players reveals not only Cézanne’s influence on art, but also how in demand he was on the art market.
When Are You Getting Married?, Paul Gauguin, 1892, in 2015, $210 million
Created by Paul Gauguin in Tahiti in 1892, this work was sold for only 7 francs after the artist’s death, but in 2015 it was purchased by the Emir of Qatar for 210 million dollars. Gauguin had traveled to Tahiti in 1891 hoping to find a garden of paradise, but was disappointed to find that French colonizers had brought diseases to the region, wiping out half of the indigenous population and changing their culture. Despite this, he produced many works including portraits of Tahitian natives, such as When Will You Marry?
Number 17A, Jackson Pollock, 1948, in 2015, $200 million
Number 17A, one of Jackson Pollock’s masterpieces, was painted on wood fiberboard using the artist’s famous dripping technique. This work was purchased by Kenneth C. Griffin in 2015 for 200 million dollars. What is interesting about this sale is that Griffin also bought Willem de Kooning’s Interchange at the same time. Griffin spent a total of 500 million dollars for these two works, causing a great sensation in the art world.
Water Serpents II (Wasserschlangen II), Gustav Klimt, 1907, in 2014, 183.3 million dollars
This oil painting by Austrian symbolist and Art Nouveau painter Gustav Klimt, completed in 1907, depicts two nude women. Wasserschlangen II was confiscated by the Nazis during the Second World War and given to Viktor Ucicky, a Nazi administrator. After Ucicky’s death, his wife auctioned the painting at Sotheby’s. However, since the painting was considered a stolen work, the proceeds from the sale were divided between the true heirs and the Ucicky family. Yves Bouvier then bought the painting and sold it to Dmitry Rybolovlev for 183.3 million dollars. Interestingly, Bouvier bought the painting for only $112 million and made the difference as profit.
No.6 (Violet, Green and Red), Mark Rothko, 1951, in 2014, 186 million Dollars
American-Latvian painter Mark Rothko‘s No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red), completed in 1951, is an example of the artist’s period when he placed large areas of color on huge canvases. In 2014, the work was purchased by Dmitry Rybolovlev for 186 million dollars. As much as this sale proved the value of Rothko’s work, it also attracted attention with the fact that Yves Bouvier bought the work for 80 million euros and sold it to Rybolovlev for 60 million euros more. Still known as rothko’s most expensive painting.
Pendants of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit, Rembrandt, 1634, in 2016, 180 million dollars
Rembrandt painted this double portrait in 1634 to commemorate the marriage of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit. The work was in the collection of the Rothschild family. In 2016, the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre Museum, which kept the diptych together, bought the work for $180 million and organized a program in which both works will be exhibited. Both pieces of the diptych will be exhibited in these museums at 8-year intervals
Women of Algiers, Pablo Picasso, 1955, in 2015, $179.4 million
Pablo Picasso’s Women of Algiers series consists of fifteen paintings and many drawings created between 1954 and 1955. The works were inspired by Eugène Delacroix’s Women of Algiers in their Apartment. In 1956, the couple Victor and Sally Ganz bought the series for 212,500 dollars and then sold some versions of the series. In 2015, the last version of the series, version O, was purchased by the Prime Minister of Qatar for 179.4 million dollars. With this value, this work has taken its place in the list as the most expensive pablo picasso painting.
Reclining Nude, Amedeo Modigliani, 1918, in 2015, $170.4 million
Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani’s Lying Nude, painted in 1917, is one of the most exhibited works of the artist. Modigliani exhibited this work in his first and only exhibition. Unfortunately, this exhibition was closed by the police a few days after it opened. Lying Nude was purchased by Chinese businessman Liu Yiqian in 2015 for 170.4 million dollars. This sale was recorded as one of the most expensive sales of the work.
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