The most expensive paintings in the world, as a rule, are kept in galleries and museums in Europe and the USA. These paintings are so valuable that art lovers are willing to spend millions of dollars to buy them. Most often, the value of a painting depends on its age and the artist who painted it. Some paintings look quite mundane at first glance, but are worth millions simply because they were painted by such world famous artists as Vincent Van Gogh (Vincent Van Gogh) or Pablo Picasso (Pablo Picasso). Below is a list of the twenty-five most ridiculously expensive art and paintings in history:
25. Acrobat and Young Harlequin (Acrobat and Young Harlequin)
This painting by Pablo Picasso was originally valued at $38.5 million and sold for $69.4 million. This painting, painted in 1905, was first featured in Action: Cahsiers Individualistes De Philosophie at Princeton University in 1923 and was sold by Roger Janssen's heir to a certain Miitsukoshi in 1988. At the moment, the picture is in America and is in the public domain.
24. Agile Rabbit (Au Lapin Agile)
The Agile Rabbit was painted in 1904 by Pablo Picasso and sold in 1989 by Joan Whitney Payson's daughter Walter H Annenberg for $70 million. The auction took place on November 27, 1989 at Sotheby's, New York.
23. Diana and Actaeon
This painting is by Titian, Italian artist Renaissance, was written between 1556 and 1559. It is considered one of his greatest masterpieces. The painting depicts the moment when the goddess Diana met Actaeon. In 2009, the Duke of Sutherland donated this painting to National galleries Scotland and London (National Galleries of Scotland & National Gallery in London). The painting is valued at $70.6 million.
22. Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)
This painting, painted by Andy Warhol in 1963, was sold on May 16, 2007 to Philip Niarchos. Green Car Crash, better known as Burning Green Car I, was originally valued at $71.7 million but sold for $73.7 million. The auction took place at Christie's, New York.
21. Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers
The painting "Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers" depicts a bouquet of sunflowers placed in a vase. This painting Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh was painted in 1888 and is the second painting on the theme of sunflowers painted by this artist. It was sold by Chester Beatty's sister-in-law Yasuo Goto in 1987 for $74.5 million, almost double the original price of $39 million.
20. White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose)
Originally valued at $72.8 million, this painting by Mark Rothko was sold by David Rockefeller in 2007 to the Qatar royal family, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa At-Thani for $74.9 million. This abstract painting was completed in 1950 and is considered part of the artist's legendary and varied painting style.
19. Curtain, Jug and Fruitbowl
This painting, painted by Paul Cezanne in 1894, was auctioned May 10, 1999 at Sotheby's, New York. Even though most people know it as "Curtain, pitcher and bowl of fruit", original name the picture sounds like "Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier". The painting was sold by the Whitney family to an unknown buyer for an adjusted price of $77.4 million.
18. Water Lily Pond
The painting "Pond with water lilies" (Le Bassin aux Nympheas) was painted in 1919 by the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet, but it was put up for auction only on June 4, 2008. This oil-on-canvas painting was sold at Sotheby's in New York to J. Irrwin and Xenia S. Miller for $79.7 million.
17. Self Portrait of Picasso
Picasso's Self Portrait (Yo, Picasso) was sold for $47.9 million on May 9, 1989 by Wendell Cherry to Stavros Niachros at Sotheby's in New York. This painting was painted in 1901 and depicts the artist himself. It was considered the second most popular painting on the day it went up for auction. It currently has an adjusted value of $90.5 million.
16. Wheatfield with Cypresses
This painting, part of a series of paintings called "Wheat Field", was painted by Van Gogh in 1889 in the psychiatric hospital of Saint Paul de Mausole in Arles, France (where Van Gogh was temporarily in as a patient). In 1993, the painting was sold by Emil Georg Bührle's son Walter Annenberg for $84.1 million.
15. False Start
"False Start" is a painting by Jasper Johns that was put up for private auction by Richard Gray on October 12, 2006. It was written in 1959 and sold by David Geffen to Kenneth Griffin for $84.6 million, $4.6 million more than the original price of $80 million.
14. Marriage of Pierrette
The painting Les Noces de Pierrette, best known as Pierrette's Marriage, was painted in 1905, during the blue period» artist. During this period, Picasso experienced poverty and depression after the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas in 1901. In 1907, it was purchased by an art dealer named Joseph Stansky (Josef Stansky), but between 1945 and 1962 it was owned by Picasso's son named Paulo Picasso (Paulo Picasso). She was sold by Fredrik Roos to Tomonori Tsurumaki for $84.8 million in 1989.
13. "Triptych, 1976" (Triptych, 1976)
The painting entitled "Triptych", painted by Francis Bacon (Francis Bacon) in 1976, was painted in oil and pastel on canvas and divided into three parts, each of which was 198 by 147 centimeters. It was sold at Sotheby's in London on May 14, 2008, where the Moueix Family sold this work of art to Roman Abramovich for $85.5 million.
12. "Portrait of Adele Block Bauer II" (Portrait of Adele Block Bauer II)
This was the second portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer painted by Gustav Klimt in 1912. Adele Bloch-Bauer was the wife of Ferdinand Block Bauer and his model. This painting was put up for auction at Christie's auction house and sold for almost $88 million.
11. "Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh" (Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh)
Of the dozen self-portraits painted by Vincent van Gogh, this one is the only one that has survived to this day. In this self-portrait, painted in 1886, the artist's face is shown exactly as Van Gogh saw it when looking into the mirror (which he used to paint his own face). The painting was sold for $93.5 million.
10. Dora Maar with Cat
The painting "Dora Maar au Chat", also known as "Dora Maar with a cat", was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1941. This painting depicts the artist's mistress named Dora Maar, who is sitting in a chair with a kitten on her shoulder. The size of this painting is only 128.27 by 95.25 centimeters, however, it was sold in 2006 for $95,216,000.
9 Massacre of the Innocents
The Massacre of the Innocents was painted by Peter Paul Rubens and depicts the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem in the Book of Matthew of the Holy Bible. It was completed in 1611 and auctioned off by Sotheby's in London on July 10, 2002, where an Austrian family sold it to Kenneth Thomson for $99.7 million.
8. "Irises" (Irises)
This Vincent van Gogh painting was painted in 1889 and sold to Alan Bond for $101.2 million by Joan Whitney Payson's son at an auction held at Sotheby's in New York on November 11, 1987. Van Gogh painted this masterpiece while in a psychiatric hospital in France.
7. "Portrait of the postman Joseph Roulin" (Portrait of Joseph Roulin)
Another van Gogh painting, Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin, was completed in 1889 and sold to the Museum of Modern Art in New York for more than $111 million (more than double its original price). $58 million).
6. "Boy with a pipe" (Boy with a Pipe)
The painting "Garçon à la pipe" or "Boy with a pipe", painted by Pablo Picasso in 1905, was completed during " pink period» Picasso while he was in Paris. The painting depicts a Persian boy wearing a wreath of roses, holding a pipe in his hand. The painting was sold by the Greentree Foundation to the Whitney family in 2004 for $104 million. Its current value is estimated at $129 million.
