Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings in the World

The artworks provide insights into the history and culture of a particular time and represent the artists’ way of analyzing different worldly experiences. For people with a deep passion and love for appreciating artworks, paintings by great artists are priceless. However, the most expensive paintings are more than just a symbol of creativity and beauty for billionaires worldwide. They invest in great art pieces by famous artists to improve their status among their peers. This blog will feature the top 10 priciest paintings in the world, whose staggering prices might leave you astonished.

World’s Top 10 Most Precious and Expensive Paintings: 

1. Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci

The master painter Leonardo da Vinci from Italy is well-known for his extensive knowledge and learning and is considered the greatest polymath in the world. His expressive and dramatic painting of the Mona Lisa is believed to be the world’s most expensive painting. However, his most expensive ever sold is Salvator Mundi, which was auctioned at Christie’s auction in 2017 at a staggering price of $450.3 million. This beautiful artwork depicts Jesus Christ as the savior of the world in a blue dress with a crystal orb in his left hand. The extending two fingers of his right hand is the representation of his blessing to the world. While the crystal orb is the depiction of the world and Jesus’s supremacy on it. 

2. Interchange by Willem de Kooning

The masterpiece by Willem de Kooning, Interchange, is strongly positioned as one of the most expensive paintings in the world, with a price tag of $300 million. The Dutch-born American painter was famous for his abstract expressionism in his paintings. Interchange was auctioned and sold in 2015 and held the crown of the priciest painting in the world till 2017. This masterpiece by Willem de Kooning depicts the ugliness of the post-World War II conditions. The abstract urban landscape displayed in this painting represents the shift in his style and the shift of the artistic center from Paris to New York.

3. Card Players by Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne was a well-known post-impressionist artist famous for his innovative color, line, and form. The Card Players oil painting series, consisting of five masterpieces, is acclaimed as his most iconic work. The paintings of this impressive artwork series depict two men playing cards, which appear studious and concentrate completely on their game. This artwork by him represents his thinking to depict daily life in a simplified manner. One version of this oil painting series was bought by the Royal Family of Qatar in 2011. It became the third most expensive painting ever sold, with a staggering price tag of $250 million. The other four versions are displayed in different museums around the world.

4. Nafea Faa Ipoipo

The next artwork on the list of expensive paintings is Nafea Faa Ipoipo. This Tahitian phrase means, When will you marry me? The French painter, sculptor, and printmaker is well-known for his influence on the development of 20th-century art and the symbolist art movement. This beautiful oil painting features two Tahitian women, one in a traditional Tahitian dress and the other in a preacher’s dress. A white flower in the woman’s hair wearing the traditional Tahitian attire depicts her readiness for getting married. There were reports that this art piece was sold to a Qatari billionaire at a staggering price of $300 million. However, these reports were denied by a lawsuit in 2017, which revealed its actual cost was $210 million.

5. Number 17A by Jackson Pollock

The American painter, Jackson Pollock’s masterpiece Number 17A ranks among the most expensive paintings in the world. He was well-known for his distinctive painting style and was a key influencer in the abstract impressionist art form. This painting depicts his signature dripped, splattered, and flung painting style, which features a complex web of vortex colors where the top and bottom layers are indistinguishable. This masterpiece by Jackson Pollock was featured in Life Magazine in August 2017, which raised his popularity among art admirers and enthusiasts. The painting was bought by Kenneth Griffin, the possessor of Interchange, from the David Geffen Foundation at a staggering cost of $200 million.

Price: $200 million

Sold on: September, 2015

6. The Standard Bearer by Rembrandt

The beautiful artwork The Standard Bearer by the Dutch painter Rembrandt is considered one of the key works in Dutch history and art. He was God gifted for portraying stories through his art and this masterpiece showcases his unique artistic style and ambitions. Rembrandt depicts himself in the costume of a standard bearer, who played a dangerous role in the Eight Years’ War and finally led independence to the Netherlands in 1648. The painting was bought by the Netherlands government from the Rothschild family in 2022 for $198 million. The painting is well preserved today and is currently on display at the Rijksmuseum Gallery of Honor.

7. Shot Sage Blue Marilyn by Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol was a major figure in the pop art movement, as his artworks use references from people and products in popular culture. This masterpiece was one of the artworks of the silkscreen print series, Shot Marilyns. In 1964, a performance artist named Dorothy Podber fired a revolver through a stack of Marilyn prints. This incident inspired the series’ title. In May 2022, it was auctioned at Christie’s auction in New York. There it was sold to American art dealer Larry Gagosian at an outstanding price of $195 million.

8. No 6 Violet Green and Red by Mark Rothko

The next artwork on the list of expensive paintings is No 6 Violet Green and Red, which is considered one of the key works of Mark Rothko’s color field paintings. The painting features large, soft, rectangular bands of color separated by hazy shades. He painted this painting with the intention that viewers could explore their moods and relationships with colors. A Russian billionaire, Dmitry Rybolovlev, bought this masterpiece by the talented American painter in an auction at an impressive cost of $186 million.

9. Water Serpents II by Gustav Klimt

Wasserschlangen II, or Water Serpents II, by the great Austrian artist Gustav Klimt ranks among the top 10 most expensive paintings in the world. He was well-known for his intricate art style and sensuous depiction of feminine form, and this artwork by Gustav is a perfect reflection of his unique style. He has greatly contributed through his work to the development of modern and impressionist art. In 2013, Dmitry Rybolovlev bought it for $112 million. It was again auctioned and sold to an anonymous bidder at a staggering price of $183.2 million in 2017. 

10. Pendant Portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit by Rembrandt

Last on the list of the top 10 most expensive paintings are Oopjen Coppit and Maerten Soolmans pendant portraits, another masterpiece by the Dutch painter Rembrandt. They are special because they’re the only full-length pendant portraits of his impressive art collection. The portraits feature subjects in regal poses and extravagant outfits, which reflect their pride and affluence. These were considered milestones in Dutch history as they marked the rise of the Dutch Republic during the Golden Age. They were auctioned in Christie’s auction and were sold to two prestigious museums, the Louvre and the Rijksmuseum, at a staggering price of $180 million. These iconic portraits are displayed at both these museums alternately.

Conclusion:

These artworks for art enthusiasts are so rare that their value can not be calculated by them in money or any other precious thing. However, for the richest people in the world, these paintings are valuable assets with the potential for consistently high market demand. The top 10 most expensive paintings capture the artists’ vision and the era they represent. The high prices of these artworks depict their influence on modern art development and are a symbol of prestige and wealth. 

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