List Of Most Expensive Paintings

This is a list of the highest prices paid for paintings. Very valuable paintings, if sold, are usually sold at auction. Most of the world's most famous paintings are owned by museums, who very rarely sell them once acquired. As such, they are quite literally priceless; if for some reason paintings like the Mona Lisa were to become available, it is highly likely that they would sell for far higher values than the paintings listed below. The Guinness Book of Records lists the Mona Lisa as the highest insurance valuance for a painting in history. It was assessed at US$100 million on December 14, 1962, prior to the painting touring the U.S. for several months. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/gwr5/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=50934 Taking into account the time value of money, this would be approximately equivalent to US$626,821,192.00 in 2004. The Louvre chose to instead spend the money on security.

List of highest prices paid at auction

  1. Garon la pipe by Pablo Picasso
  2. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh
  3. Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
    • Sold for $78 million on May 17, 1990 at Sotheby's, New York (time value: $110,422,686.71) †
  4. Irises by Vincent Van Gogh
    • Sold for $49 million on November 11, 1987 at Sotheby's, New York (time value: $78,402,796.71).
  5. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens
    • Sold for £49.5 million ($76.7 million) on July 10, 2002 at Sotheby's, London (time value: $77,927,200.00)
  6. Les Noces de Pierrette by Pablo Picasso
  7. Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe by Vincent Van Gogh
    • Sold for $65 million on November 19, 1998 at Christie's, New York (time value: $71,691,040.02).
  8. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Czanne
    • Sold for $60.5 million on May 10, 1999 at Sotheby's, New York (later resold at a loss)
  9. Femme aux Bras Croiss by Pablo Picasso
    • Sold for $50 million on November 8, 2000 at Christie's, New York (time value: $52,851,507.20).

Notes

  • The numbers are not adjusted for current exchange rates.
  • The price paid for any given painting is not necessarily a good indicator of that painting's beauty, cultural significance, or popularity. A notable high price may occur simply because two or more wealthy art collectors wanted the same painting and were willing to bid high.
  • † - Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito purchased both Portrait of Dr. Gachet (van Gogh) and Au Moulin de la Galette (Renoir) in 1990. Later, Mr. Saito threatened to have the van Gogh painting cremated with him at his death. Saito, 75 years old at the time, the honorary chairman of Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Co., later stated: "What I really wanted to express was my wish to preserve the paintings forever." Saito, his aides explained, was using a figure of speech: threatening to torch the oils was just an expression of intense affection for the masterpieces. Later, Saito said he would consider giving the paintings to his government or a museum. Saito died in 1996. The fate of the van Gogh painting is still a mystery.

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
list of cryptography topics
wsfl
maximus planudes
jean franois boissonade de fontarabie
marwell zoo
scrapheap challenge
esther hart
paternity testing
pierre henri larcher
dietary mineral
jean baptiste gail
pierre pithou
penn central
call to the bar
admission to the bar
alexander neckam
sex scandal
movie star
thomas wright
freudenstadt (district)
hughie green
political scandal
the raggy dolls
christian august crusius
hms thetis
gruzim
avianus
robinson ellis
granius licinianus
fleet, hampshire
the crazy time
brass rubbing
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
dartmoor national park
robert de sorbon
wrench
miskolc
nakhodka
screwcap
linge
first taranaki war
frontline (pbs tv series)
eel pie island
cinque ports