5. "Ball at the Moulin de la Galette" (Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette)
The painting Bal Du Moulin de Galette, better known as The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, was painted by the French artist Pierre Auguste Renoir in 1876. The cost of the painting is estimated at 141.5 million dollars. At the moment, this painting is stored in the Orsay Museum (Musee de Orsay), located in Paris. This famous impressionist painting by Betsey Whitney was sold by Ryoei Saito in 1990.
4. "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" (Portrait of Dr. Gachet)
In a painting entitled "Portrait of Dr. Gachet", painted Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh depicts the doctor during the last months of Van Gogh's life. The masterpiece was completed in 1890 at Auvers and auctioned for $82.5 million. At the moment, the cost of the picture is 149.5 million dollars.
3. "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" (Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I)
This painting, painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907, was one of two portraits of Adele Bloch-Bauer. This painting, considered one of his greatest masterpieces, was sold to Ronald Lauder for $135 million at an auction held in New York in June 2006. For four months, this painting remained the most expensive in the world. It is currently valued at $155.8 million.
2. "Woman III" (Woman III)
Woman III was painted by the abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning and was one of six paintings he painted between 1951 and 1953. For two decades the painting was part of the Tehram Museum of Contemporary Art collection, but in 2006 it was sold to Steven Cohen for $137.5 million. It is currently valued at $159.8 million.
1. "No. 5, 1948"
This painting was painted by Jackson Pollock in 1948 and purchased by David Martinez from David Geffen for $140 million at an auction held in New York on November 2, 2006. At the moment, the cost of this painting is estimated at 162.7 million dollars.
"Card Players"
Author
Paul Cezanne
A country France
Years of life 1839–1906
Style post-impressionism
The artist was born in the south of France in the small town of Aix-en-Provence, but began painting in Paris. Real success came to him after a solo exhibition organized by the collector Ambroise Vollard. In 1886, 20 years before his departure, he moved to the outskirts of his native city. Young artists called trips to him "a pilgrimage to Aix".
130x97 cm
1895
price
$250 million
sold in 2012
at private auction
Cezanne's work is easy to understand. The only rule of the artist was the direct transfer of the subject or plot to the canvas, so his paintings do not cause bewilderment of the viewer. Cezanne combined in his art two main French traditions: classicism and romanticism. With the help of colorful texture, he gave the form of objects an amazing plasticity.
A series of five paintings "Card Players" was written in 1890-1895. Their plot is the same - several people are enthusiastically playing poker. The works differ only in the number of players and the size of the canvas.
Four paintings are kept in museums in Europe and America (the Musée d'Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation and the Courtauld Institute of Art), and the fifth was until recently an ornament private collection Greek billionaire shipowner Georg Embirikos. Shortly before his death, in the winter of 2011, he decided to put it up for sale. Potential buyers of Cezanne's "free" work were art dealer William Aquavella and world-famous gallery owner Larry Gagosian, who offered about $220 million for it. As a result, the painting went to the royal family of the Arab state of Qatar for 250 million. The largest art deal in the history of painting was closed in February 2012. This was reported to Vanity Fair by journalist Alexandra Pierce. She found out the cost of the painting and the name of the new owner, and then the information penetrated the media around the world.
In 2010, the Arab Museum of Modern Art and the Qatar National Museum opened in Qatar. Now their collections are growing. Perhaps the fifth version of The Card Players was acquired by the sheik for this purpose.
The mostexpensive picturein the world
Owner
Sheikh Hamad
bin Khalifa al-Thani
The al-Thani dynasty has ruled Qatar for over 130 years. About half a century ago, huge reserves of oil and gas were discovered here, which instantly made Qatar one of the richest regions in the world. Thanks to the export of hydrocarbons, this small country recorded the largest GDP per capita. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani seized power in 1995, while his father was in Switzerland, with the support of family members. The merit of the current ruler, according to experts, is in a clear strategy for the development of the country, creating a successful image of the state. Qatar now has a constitution and a prime minister, and women have gained the right to vote in parliamentary elections. By the way, it was the Emir of Qatar who founded the Al Jazeera news channel. The authorities of the Arab state pay great attention to culture.
2
"Number 5"
Author
Jackson Pollock
A country USA
Years of life 1912–1956
Style abstract expressionism
Jack the Sprinkler - such a nickname was given to Pollock by the American public for his special painting technique. The artist abandoned the brush and easel, and poured the paint on the surface of the canvas or fiberboard during continuous movement around and inside them. From an early age, he was fond of the philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurti, the main message of which is that the truth is revealed during a free "outpouring".
122x244 cm
1948
price
$140 million
sold in 2006
on the auction Sotheby's
The value of Pollock's work is not in the result, but in the process. The author did not accidentally call his art "action painting". With his light hand it has become the main asset of America. Jackson Pollock mixed paint with sand broken glass, but wrote with a piece of cardboard, a palette knife, a knife, a scoop. The artist was so popular that in the 1950s there were even imitators in the USSR. The painting "Number 5" is recognized as one of the strangest and most expensive in the world. One of the founders of DreamWorks, David Geffen, bought it for a private collection, and in 2006 sold it at Sotheby`s for $140 million to Mexican collector David Martinez. However, the law firm soon issued a press release on behalf of its client stating that David Martinez was not the owner of the painting. Only one thing is known for certain: the Mexican financier has indeed recently collected works of contemporary art. It is unlikely that he would have missed such a big fish", like Pollock's "Number 5".
3
"Woman III"
Author
Willem de Kooning
A country USA
Years of life 1904–1997
Style abstract expressionism
A native of the Netherlands, he emigrated to the United States in 1926. In 1948 took place personal exhibition artist. Art critics appreciated the complex, nervous black-and-white compositions, recognizing in their author a great modernist artist. For most of his life he suffered from alcoholism, but the joy of creating new art is felt in every work. De Kooning is distinguished by the impulsiveness of painting, broad strokes, which is why sometimes the image does not fit within the boundaries of the canvas.
121x171 cm
1953
price
$137 million
sold in 2006
at private auction
In the 1950s, women with empty eyes, massive breasts, and ugly features appear in de Kooning's paintings. "Woman III" became latest work from this series, bidding.
Since the 1970s, the painting has been kept in the Tehran Museum of Modern Art, but after the introduction of strict moral rules in the country, they sought to get rid of it. In 1994, the work was taken out of Iran, and 12 years later, its owner David Geffen (the same producer who sold Jackson Pollock's "Number 5") sold the painting to millionaire Stephen Cohen for $137.5 million. Interestingly, in one year Geffen began to sell his collection of paintings. This gave rise to a lot of rumors: for example, that the producer decided to buy the Los Angeles Times.
At one of the art forums, an opinion was expressed about the similarity of "Woman III" with the painting by Leonardo da Vinci "Lady with an Ermine". Behind the toothy smile and the shapeless figure of the heroine, the art connoisseur discerned the grace of a person of royal blood. This is also evidenced by the poorly traced crown crowning the head of a woman.
