List of most expensive paintings - Wikipedia List of most expensive paintings Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci is the most expensive painting ever sold as of 2017. This is a list of the highest known prices paid for paintings. The earliest sale listed ( Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh ) is from 1987, and more than tripled the previous record price, set only two years before, introducing a new era in the history of high sums of money paid for paintings. The sale was also significant in that for the first time a `` modern '' painting ( in this case from 1888 ) became the record holder, as opposed to the old master paintings which had always previously held it. The current record price is approximately $ 450 million paid for Leonardo Da Vinci 's Salvator Mundi in November 2017. Contents 1 Background 2 Van Gogh, Picasso, and Warhol 3 Most expensive painting by a female artist 4 Interactive graph 5 List of highest prices paid 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Background The world 's most famous paintings, especially old master works done before 1803, are generally owned or held at museums, for viewing by patrons. The museums rarely sell them, and as such, they are quite literally priceless. Guinness World Records lists the Mona Lisa as having the highest insurance value for a painting in history. On permanent display at The Louvre museum in Paris, the Mona Lisa was assessed at US $100 million on December 14, 1962. Taking inflation into account, the 1962 value would be around US $620 million in 2016. The earliest sale on the list below ( Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh ) is from March 1987 ; with a price of £ 24.75 million ( £ 53.5 million in 2016 pounds sterling ) it tripled the previous record and introduced a new era in top art sales. Before this, the highest absolute price paid for a painting was £ 8.1 million ( £ 19.3 million in 2016 pounds sterling ) paid by the J. Paul Getty Museum for Mantegna 's Adoration of the Magi at Christie 's in London on April 18, 1985. In constant dollars, the highest price paid before 1987 was by the National Gallery of Art when in February 1967 they acquired Leonardo da Vinci 's Ginevra de ' Benci for around $5 million ( $28 million in 2016 dollars ) from the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. The sale of Van Gogh 's Sunflowers was also significant in that for the first time a `` modern '' ( in this case 1888 ) painting became the record holder, as opposed to the old master paintings which previously had dominated the market. In contrast, there are currently only nine pre-1875 paintings among the listed top 79, and no works painted between 1635 and 1874. An exceptional case is graffiti artist David Choe, who accepted payment in shares for painting graffiti art in the headquarters of a fledgling Facebook. While his shares were of limited value when he was awarded them, by the time of Facebook 's IPO they were valued at around $200 m. Van Gogh, Picasso, and Warhol The Red Vineyard, the only painting Vincent van Gogh sold during his lifetime Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol are by far the best represented artists in the list. Whereas Picasso and Warhol became wealthy men, Van Gogh ( supposedly ) sold only one painting in his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, for 400 francs ( about $2000 ( ? ) in 2017 ) to the impressionist painter and heiress Anna Boch. Prices realised for only his nine paintings in the list below, if adjusted for inflation to 2016, add up to over $885 million. Most expensive painting by a Female artist Georgia O'Keeffe holds the record for the highest price paid for a painting by a woman. On 20 November 2014 at Sotheby 's, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art bought her 1932 painting Jimson Weed / White Flower No. 1 for $44.4 million ( equivalent to $45.5 million in 2016 ). Interactive graph This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( May 2018 ) Sale of the Most Expensive Paintings List of highest prices paid This list is ordered by GDP deflator inflation - adjusted value ( in