A majority of us love witnessing beautiful art pieces. For some, it might be the details of the painting that they liked, whereas, for others, it could the artist’s observation that they tried to express through art. All this melts down to the fact that we humans love to spectate and appreciate creativity. Each artist makes an attempt to express themselves in the best way possible. And every piece of art has a story of its own. From depicting the cultural heritage to showcasing the mentality of the people of a particular time, these paintings are timeless.
Here is our list of the top 10 most expensive paintings in the world:
- The Card Players- Paul Cezanne
The first one to top our list of the world’s most expensive paintings is The Card Players painted by Paul Cezanne. This art piece belongs to the five series of paintings created by the artist during the two-year time frame of 1892 and 1893. Today, The Card Players is owned by the Royal Family of Qatar. Whereas, the other four pieces of the series are exhibited in some of the world’s most famous art museums including the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. People from around the world especially visit these museums to witness the timeless beauty of Paul Cezanne’s paintings.
2 . Salvator Mundi- Leonardo Da Vinci
Source: artnet news
Painted in the 1500s by the infamous Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi is a one-of-its-kind painting the world has ever witnessed. In the past, this art piece raised a controversy relating to whether it was an authentic Da Vinci work or was painted by one of his students. Regardless of such dispute, it was bought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in 2017. Salvator Mundi was sold at an impressive price of $450 million. Also, it was once rumored to be displayed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi but was later canceled.
3 . Nafea Faa Ipoipo- Paul Gaugain
After traveling to Tahiti and falling in love with the country’s unique culture and specifically women, Paul Gaugain painted his masterpiece in 1892 to express his passion. He never would have imagined that the painting will go on to become one of the world’s most expensive paintings ever! This piece of art was named Nafea Faa Ipoipo, which in English translates to ‘When will you marry?’. It features two Tahitian women sitting next to each other in a colorful landscape. In 2014, Nafea Faa Ipoipo is believed to have been sold to the Royal Family of Qatar at approximately $300 million.
4 . Interchange- Willem De Kooning
Source: twitter
Interchange, which was painted by a Dutch-American painter named Willem de Kooning is another one of the costliest paintings in the world. It is considered the world’s first landscape abstract painting. Ken Griffin, Citadel’s hedge fund investor turned billionaire, bought this masterpiece at a hefty price of $300 million in September 2015. How incredible is that! Griffin is an admirer of art and is also one of the trustees at The Art Institute of Chicago. Interchange is believed to have been painted by De Kooning in 1955 and is an impressive piece of art in itself. It is a colorful painting made with a variety of shades.
5 . Mona Lisa- Leonardo Da Vinci
The next painting on our list requires no introduction! Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the top mystifying paintings of all time. Although claimed to be priceless, this one-of-its-kind masterpiece would definitely come out as the costliest of all! Today Mona Lisa could be priced at $700 million, because of the reason that it was insured at $100 million in the year 1962. The portrait that is believed to be that of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, is known to almost everybody. It is exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
6 . Portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit- Rembrandt Van Rijn
The famous couple portraits of Soolmans and Coppit, painted in the seventeenth century, are yet another most expensive piece of art in the world. Rembrandt Van Rijn, a much-acknowledged artist painted these larger-than-life portraits. They are believed to have been created during the couple’s wedding. Portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit are among the first full length work of Rembrandt. These masterpieces once belonged to the Rothschild family. But are now proudly exhibited at the Rijksmuseum of Russia, this painting is co-owned by the Parisian museum- The Louvre. One amazing fact about these portraits is that they never go solo and are always exhibited next to each other.
7 . Number 17A – Jackson Pollock
Source: amazon.in
Painted by Jackson Pollock, a well-reputed and very famous abstract expressionist and artist, this painting named Number 17A is truly a work of substance. It is one of the simplest yet the most difficult paintings to understand that has been ever created. Number 17 A was sold to Kenneth Griffin and the David Geffen Foundation approximately for $200 million. In 1948, Pollock painted this incredible painting using vibrant colors like red, orange, yellow, blue, black, and even white. It looks like a splash of colors on a plain canvas but is a lot more than just that.
8 . Les Femmes D’Alger- Pablo Picasso
Source: vulture
Les Femmes D’Alger painted by yet another renowned artist, Pablo Picasso, is a masterpiece on its own. It belongs to a fifteen-piece collection that Picasso once painted. Today, Les Femmes D’Alger is owned by the Royal Family of Qatar which they bought in 2015 for a hefty price. The rest of the pieces still belong to the Ganz Family. The painting is a true representation of the Algerian concubines living in their harem along with a hookah to smoke opium or whatever it might have been. Father of the Cubic painting, Pablo Picasso’s great works speak for themselves and almost always don’t require an introduction.
9 . No. 6 Violet, Green, and Red- Mark Rothko
Source: pinterest
Mark Rothko, a Russian-American painter created a minimalist-looking painting in 1951, that would later go on to become one of the world’s costliest paintings ever. This piece of art is self-explanatory and has a very subtle effect on it. Not everybody can understand such a beautiful art as that of this piece. In 2014, the No.6 painting is believed to have been sold at a whopping $186 million. An art dealer named Yves Bouvier sold the painting to Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian billionaire. This masterpiece is created only using three colors that are Violet, Green, and Red.
10 . Nu Couche- Amedeo Modigliani
Source: barnebys
Last but definitely not least, we have the famous painting named Nu Couche. Painted and displayed in the year 1917 by Amedeo Modigliani, an Italian artist, this art piece is considered to be priced at around $170 million. In 2015, it was sold to Liu Yiqian, a Chinese taxi driver turned billionaire. Nu Couche is considered to be an amazing painting done by a skilled artist. However, it is a nude painting that was earlier accused of publically portraying obscene materials.
William Henry Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, author, philanthropist, and humanitarian. He is best known as the principal founder of Microsoft Corporation.