4
"Portrait of AdeleBloch-Bauer I"
Author
Gustav Klimt
A country Austria
Years of life 1862–1918
Style modern
Gustav Klimt was born into the family of an engraver and was the second of seven children. Three sons of Ernest Klimt became artists, and only Gustav became famous all over the world. He spent most of his childhood in poverty. After the death of his father, he was responsible for the entire family. It was at this time that Klimt developed his style. Before his paintings, any viewer freezes: under the thin strokes of gold, frank eroticism is clearly visible.
138x136 cm
1907
price
$135 million
sold in 2006
on the auction Sotheby's
The fate of the painting, which is called the "Austrian Mona Lisa", could easily become the basis for a bestseller. The work of the artist became the cause of the conflict of the whole state and one elderly lady.
So, the “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” depicts an aristocrat, the wife of Ferdinand Bloch. Her last will was to transfer the painting to the Austrian state gallery. However, Bloch canceled the donation in his will, and the Nazis expropriated the painting. Later, the gallery hardly bought out the Golden Adele, but then the heiress appeared - Maria Altman, Ferdinand Bloch's niece.
In 2005, the high-profile trial "Maria Altman against the Republic of Austria" began, as a result of which the picture "left" with her to Los Angeles. Austria took unprecedented measures: loans were negotiated, the population donated money to buy the portrait. Good never conquered evil: Altman raised the price to $300 million. At the time of the trial, she was 79 years old, and she went down in history as the person who changed the will of Bloch-Bauer in favor of personal interests. The painting was purchased by Ronald Lauder, owner of " New Gallery in New York City, where it remains to this day. Not for Austria, for him Altman reduced the price to $135 million.
5
"Scream"
Author
Edvard Munch
A country Norway
Years of life 1863–1944
Style expressionism
Munch's first painting, which became famous all over the world, "The Sick Girl" (exists in five copies) is dedicated to the artist's sister, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 15. Munch has always been interested in the theme of death and loneliness. In Germany, his heavy, manic painting even provoked a scandal. However, despite the depressing plots, his paintings have a special magnetism. Take at least "Scream".
73.5x91 cm
1895
price
$119.992 million
sold in 2012
on the auction Sotheby's
The full name of the painting is Der Schrei der Natur (translated from German - “the cry of nature”). The face of either a person or an alien expresses despair and panic - the viewer experiences the same emotions when looking at the picture. One of the key works of expressionism warns the themes that have become acute in the art of the 20th century. According to one version, the artist created it under the influence mental disorder who suffered all his life.
The painting was stolen twice from different museums, but it was returned. Slightly damaged after the theft, The Scream was restored and was ready to be shown again at the Munch Museum in 2008. For representatives of pop culture, the work has become a source of inspiration: Andy Warhol created a series of its prints-copies, and the mask from the movie "Scream" is made in the image and likeness of the hero of the picture.
For one plot, Munch wrote four versions of the work: the one in a private collection is made in pastel. Norwegian billionaire Petter Olsen put it up for auction on May 2, 2012. The buyer was Leon Black, who did not spare a record amount for the "Scream". Founder of Apollo Advisors, L.P. and Lion Advisors, L.P. known for his love of art. Black is a patron of Dartmouth College, the Museum of Modern Art, the Lincoln Art Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has the largest collection of paintings by contemporary artists and classical masters of past centuries.
6
"Nude against the background of a bust and green leaves"
Author
Pablo Picasso
A country Spain, France
Years of life 1881–1973
Style cubism
By origin he is a Spaniard, but in spirit and place of residence he is a real Frenchman. Picasso opened his own art studio in Barcelona when he was only 16 years old. Then he went to Paris and spent most of his life there. That is why there is a double stress in his last name. The style invented by Picasso is based on the denial of the opinion that the object depicted on the canvas can be viewed from only one angle.
130x162 cm
1932
price
$106.482 million
sold in 2010
on the auction Christie's
During his work in Rome, the artist met the dancer Olga Khokhlova, who soon became his wife. He put an end to vagrancy, moved with her to luxury apartment. By that time, recognition had found a hero, but the marriage was destroyed. One of the most expensive paintings The world was created almost by accident - out of great love, which, as always with Picasso, was short-lived. In 1927, he became interested in the young Marie-Therese Walter (she was 17 years old, he was 45). Secretly from his wife, he left with his mistress for a town near Paris, where he painted a portrait depicting Marie-Therese in the image of Daphne. The painting was purchased by New York dealer Paul Rosenberg and sold in 1951 to Sidney F. Brody. The Brodys showed the painting to the world only once, and only because the artist was 80 years old. After her husband's death, Mrs. Brody put the work up for auction at Christie's in March 2010. In six decades, the price has risen more than 5,000 times! An unknown collector bought it for $106.5 million. In 2011, a “one-painting exhibition” was held in Britain, where it saw the light for the second time, but the name of the owner is still unknown.
7
"Eight Elvises"
Author
Andy Warhole
A country USA
Years of life 1928-1987
Style
pop Art
“Sex and parties are the only places where you need to appear in person,” said the cult pop art artist, director, one of the founders of Interview magazine, designer Andy Warhol. He worked with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, designed record covers, and designed shoes for I.Miller. In the 1960s, paintings appeared depicting the symbols of America: Campbell`s soup and Coca-Cola, Presley and Monroe - which made him a legend.
358x208 cm
1963
price
$100 million
sold in 2008
at private auction
Warhol's 60s - the so-called era of pop art in America. In 1962, he worked in Manhattan at the Factory Studio, where all the bohemia of New York gathered. Its brightest representatives: Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Truman Capote and other famous personalities in the world. At the same time, Warhol tried the technique of silk-screen printing - multiple repetitions of one image. He also used this method when creating "Eight Elvises": the viewer seems to see frames from a movie where the star comes to life. Everything that the artist loved so much is here: a win-win public image, silver color and a premonition of death as the main message.
There are two art dealers promoting Warhol's work on the world market today: Larry Gagosian and Alberto Mugrabi. The first in 2008 spent $200 million to purchase more than 15 Warhol works. The second buys and sells his paintings like Christmas cards, only more expensive. But it was not them, but the humble French art consultant Philippe Segalo who helped Roman art connoisseur Annibale Berlinghieri sell the Eight Elvises to an unknown buyer for a Warhol-record $100 million.
8
"Orange,Red Yellow"
Author
Mark Rothko
A country USA
Years of life 1903–1970
Style abstract expressionism
One of the creators of color field painting was born in Dvinsk, Russia (now Daugavpils, Latvia), in a large family of a Jewish pharmacist. In 1911 they emigrated to the USA. Rothko studied at the art department of Yale University, achieved a scholarship, but anti-Semitic sentiments forced him to leave his studies. Despite everything, art critics idolized the artist, and museums pursued him all his life.