bold ) in millions of United States dollars in 2016. Where necessary, the price is first converted to dollars using the exchange rate at the time the painting was sold. The inflation adjustment may change as recent inflation rates are often revised. A list in another currency may be in a slightly different order due to exchange - rate fluctuations. Paintings are listed only once, i.e. for the highest price sold. Adjusted price ( in millions ) Original price ( in millions ) Painting Image Artist Year Date of sale Rank at sale Seller Buyer Auction house $450.3 $450.3 Salvator Mundi Leonardo da Vinci ! attributed to Leonardo da Vinci c. 1500 000000002017 - 11 - 15 - 0000 November 15, 2017 Dmitry Rybolovlev Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism Christie 's, New York ~ $304 ~ $300 Interchange de Kooning, Willem ! Willem de Kooning 1955 000000002015 - 09 - 01 - 0000 September 2015 David Geffen Foundation Kenneth C. Griffin Private sale $270 + $250 + The Card Players Cezanne, Paul ! Paul Cézanne 1892 / 93 000000002011 - 04 - 01 - 0000 April 2011 George Embiricos State of Qatar Private sale $213 $210 Nafea Faa Ipoipo ( When Will You Marry ? ) Gaugin, Paul ! Paul Gauguin 1892 000000002014 - 09 - 01 - 0000 September 2014 Heirs of Rudolf Staechelin State of Qatar Private sale ~ $203 ~ $200 Number 17A Pollock, Jackson ! Jackson Pollock 1948 000000002015 - 09 - 01 - 0000 September 2015 David Geffen Foundation Kenneth C. Griffin Private sale $190 $186 ( € 140 ) No. 6 ( Violet, Green and Red ) Rothko, Mark ! Mark Rothko 1951 000000002014 - 08 - 01 - 0000 August 2014 Cherise Moueix Dmitry Rybolovlev Private sale via Yves Bouvier $182 $180 ( € 160M for pair ) Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit Rembrandt ! Rembrandt 1634 000000002015 - 09 - 01 - 0000 September 2015 Éric de Rothschild Rijksmuseum and Louvre Private sale $181.7 $179.4 Les Femmes d'Alger ( `` Version O '' ) Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1955 000000002015 - 05 - 11 - 0000 May 11, 2015 Private collection Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani Christie 's, New York $172.6 $170.4 Nu Couché Modigliani, Amedeo ! Amedeo Modigliani 1917 / 18 000000002015 - 11 - 09 - 0000 November 9, 2015 6 Laura Mattioli Rossi Liu Yiqian Christie 's, New York $165.0 $165.0 Masterpiece Lichtenstein, Roy ! Roy Lichtenstein 1962 000000002017 - 01 - 01 - 0000 January 2017 10 Agnes Gund Steven A. Cohen Private sale $164.5 $140 No. 5, 1948 Pollock, Jackson ! Jackson Pollock 1948 000000002006 - 11 - 02 - 0000 November 2, 2006 David Geffen David Martinez Private sale via Sotheby 's $161.6 $137.5 Woman III de Kooning, Willem ! Willem de Kooning 1953 000000002006 - 11 - 18 - 0000 November 18, 2006 David Geffen Steven A. Cohen Private sale via Larry Gagosian $161.5 $155 Le Rêve Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1932 000000002013 - 03 - 26 - 0000 March 26, 2013 5 Steve Wynn Steven A. Cohen Private sale $158.7 $135 Portrait of Adele Bloch - Bauer I Klimt, Gustav ! Gustav Klimt 1907 000000002006 - 06 - 18 - 0000 June 18, 2006 Maria Altmann Ronald Lauder, Neue Galerie Private sale via Christie 's $172.6 $170.4 Nu couché ( sur le côté gauche ) Modigliani, Amedeo ! Amedeo Modigliani 1917 000000002018 - 05 - 15 - 0000 May 15, 2018 Sotheby 's, New York $150.0 $150 Adele Bloch - Bauer II Klimt, Gustav ! Gustav Klimt 1912 000000002016 - 01 - 01 - 0000 2016 14 Oprah Winfrey Unidentified buyer in China Private sale via Larry Gagosian $148.4 $142.4 Three Studies of Lucian Freud Bacon, Francis ! Francis Bacon 1969 000000002013 - 11 - 12 - 0000 November 12, 2013 7 Elaine Wynn, ex-wife of Steve Wynn Christie 's, New York $137.7 $82.5 Portrait of Dr. Gachet Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1890 000000001990 - 05 - 15 - 0000 May 15, 1990 Heirs of Siegfried Kramarsky Ryoei Saito Christie 's, New York $130.3 $78.1 Bal du moulin de la Galette Renoir, Pierre - Auguste ! Pierre - Auguste Renoir 1876 000000001990 - 05 - 17 - 0000 May 17, 1990 Betsey Whitney Ryoei Saito Sotheby 's, New York $130.2 $104.2 Garçon à la pipe Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1905 000000002004 - 05 - 05 - 