The 10 most expensive paintings ever sold

In recent years, auctions have set new records and broken others: the most expensive paintings ever sold have reached new heights. For ancient and modern works of art, art experts usually predict very high prices, but sometimes it is impossible to predict what incredible prices collectors are willing to invest.

Tip: Painting by Numbers Expert has a wide range with Paint by Numbers motifs in stock. There are also paintings available by Vermeer and Van Gogh, such as the Girl with a Pearl Earring and the Starry Night.

10. No 5, 1984, Jackson Pollock - 109 million euros

The first artwork is "No. 5, 1984"; known as one of Pollock's finest works. With its yellow and brown expressionist drips, it is considered one of the most important works of expressionism. This work of art was sold for 109 million euros. It is said that the painting was bought by Mexican financier David Martinez in 2006, but he denies this. At that time, this work broke the record for the most expensive painting sold and remained so until 2011.

 

9. No. 6 (violet, green and red), Mark Rothko - 140 million euros

The bright, dull colours in "No.6" are absolutely typical of Rothko'sportfolio. In 2014, the painting was bought by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev for 140 million euros. For more than 10 years, Rothko's painting held the auction price record.

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8. Nu couché, Amedeo Modigliani - 158 million euros

The work "Nu couché" was painted by Modigliani in 1917-1918. It is one of his most famous works and correspondingly popular when it came onto the market in 2015. The painting was sold for 158 million euros to billionaire investor Lui Yiqian.

7. Hanging portraitsvan Maerten Soomans and Oopjen Coppit, Rembrandt - €160 million

These two wedding portraits were jointly purchased by two museums. In 2015, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris raised a total of 160 million euros to purchase the two works: a record price for works by Rembrandt. Both pieces are true masterpieces and are a great addition to the French-Dutch museum collections. Both museums will alternately exhibit these amazing works, of course alongside many other works of art.

6. Les Femmes d'Alger (“Version O”)', Pablo Picasso - €161 million

Picasso's works will never lose the interest of art buyers. "Les Femmes d'Alger" is a series consisting of 15 paintings. These have been sold individually over the years. "Version O" was the last painting in this series and was long considered the most important that Picasso privately owned. No wonder it raised an incredible €161 million when it hit the market in 2015. The coveted work was sold to Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the former Prime Minister of Qatar.

5. When Will You Marry?, Paul Gauguin - €162 million

"When Will You Marry?" was created in 1892 and depicts two Tahitian women in Gauguin's famous colour scheme. The artwork was sold for 162 million euros to a collector from Qatar. Gauguin is considered one of the founders of the modernist art movement. It is therefore not surprising that this work changed hands for such a high price.

4. The Card Players', Paul Cézanne - €173 million

This painting shows two working-class men playing cards together. It is considered onecornerstone of Cézanne's art in his last years. This painting is part of a series of five paintings. The other four are housed in world-class collections; this episode of the series is the only one in private hands. This masterpiece was purchased by the Qatari royal family in 2011 for 173 million euros and is part of their private collection of works of art.

3. Number 17A', Jackson Pollock - €177 million

This beautifully coloured drip painting is a wonderful example of Pollock's abstract expressionism. The work was purchased by hedge fund billionaire Kenneth Griffin in September 2015; along with the next artwork in this list. Today this work can be admired in the Art Institute in Chicago, USA.

2. Interchange', Willem de Kooning - €266 million

When Willem de Kooning's work "Interchange" was auctioned for 266 million euros in 2015, it broke the record for the most expensive painting ever sold. Kenneth Griffin, who also bought Jackson Pollock's painting "Number 17a",bought "Interchange" at the same time. The reason why he paid so much for the work is that it represents the important transitional stages towards Abstract Expressionism in De Kooning's oeuvre.

1. Salvator Mundi', Leonardo Da Vinci - €382 million

No one could have imagined that in November 2017, Leonardo Da Vinci's painting "Salvator Mundi" would sell for almost 382 million euros. This amount is three times as high as all experts predicted. The work depicts Christ as the Savior of the world and is an important masterpiece believed to be thelast Da Vinci is in a private collection. But to know for sure it will take time. When it was purchased in 2005 it had been heavily painted over and the buyer assumed it must be a copy. However, after restoration it was discovered that it was the long-lost original. After a 19-minute bidding war, the painting went to Abu Dhabi's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and is now on display at the Louvre there.