206x236 cm
1961
price
$86.882 million
sold in 2012
on the auction Christie's
First artistic experiments Rothko were of a surrealistic orientation, but over time he simplified the plot to color spots, depriving them of any objectivity. At first they had bright colors, and in the 1960s they were filled with brown, purple, thickening to black by the time of the artist's death. Mark Rothko warned against looking for any meaning in his paintings. The author wanted to say exactly what he said: only the color that dissolves in the air, and nothing more. He recommended looking at the works from a distance of 45 cm, so that the viewer is "dragged" into the color, like into a funnel. Caution: viewing in accordance with all the rules can lead to the effect of meditation, that is, the awareness of infinity gradually comes, complete immersion in oneself, relaxation, purification. The color in his paintings lives, breathes and has a strong emotional impact (sometimes it is said to be healing). The artist said: "The viewer should cry looking at them" - and there really were such cases. According to Rothko's theory, at this moment people live the same spiritual experience that he had in the process of working on the picture. If you managed to understand it at such a subtle level, then do not be surprised that these works of abstractionism are often compared by critics with icons.
The work "Orange, Red, Yellow" expresses the essence of Mark Rothko's painting. Its initial cost at Christie's auction in New York is 35-45 million dollars. An unknown buyer offered a price twice the estimate. The name of the happy owner of the painting, as is often the case, was not disclosed.
9
"Triptych"
Author
Francis Bacon
A country
Great Britain
Years of life 1909–1992
Style expressionism
The adventures of Francis Bacon, a full namesake and, moreover, a distant descendant of the great philosopher, began when his father disowned him, unable to accept his son's homosexual inclinations. Bacon went first to Berlin, then to Paris, and then his traces are confused all over Europe. Even during his lifetime, his works were exhibited in the leading cultural centers of the world, including the Guggenheim Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery.
147.5x198 cm (each)
1976
price
$86.2 million
sold in 2008
on the auction Sotheby's
Prestigious museums strove to possess paintings by Bacon, but the prim English public was in no hurry to fork out for such art. The legendary British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said of him: "The man who paints these horrific pictures."
The starting period in his work, the artist himself considered the post-war period. Returning from the service, he again took up painting and created the main masterpieces. Prior to the participation of "Triptych, 1976" in the auction, Bacon's most expensive work was "Study for a Portrait of Pope Innocent X" (52.7 million dollars). In the "Triptych, 1976" the artist depicted the mythical plot of the persecution of Orestes by the furies. Of course, Orestes is Bacon himself, and the furies are his torments. For more than 30 years, the painting was in a private collection and did not participate in exhibitions. This fact gives it a special value and, accordingly, increases the cost. But what is a few million for a connoisseur of art, and even generous in Russian? Roman Abramovich began to create his collection in the 1990s, in this he was significantly influenced by his girlfriend Dasha Zhukova, who became modern Russia fashion gallery owner. According to unofficial data, the businessman owns works by Alberto Giacometti and Pablo Picasso, bought for amounts exceeding $100 million. In 2008, he became the owner of the Triptych. By the way, in 2011, another valuable work by Bacon was acquired - "Three sketches for a portrait of Lucian Freud." Hidden sources say that Roman Arkadievich again became the buyer.
10
"Pond with water lilies"
Author
Claude Monet
A country France
Years of life 1840–1926
Style impressionism
The artist is recognized as the founder of impressionism, who "patented" this method in his canvases. The first significant work was the painting "Breakfast on the Grass" (the original version of the work of Edouard Manet). In his youth, he drew cartoons, and real painting took up during his travels along the coast and outdoors. In Paris, he led a bohemian lifestyle and did not leave it even after serving in the army.
210x100 cm
1919
price
$80.5 million
sold in 2008
on the auction Christie's
Besides the fact that Monet was a great artist, he was also enthusiastically engaged in gardening, adored wildlife and flowers. In his landscapes, the state of nature is momentary, objects seem to be blurred by the movement of air. The impression is enhanced by large strokes, from a certain distance they become invisible and merge into a textured, three-dimensional image. In the painting of the late Monet, a special place is occupied by the theme of water and life in it. In the town of Giverny, the artist had his own pond, where he grew water lilies from seeds specially brought by him from Japan. When their flowers bloomed, he began to paint. The Water Lilies series consists of 60 works that the artist painted over almost 30 years, until his death. His vision deteriorated with age, but he did not stop. Depending on the wind, season and weather, the view of the pond was constantly changing, and Monet wanted to capture these changes. Through careful work, an understanding of the essence of nature came to him. Some of the paintings of the series are kept in the leading galleries of the world: National Museum of Western Art (Tokyo), Orangerie (Paris). The version of the next "Pond with water lilies" went into the hands of an unknown buyer for record amount.
11
False Star t
Author
Jasper Johns
A country USA
Year of birth 1930
Style pop Art
In 1949, Jones entered the design school in New York. Along with Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and others, he is recognized as one of the main artists of the 20th century. In 2012, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
137.2x170.8 cm
1959
price
$80 million
sold in 2006
at private auction
Like Marcel Duchamp, Jones worked with real objects, depicting them on canvas and in sculpture in full accordance with the original. For his works, he used simple and understandable objects for everyone: a beer bottle, a flag or maps. There is no clear composition in the False Start picture. The artist seems to be playing with the viewer, often “incorrectly” signing the colors in the picture, turning the very concept of color upside down: “I wanted to find a way to depict the color so that it could be determined by some other method.” His most explosive and "insecure", according to critics, painting was acquired by an unknown buyer.
12
"Seatednudeon the couch"
Author
Amedeo Modigliani
A country Italy, France
Years of life 1884–1920
Style expressionism
Modigliani was often ill from childhood, during a feverish delirium, he recognized his destiny as an artist. He studied drawing in Livorno, Florence, Venice, and in 1906 he left for Paris, where his art flourished.
65x100 cm
1917
price
$68.962 million
sold in 2010
on the auction Sotheby's
In 1917, Modigliani met 19-year-old Jeanne Hebuterne, who became his model and later his wife. In 2004, one of her portraits sold for $31.3 million, the last record before the sale of Seated Nude on a Sofa in 2010. The painting was purchased by an unknown buyer for the highest price for Modigliani at the moment. Active sales of works began only after the death of the artist. He died in poverty, suffering from tuberculosis, and the next day, Jeanne Hebuterne, who was nine months pregnant, also committed suicide.
13
"Eagle on a Pine"
Author
Qi Baishi
A country China
Years of life 1864–1957
Style guohua
Interest in calligraphy led Qi Baishi to paint. At the age of 28, he became a student of the artist Hu Qingyuan. The Ministry of Culture of China awarded him the title of "Great Artist of the Chinese People", in 1956 he received International Prize peace.
10x26 cm
1946
price
$65.4 million
sold in 2011
on the auction China Guardian
Qi Baishi was interested in those manifestations of the surrounding world, which many do not attach importance to, and this is his greatness. A man without education became a professor and an outstanding creator in history. Pablo Picasso said about him: "I'm afraid to go to your country, because there is Qi Baishi in China." The composition "Eagle on a Pine Tree" is recognized as the largest work of the artist. In addition to the canvas, it includes two hieroglyphic scrolls. For China, the amount for which the product was bought is a record - 425.5 million yuan. Only the scroll of the ancient calligrapher Huang Tingjian was sold for 436.8 million dollars.