0000 May 5, 2004 Greentree Foundation ( Whitney family ) Guido Barilla ( suspected ) Sotheby 's, New York $127.0 $119.9 The Scream Munch, Edvard ! Edvard Munch 1895 000000002012 - 05 - 02 - 0000 May 2, 2012 8 Petter Olsen Leon Black Sotheby 's, New York $125 $118 Reclining Nude With Blue Cushion Modigliani, Amedeo ! Amedeo Modigliani 1917 000000002012 - 01 - 01 - 0000 2012 8 Steven A. Cohen Dmitry Rybolovlev Private sale via Yves Bouvier $121.1 $110.0 Flag Johns, Jasper ! Jasper Johns 1954 000000002010 - 03 - 01 - 0000 March 2010 7 Jean - Christophe Castelli Steven A. Cohen Private sale, estimated price $117.2 $106.5 Nude, Green Leaves and Bust Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1932 000000002010 - 05 - 04 - 0000 May 4, 2010 8 Frances Lasker Brody estate Leonard Blavatnik ( suspected ) Christie 's, New York $115.0 $115 Young Girl with a Flower Basket Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1905 000000002018 - 05 - 08 - 0000 May 8, 2018 David and Peggy Rockefeller Unidentified buyer Christie 's, New York $112.3 $100.0 Eight Elvises Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1963 000000002008 - 10 - 01 - 0000 October 2008 10 Annibale Berlingieri The State of Qatar ( suspected ) Private sale via Philippe Ségalot $111.9 $95.2 Dora Maar au Chat Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1941 000000002006 - 05 - 03 - 0000 May 3, 2006 5 Gidwitz family Boris Ivanishvili Sotheby 's, New York $110.5 $110.5 Untitled Basquiat ! Jean - Michel Basquiat 1982 000000002017 - 05 - 18 - 0000 May 18, 2017 28 Yusaku Maezawa Sotheby 's, New York $110.2 + $105.7 + ( ¥ 10,300 ) Anna 's Light Newman, Barnett ! Barnett Newman 1968 000000002013 - 10 - 04 - 0000 October 4, 2013 18 DIC Corp. Private sale $109.9 $105.4 Silver Car Crash ( Double Disaster ) Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1963 000000002013 - 11 - 13 - 0000 November 13, 2013 20 Sotheby 's, New York $104 $100 La Montagne Sainte - Victoire vue du bosquet du Château Noir Cezanne, Paul ! Paul Cézanne 1904 000000002013 - 01 - 01 - 0000 2013 20 Edsel and Eleanor Ford House State of Qatar Private sale $103.8 $58 plus exchange of works Portrait of Joseph Roulin Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1889 000000001989 - 08 - 01 - 0000 August 1, 1989 Private collection, Zürich Museum of Modern Art New York Private sale via Thomas Ammann, Fine Art Zurich $101.0 $71.5 Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1889 000000001998 - 11 - 19 - 0000 November 19, 1998 5 Heirs of Jacques Koerfer ( de ) Christie 's, New York $100.5 $76.7 ( £ 49.5 ) Massacre of the Innocents Rubens, Peter Paul ! Peter Paul Rubens 1611 000000002002 - 07 - 10 - 0000 July 10, 2002 6 an Austrian family Kenneth Thomson Sotheby 's, London $100.3 $53.9 Irises Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1889 000000001987 - 11 - 11 - 0000 November 11, 1987 son of Joan Whitney Payson Alan Bond Sotheby 's, New York $96.9 $86.3 Triptych, 1976 Bacon, Francis ! Francis Bacon 1976 000000002008 - 05 - 14 - 0000 May 14, 2008 13 Moueix family Roman Abramovich Sotheby 's, New York $96.6 $95.4 Nurse Lichtenstein, Roy ! Roy Lichtenstein 1964 000000002015 - 11 - 09 - 0000 November 9, 2015 30 Christie 's, New York $94.0 $80.0 False Start Johns, Jasper ! Jasper Johns 1959 000000002006 - 10 - 12 - 0000 October 12, 2006 11 David Geffen Kenneth C. Griffin Private sale via Richard Gray $92.0 $86.9 Orange, Red, Yellow Rothko, Mark ! Mark Rothko 1961 000000002012 - 05 - 08 - 0000 May 8, 2012 26 Estate of David Pincus Christie 's, New York $91.6 $80.0 Turquoise Marilyn Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1964 000000002007 - 05 - 20 - 0000 May 20, 2007 17 Stefan Edlis Steven A. Cohen Private sale via Larry Gagosian $90.4 $80.5 ( £ 40.9 ) Le Bassin aux Nymphéas Monet, Claude ! Claude Monet 1919 000000002008 - 06 - 24 - 0000 June 24, 2008 20 J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Christie 's, London $89.9 $70.0 Portrait of Alfonso d'Avalos, Marquis of Vasto, in Armor with a Page Titian 1533 000000002003 - 11 - 01 - 0000 November 2003 10 AXA insurance company Getty Museum Private sale via Hervé Aaron $87.9 $57 