14
"1949-A-#1"
Author
Clifford Still
A country USA
Years of life 1904–1980
Style abstract expressionism
At the age of 20, he visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and was disappointed. Later, he signed up for a student arts league course, but left 45 minutes after the class began - it turned out to be “not his”. The first personal exhibition caused a resonance, the artist found himself, and with it recognition
79x93 cm
1949
price
$61.7 million
sold in 2011
on the auction Sotheby's
All his works, which are more than 800 canvases and 1600 works on paper, Still bequeathed to the American city, where a museum named after him will be opened. Denver became such a city, but only the construction was expensive for the authorities, and four works were put up for auction to complete it. Still's works are unlikely to be auctioned ever again, which raised their price in advance. Painting "1949-A-No.1" sold for a record amount for the artist, although experts predicted the sale of a maximum of 25-35 million dollars.
15
"Suprematist composition"
Author
Kazimir Malevich
A country Russia
Years of life 1878–1935
Style Suprematism
Malevich studied painting in the Kyiv art school, then at the Moscow Academy of Arts. In 1913, he began to paint abstract geometric paintings in a style that he called Suprematism (from Latin “dominance”).
71x 88.5 cm
1916
price
$60 million
sold in 2008
on the auction Sotheby's
The painting was kept in the city museum of Amsterdam for about 50 years, but after a 17-year dispute with Malevich's relatives, the museum gave it away. The artist painted this work in the same year as The Manifesto of Suprematism, so Sotheby`s even before the auction announced that it would not go to a private collection for less than $60 million. And so it happened. It is better to look at it from above: the figures on the canvas resemble an aerial view of the earth. By the way, a few years earlier, the same relatives expropriated another "Suprematist composition" from the MoMA Museum in order to sell it at Phillips for $17 million.
16
"Bathers"
Author
Paul Gauguin
A country France
Years of life 1848–1903
Style post-impressionism
Until the age of seven, the artist lived in Peru, then returned to France with his family, but childhood memories constantly pushed him to travel. In France, he began to paint, was friends with Van Gogh. He even spent several months with him in Arles, until Van Gogh cut off his ear during a quarrel.
93.4x60.4 cm
1902
price
$55 million
sold in 2005
on the auction Sotheby's
In 1891, Gauguin arranged a sale of his paintings in order to use the proceeds to go deep into the island of Tahiti. There he created works in which one can feel the subtle connection between nature and man. Gauguin lived in a thatched hut, and a tropical paradise blossomed on his canvases. His wife was a 13-year-old Tahitian Tehura, which did not prevent the artist from engaging in promiscuity. Having contracted syphilis, he left for France. However, Gauguin was cramped there, and he returned to Tahiti. This period is called the "second Tahitian" - it was then that the painting "Bathers" was painted, one of the most luxurious in his work.
17
"Daffodils and a tablecloth in blue and pink"
Author
Henri Matisse
A country France
Years of life 1869–1954
Style Fauvism
In 1889, Henri Matisse had an attack of appendicitis. When he recovered from the operation, his mother bought him paints. First, out of boredom, Matisse copied colored postcards, then - the works of great painters that he saw in the Louvre, and at the beginning of the 20th century he came up with a style - fauvism.
65.2x81 cm
1911
price
$46.4 million
sold in 2009
on the auction Christie's
The painting "Daffodils and a Tablecloth in Blue and Pink" belonged to Yves Saint Laurent for a long time. After the couturier's death, his entire art collection passed into the hands of his friend and lover Pierre Berger, who decided to auction it at Christie's. The pearl of the sold collection was the painting "Daffodils and a tablecloth in blue and pink", painted on an ordinary tablecloth instead of canvas. As an example of Fauvism, it is filled with the energy of color, the colors seem to explode and scream. Of the well-known series of tablecloth paintings, today this work is the only one that is in a private collection.
18
"Sleeping Girl"
Author
RoyLee
chtenstein
A country USA
Years of life 1923–1997
Style pop Art
The artist was born in New York, and after graduating from school, he went to Ohio, where he went to art courses. In 1949, Liechtenstein received his Master of Fine Arts degree. Interest in comics and the ability to be ironic made him a cult artist of the last century.
91x91 cm
1964
price
$44.882 million
sold in 2012
on the auction Sotheby's
Once, chewing gum fell into Liechtenstein's hands. He redrawn the picture from the insert on the canvas and became famous. This plot from his biography contains the whole message of pop art: consumption is the new god, and there is no less beauty in a gum wrapper than in Mona Lisa. His paintings are reminiscent of comics and cartoons: Lichtenstein simply enlarged the finished image, drew rasters, used screen printing and silkscreen printing. The painting "Sleeping Girl" belonged to collectors Beatrice and Philip Gersh for almost 50 years, whose heirs sold it at auction.
19
"Victory. Boogie Woogie"
Author
Piet Mondrian
A country Netherlands
Years of life 1872–1944
Style neoplasticism
His real name - Cornelis - the artist changed to Mondrian when he moved to Paris in 1912. Together with the artist Theo van Doesburg, he founded the neoplastic movement. The Piet programming language is named after Mondrian.
27x127 cm
1944
price
$40 million
sold in 1998
on the auction Sotheby's
The most "musical" of the artists of the 20th century made a living with watercolor still lifes, although he became famous as a neoplastic artist. He moved to the USA in the 1940s and spent the rest of his life there. Jazz and New York - that's what inspired him the most! Painting "Victory. Boogie Woogie is the best example of this. "Branded" neat squares were obtained through the use of adhesive tape - Mondrian's favorite material. In America, he was called "the most famous immigrant." In the sixties, Yves Saint Laurent produced the world-famous "Mondrian" dresses with a large colored check print.
20
"Composition No. 5"
Author
BasilKandinsky
A country Russia
Years of life 1866–1944
Style avant-garde
The artist was born in Moscow, and his father was from Siberia. After the revolution, he tried to cooperate with Soviet power, but soon realized that the laws of the proletariat were not created for him, and emigrated to Germany not without difficulties.
275x190 cm
1911
price
$40 million
sold in 2007
on the auction Sotheby's
Kandinsky was one of the first to completely abandon object painting, for which he received the title of genius. During Nazism in Germany, his paintings were classified as "degenerate art" and were not exhibited anywhere. In 1939, Kandinsky took French citizenship, in Paris he freely participated in artistic process. His paintings “sound” like fugues, which is why many are called “compositions” (the first was written in 1910, the last in 1939). “Composition No. 5” is one of the key works in this genre: “The word “composition” sounded like a prayer to me,” the artist said. Unlike many followers, he planned what he would depict on a huge canvas, as if writing notes.
21
"Study of a Woman in Blue"
Author
Fernand Léger
A country France
Years of life 1881–1955
Style cubism-post-impressionism
Leger received an architectural education, and then was a student at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. The artist considered himself a follower of Cezanne, was an apologist for cubism, and in the 20th century he also had success as a sculptor.
96.5x129.5 cm
1912–1913
price
$39.2 million
sold in 2008
on the auction Sotheby's
David Normann, president of Sotheby's International Impressionism and Modernism Department, believes the huge amount paid for The Lady in Blue is quite justified. The picture refers to famous collection Leger (the artist painted three paintings on one plot, in private hands today - the last of them. - Approx. Ed.), And the surface of the canvas has been preserved in its original form. The author himself gave this work to the Der Sturm gallery, then it ended up in the collection of Hermann Lang, a German collector of modernism, and now belongs to an unknown buyer.
22
"Street scene. Berlin"
Author
Ernst LudwigKirchner
A country Germany
Years of life 1880–1938
Style expressionism
For German Expressionism Kirchner became an iconic person. However, local authorities accused him of adherence to "degenerate art", which tragically affected the fate of his paintings and the life of the artist, who committed suicide in 1938.
95x121 cm
1913
price
$38.096 million
sold in 2006
on the auction Christie's
After moving to Berlin, Kirchner created 11 sketches street scenes. He was inspired by the turmoil and nervousness big city. In the painting, sold in 2006 in New York, the artist's anxiety is especially acute: people on a Berlin street resemble birds - graceful and dangerous. She became the last work of famous series sold at auction, the rest are kept in museums. In 1937, the Nazis brutally treated Kirchner: 639 of his works were seized from German galleries, destroyed or sold abroad. The artist could not survive this.
23
"Restingdancer"
Author
Edgar Degas
A country France
Years of life 1834–1917
Style impressionism
The history of Degas as an artist began with the fact that he worked as a copyist in the Louvre. He dreamed of becoming "famous and unknown", and in the end he succeeded. At the end of his life, deaf and blind, 80-year-old Degas continued to attend exhibitions and auctions.
64x59 cm
1879
price
$37.043 million
sold in 2008
on the auction Sotheby's
“Ballerinas have always been for me just an excuse to depict fabrics and capture movement,” said Degas. Scenes from the life of the dancers seem to be peeped: the girls do not pose for the artist, but simply become part of the atmosphere caught by Degas's gaze. The Resting Dancer sold for $28 million in 1999, and less than 10 years later it was bought for $37 million - today it is the most expensive work artist ever put up for auction. Degas paid much attention to frames, he designed them himself and forbade changing them. I wonder what frame is installed on the sold painting?
24
"Painting"
Author
Juan Miro
A country Spain
Years of life 1893–1983
Style abstract art
During civil war in Spain, the artist was on the side of the Republicans. In 1937, he fled from fascist power to Paris, where he lived in poverty with his family. During this period, Miro paints the painting "Help Spain!", Drawing the attention of the whole world to the dominance of fascism.
89x115 cm
1927
price
$36.824 million
sold in 2012
on the auction Sotheby's
The second name of the painting is "Blue Star". The artist wrote it in the same year when he announced: “I want to kill painting” and mercilessly mocked the canvases, scratching the paint with nails, gluing feathers to the canvas, covering the work with garbage. His goal was to debunk the myths about the mystery of painting, but, having coped with this, Miro created his own myth - a surreal abstraction. His "Painting" refers to the cycle of "pictures-dreams". Four buyers fought for it at the auction, but one incognito phone call settled the dispute, and "Painting" became the artist's most expensive painting.
25
"Blue Rose"
Author
Yves Klein
A country France
Years of life 1928–1962
Style monochrome painting
The artist was born into a family of painters, but studied oriental languages, navigation, the craft of a gilder of frames, Zen Buddhism and much more. His personality and impudent antics were many times more interesting than monochrome paintings.
153x199x16 cm
1960
price
$36.779 million
sold in 2012
at Christie's auction
The first exhibition of solid yellow, orange, pink works did not arouse public interest. Klein was offended and the next time he presented 11 identical canvases, painted with ultramarine mixed with a special synthetic resin. He even patented this method. The color went down in history as "international Blue colour Klein". The artist also sold emptiness, created paintings by exposing paper to rain, setting fire to cardboard, making prints of a human body on canvas. In a word, I experimented as best I could. To create the "Blue Rose" I used dry pigments, resins, pebbles and a natural sponge.
26
"Looking for Moses"
Author
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
A country Great Britain
Years of life 1836–1912
Style neoclassicism
Sir Lawrence himself added the prefix "alma" to his surname in order to appear first in art catalogs. In Victorian England, his paintings were so in demand that the artist was awarded a knighthood.
213.4x136.7 cm
1902
price
$35.922 million
sold in 2011
on the auction Sotheby's
The main theme of Alma-Tadema's work was antiquity. In the pictures he tried to the smallest details depict the era of the Roman Empire, for this he even engaged archaeological excavations on the Apennine Peninsula, and in his London house he reproduced the historical interior of those years. mythological plots became another source of inspiration for him. The artist was in great demand during his lifetime, but after his death he was quickly forgotten. Now interest is reviving, as evidenced by the cost of the painting "In Search of Moses", seven times higher than the pre-sale estimate.
27
"Portrait of a sleeping naked official"
Author
Lucian Freud
A country Germany,
Great Britain
Years of life 1922–2011
Style figurative painting
The artist is the grandson of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. After the establishment of fascism in Germany, his family emigrated to the UK. Freud's works are in the Wallace Collection in London, where no contemporary artist has previously exhibited.
219.1x151.4 cm
1995
price
$33.6 million
sold in 2008
on the auction Christie's
Bye fashion artists The 20th century created positive “color spots on the wall” and sold them for millions, Freud painted extremely naturalistic paintings and sold them for even more. “I capture the cries of the soul and the suffering of withering flesh,” he said. Critics believe that all this is the "legacy" of Sigmund Freud. The paintings were so actively exhibited and successfully sold that the experts had a doubt: do they have hypnotic properties? Sold at auction, "Portrait of a sleeping naked official", according to the Sun, was acquired by connoisseur of beauty and billionaire Roman Abramovich.
28
"Violin and Guitar"
Author
Xone gris
A country Spain
Years of life 1887–1927
Style cubism
Born in Madrid, where he graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts. In 1906 he moved to Paris and entered the circle of the most influential artists of the era: Picasso, Modigliani, Braque, Matisse, Leger, also worked with Sergei Diaghilev and his troupe.
5x100 cm
1913
price
$28.642 million
sold in 2010
on the auction Christie's
Gris, by own words, was engaged in "planar, color architecture." His paintings are precisely thought out: he did not leave a single accidental stroke, which makes creativity related to geometry. The artist created his own version of cubism, although he had great respect for Pablo Picasso, the founding father of the movement. The successor even dedicated his first Cubist work, Tribute to Picasso, to him. The painting "Violin and Guitar" is recognized as outstanding in the artist's work. During his lifetime, Gris was known, favored by critics and art historians. His works are exhibited in the world's largest museums and are kept in private collections.
29
"PortraitFields of Eluard»
Author
Salvador Dali
A country Spain
Years of life 1904–1989
Style surrealism
“Surrealism is me,” Dali said when he was expelled from the Surrealist group. Over time, he became the most famous surrealist artist. Dali's work is everywhere, not just in galleries. For example, it was he who came up with the packaging for Chupa-Chups.
25x33 cm
1929
price
$20.6 million
sold in 2011
on the auction Sotheby's
In 1929, the poet Paul Eluard and his Russian wife Gala came to visit the great provocateur and brawler Dali. The meeting was the beginning of a love story that lasted more than half a century. The painting "Portrait of Paul Eluard" was painted just during this historic visit. “I felt that I was entrusted with the duty to capture the face of the poet, from whose Olympus I stole one of the muses,” the artist said. Before meeting Gala, he was a virgin and was disgusted at the thought of having sex with a woman. Love triangle existed until the death of Eluard, after which he became the Dali-Gala duet.
30
"Anniversary"
Author
Marc Chagall
A country Russia, France
Years of life 1887–1985
Style avant-garde
Moishe Segal was born in Vitebsk, but in 1910 he emigrated to Paris, changed his name, and became close to the leading avant-garde artists of the era. In the 1930s, when the Nazis seized power, he left for the United States with the help of an American consul. He returned to France only in 1948.
80x103 cm
1923
price
$14.85 million
sold in 1990
at Sotheby's auction
The painting "Jubilee" is recognized as one of the the best works artist. It has all the features of his work: erased physical laws of the world, the feeling of a fairy tale is preserved in the scenery of bourgeois life, and love is in the center of the plot. Chagall did not draw people from nature, but only from memory or fantasizing. The painting "Jubilee" depicts the artist himself with his wife Bela. The painting was sold in 1990 and has not been bid since. Interestingly, the New York Museum of Modern Art MoMA keeps exactly the same, only under the name "Birthday". By the way, it was written earlier - in 1915.
draft prepared
Tatyana Palasova
rating compiled
according to the list www.art-spb.ru
tmn magazine №13
(May-June 2013)
Have you ever thought about how much the most expensive painting in the world costs? There are many paintings with a price of more than 1 million US dollars, but there are paintings that are worth from 100 million dollars. It is difficult to truly appreciate these masterpieces of world painting - almost all the authors of the most expensive paintings ever sold have passed away and will no longer be able to create something like this. And because of this, the price of these paintings simply increases with time. So, we present to your attention the TOP 10 most expensive paintings in the world.
10 PHOTOS
1. No. 5, 1948, Jackson Pollock - $140,000,000
No. 5, 1948 sold for $140 million when it was sold by David Geffen to David Martinez in 2006. The piece, made on an 8' x 5' fiber barrel, embodies the unique painting technique used by Pollock, one of the greatest expressionist painters. This typical picture Pollock, which is not very accessible in perception, but which is the basis of the evolution of contemporary art. Pollock was famous unique technique a painting in which, after placing a canvas on the floor, he applied paint by making it drip from sticks, syringes, and hard brushes.
2. Masterpiece, Roy Lichtenstein - $165,000,000 Roy Lichtenstein is one of the pioneers of pop art culture. His most notable work- Masterpiece (1962) has some classical elements pop art and comics elements. The painting was part of Lichtenstein's first exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, which featured other works such as The Drowned Girl and Portrait of Madame Cezanne. Now, some critics have dismissed "Masterpiece" as just another understated and glamorous picture, while others believe the picture has a deeper meaning.
3. Reclining Nude, Amedeo Modigliani - $170,400,000 The Reclining Nude, also known as Red Nude or Rellining Nude, is a 1917 oil painting by the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. The painting is a seamless fusion of classical idealism and modern sensibility. The painting of a naked woman lying on a sofa looks erotically realistic, but has a surreal, almost sublime beauty that draws the viewer in. There is nothing crude or vulgar in this picture. Instead, she is perceived as a sensual, aroused woman in her prime who is not afraid to give and demand physical pleasure.
4. Les Femmes d'Alger, Picasso - $179,400,000 In 2015, Les Femmes d'Alger Version O sold a painting for US$179.4 million to set the world record for the most expensive painting ever sold at auction. This painting is the culmination of a series of 15 works "Women of Algiers" by Picasso. This work perfectly demonstrates Picasso's penchant for creating pieces that have a vintage feel, yet remain completely fresh in approach.
5. No. 6, Mark Rothko - $186,000,000 Rothko's style is characterized by the use of large canvases and horizontal bands of bright colors. Here Rothko uses a spartan palette with the darkest shades on top, symbolizing the depression that haunted him.
6. No. 17A, 1948, Jackson Pollock - $200,000,000 Abstract expressionism was popular art after World War II, which emphasizes the subconscious and spontaneous creation. The work of Jackson Pollock belonged to this school of painting - his technique of dripping paint has its roots in the work of André Masson and Max Ernst. This piece of abstract work was created sometime in 1948 and featured in a 1947 Life magazine article.
7. When will you get married? Paul Gauguin, $210,000,000. In 1892, a painting by Paul Gauguin became the most expensive painting in the world. His painting of two Tahitian girls broke a world record in February 2015 when it was bought by Qatar museums from private Swiss collector Rudolf Stahelin for an astounding $300 million.
8. Card Players, Paul Cezanne, $250,000,000 The card players have been bought royal family Qatar from Greek shipping tycoon George Embirikos for a whopping $274 million.
9. Exchange, Willem de Kooning, $300,000,000. 10. Savior of the world, Leonardo da Vinci, $450,300,000 The Savior of the World was allegedly written by Leonardo da Vinci (many critics believe otherwise). The painting depicts Jesus Christ dressed in Renaissance robes and giving a blessing, holding a crystal ball in his left hand. The glass ball in the hand symbolizes the crystalline spheres of heaven - Christ is shown as the savior of the world and the master of the cosmos.
When in 2015 the painting by Paul Gauguin “When is the wedding?” was sold for a record amount - 300 million dollars, the media wrote:
"What if some famous auction house put up for sale a painting by Leonardo da Vinci? Most likely, it will be sold at a very high price and top the list of the most expensive paintings in the world. However, this will never happen. At least not in this life. After all, the canvases of the great Leonardo are not in private collections, and this is the main condition for works that want to be sold.”
However, just two years later, on November 15, 2017, Salvator Mundi or The Savior of the World - a 500-year-old work confidently attributed to Leonardo da Vinci - is at Christie's auction in New York for $450,312,500 ( including the award) and predictably topped the list of the most expensive paintings.
So, here's what it looks like at the moment.
No. 10. $135,000,000. "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I", Gustav Klimt, sold in 2006
One Austrian artist, which is called "Golden Adele" and " Austrian mona Lisa,” was sold in 2006 for a then-record $135 million to American billionaire Ronald Lauder. Maria Altmann sued for the right to own the painting, as Adele Bloch-Bauer bequeathed it to the Austrian State Gallery, and her husband later canceled the donation amid the events of World War II. Having entered into legal rights, Maria Altman sold the portrait to Ronald Lauder, who exhibited it in his gallery in New York.
No. 9. $137,500,000. "Woman III", Willem de Koonin, sold in 2006
Film producer and renowned collector David Geffen sold this strange abstraction in 2006 to billionaire Stephen A. Cohen. The canvas is part of a series of six masterpieces by Kooning, painted between 1951 and 1953.
No. 8. $140,000,000. "No. 5, 1948", Jackson Pollock
The painting was also sold by David Geffen, this time to David Martinez, managing partner of FinTech Advisory, according to the New York Times. The latter did not confirm this information, so the story remains a mystery shrouded in darkness.
No. 7. $142,400,000. "Three studies of Lucian Freud", Francis Bacon, sold in 2013
Francis Bacon's "Triptych of Sketches for a Portrait of Lucian Freud" written in 1969 was sold at a public auction at Christie's in 2013 for $142.4 million. The lot was exhibited by an unknown collector from Europe, and the auction lasted only six minutes.
No. 6. $155 million "Le Reve" ("Dream" or "Dream"), Pablo Picasso, sold in 2013
This is one of the most famous paintings Picasso, in which he portrayed his beloved Marie-Thérèse Walter in just one day. In 2006, Steve Wynn agreed to sell the painting to Stephen Cohen for $139 million, but the deal fell through because Wynn accidentally damaged the work. On March 26, 2013, according to the New York Post, Steven Cohen bought the painting from Wynn for $155 million.
No. 5. $ 170 million Amedeo Modigliani "Reclining Nude", sold in 2015
The painting by the Italian artist of the early 20th century Amedeo Modigliani "Reclining Nude" was sold at Christie's auction for $170 million. The canvas went to a buyer from China, who made bids by phone, in just 9 minutes. He purchased it for the collection of the private Long Museum in Shanghai.
No. 4. $179 million Pablo Picasso, Women of Algeria, sold 2015
Painting by Pablo Picasso "Women of Algeria (Version O)", estimated by experts at $140 million, was sold in New York for a then-record $179 million at Christie's auction house. Picasso painted this painting in 1955 in memory of Henri Matisse, who had died a year earlier. The central figure on it is the artist's beloved and his muse, Jacqueline Roque, who became Picasso's wife in 1961. The canvas is part of a series of 15 paintings created by the artist between 1954 and 1955.
No. 3. $250 million Card Players, Paul Cezanne, sold 2011
"Card Players" by Paul Cezanne, written by him in 1892 - 1893, is the third painting in a series of five works french artist, which, as the name suggests, depicts people playing cards. The remaining four works are stored in the Parisian Orsay, the New York Metropolitan, London's Cusco and in. The exact cost of the masterpiece is not known, but according to experts, it ranged from 259 to 320 million dollars. The buyer of the masterpiece was the organization Qatar Museums.
No. 2. $ 300 million Paul Gauguin "When is the wedding?" Sold in 2015
In 2015, Paul Gauguin's painting "When is the wedding?" was sold for a record $300 million. The painting was another work that went to the Qatari royal family for the same national museum, and it was sold by the famous Swiss collector Rudolf Stechelin.
No. 1. $450 million "Savior of the World" by Leonardo da Vinci, sold in 2017
Salvator Mundi or The Savior of the World, a 500-year-old work confidently attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, is at Christie's in New York for $450,312,500 (including premium).
Only less than 20 paintings by the genius of the Renaissance are now known, and The Savior of the World is the last one remaining in private hands. Others belong to museums and institutes. The work has been called "the greatest artistic discovery" of the last century.
Almost a thousand collectors, antique dealers, advisers, journalists and spectators gathered for the auction in the main auction room of Rockefeller Center. Several thousand more followed the sale in live. The bidding battle started with $100 million and lasted less than 20 minutes. After the price went from $332 million in one step to $350 million, only two contenders were fighting. The price of 450 million, named by the buyer by phone, became the final one. At the moment, the identity of the new owner of the historical painting - including gender and even the region of residence - is kept secret.
The image of Jesus Christ, which has already been dubbed the "male Mona Lisa", has become not only the record holder among paintings at public auction, but also the most expensive painting on the planet - and remains so to this day.
Request text:"I'm interested in creativity) any) even the most expensive, even the most unusual and all the very best)"
contemporary art for last years significantly increased in price: today the most expensive paintings in the world are the paintings of the classics abstract painting, artists Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, acquired for $145 million and $140 million, respectively.
no. 5 Jackson Pollock $140.0 million (Sotheby's)
The painting of the famous American abstract artist Jackson Pollock sold for $140 million - this news was spread by The New York Times. The canvas "Number 5" became not only the most expensive painting in the world, but also the first work of post-war art to take this place. Jackson Pollock became famous as the inventor of "action painting" (action painting), which also corresponded to his bohemian lifestyle. A few years ago, in Hollywood, his biography was filmed, which in terms of drama is not much inferior to Van Gogh's biography. Jackson Pollock poured and splattered paint on the canvas, counting the spontaneous creative process more important than the result. "Number 5", a non-objective painting measuring 1.5 x 2.5 m, painted on fiberboard in 1948, is a classic example of this method. The canvas is evenly covered with brown and yellow drops, in which, like in Rorschach dough blots, everyone can see what they want.
Woman III Willem de Kooning $137.5 million
This work is part of a series of paintings by the abstract artist Willem de Kooning in a semi-realistic style. Created in 1953, the painting is currently the only work from this series in a private collection. Since the 1970s, the painting has been the property of the Tehran Museum of Modern Art, and in 1994 it was sold to private hands and taken out of the country. In 2006, owner David Geffen sold Woman III to American billionaire Stephen Cohen.
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I Gustav Klimt $135.0
Also known as "Golden Adele" or "Austrian Mona Lisa". The painting is considered one of Klimt's most significant paintings. In 1903, during a trip to Italy, the artist was inspired by the richly decorated church mosaics in Ravenna and Venice, the ancient language of which he transferred to modern forms visual arts. He experimented with various techniques painting in order to give the surface of their work a new look. In addition to oil painting he used the technique of relief and gilding.
Modern artists are divided into two types, those who draw well and those who draw incomprehensibly. The most interesting thing is that the first category, as a rule, is rarely recognized during his lifetime, but the second one, on the contrary, is already now earning millions on his masterpieces, little understood by anyone. We offer you a selection of the most expensive works of contemporary art.
"Spatial concept" Lucho Fountain — $1,500,000
"Untitled" Mark Rothko - $28,000,000
The Blue Fool Christopher Wool - $5,000,000
"White Fire I" Barnett Newman - $3,800,000
"Untitled" Cy Twombly - $2,300,000
Canvas "Untitled" or "Stofbild" Blink Palermo - $ 1,700,000