A Wheatfield with Cypresses Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1889 000000001993 - 05 - 01 - 0000 May 1993 6 son of Emil Georg Bührle Walter H. Annenberg Private sale via Steven Mazoh $86.2 $84.2 Black Fire I Newman, Barnett ! Barnett Newman 1961 000000002014 - 05 - 13 - 0000 May 13, 2014 35 Private Collection Anonymous Christie 's, New York $85.8 $85.8 Suprematist Composition Malevich, Kazimir ! Kazimir Malevich 1916 000000002018 - 05 - 15 - 0000 May 15, 2018 Anonymous Christie 's, New York $85.3 $49.3 ( F 300 ) Les Noces de Pierrette Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1905 000000001989 - 11 - 30 - 0000 November 30, 1989 Fredrik Roos ( sv ) Tomonori Tsurumaki Binoche et Godeau Paris $84.7 $84.7 Nymphéas en fleur Monet, Claude ! Claude Monet 1914 - 1917 000000002018 - 05 - 08 - 0000 May 8, 2018 David and Peggy Rockefeller Unidentified buyer Christie 's, New York $84.2 $60.5 Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier Cezanne, Paul ! Paul Cézanne 1894 000000001999 - 05 - 10 - 0000 May 10, 1999 9 Whitney Family Sotheby 's, New York $83.9 $81.9 Triple Elvis Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1963 000000002014 - 11 - 12 - 0000 November 12, 2014 40 WestSpiel ( de ) Christie 's, New York $83.4 $72.8 White Center ( Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose ) Rothko, Mark ! Mark Rothko 1950 000000002007 - 05 - 15 - 0000 May 15, 2007 19 David Rockefeller, Sr. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al - Thani Sotheby 's, New York $83.0 $81.9 No. 10 Rothko, Mark ! Mark Rothko 1958 000000002015 - 05 - 13 - 0000 May 13, 2015 43 Christie 's, New York $82.8 $47.8 Yo, Picasso Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1901 000000001989 - 05 - 09 - 0000 May 9, 1989 Wendell Cherry Stavros Niarchos Sotheby 's, New York $82.7 $80.8 Three Studies for a Portrait of John Edwards Bacon, Francis ! Francis Bacon 1984 000000002014 - 05 - 13 - 0000 May 13, 2014 39 Private Collection Anonymous Christie 's, New York. $82.1 $71.7 Green Car Crash ( Green Burning Car I ) Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1963 000000002007 - 05 - 16 - 0000 May 16, 2007 21 Private collection, Zürich Philip Niarchos Christie 's, New York $81.4 $81.4 Meule Monet Claude ! Claude Monet 1891 000000002016 - 11 - 16 - 0000 November 16, 2016 49 Christie 's, New York $81.3 $81.3 Laboureur dans un champ Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1889 000000002017 - 11 - 13 - 0000 November 13, 2017 52 Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass estate Christie 's, New York ~ $81 ~ $75 ( € 50 - 60 ) Darmstadt Madonna Holbein, Hans ! Hans Holbein 1526 000000002011 - 07 - 12 - 0000 July 12, 2011 29 Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse Reinhold Würth Private sale via Christoph Graf Douglas $80.8 $80.8 Odalisque couchée aux magnolias Matisse, Henri ! Henri Matisse 1923 000000002018 - 05 - 08 - 0000 May 8, 2018 David and Peggy Rockefeller Unidentified buyer Christie 's, New York $79.5 $75.1 No 1 ( Royal Red and Blue ) Rothko, Mark ! Mark Rothko 1954 000000002012 - 11 - 13 - 0000 November 13, 2012 36 John and Anne Marion Sotheby 's, New York $78.7 $70.6 ( £ 50 ) Diana and Actaeon Titian 1556 -- 1559 000000002009 - 02 - 01 - 0000 February 1, 2009 26 Duke of Sutherland National Galleries of Scotland & National Gallery, London Private sale $77.8 $68 The Gross Clinic Eakins, Thomas ! Thomas Eakins 1875 000000002007 - 04 - 12 - 0000 April 12, 2007 21 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia Museum of Art Private sale $75.9 $69.0 Nude Sitting on a Divan ( `` La Belle Romaine '' ) Modigliani, Amedeo ! Amedeo Modigliani 1917 000000002010 - 11 - 02 - 0000 November 2, 2010 33 Halit Cıngıllıoglu Sotheby 's, New York $75.9 $71.7 ( £ 45 ) Diana and Callisto Titian 1556 -- 1559 000000002012 - 03 - 02 - 0000 March 2, 2012 38 Duke of Sutherland National Galleries of Scotland & National Gallery, London Private sale $74.8 $55.0 Femme aux Bras Croisés Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1902 000000002000 - 11 - 08 - 0000 November 8, 2000 13 McCormick family, Chicago Christie 's, New York $74.6 $63.5 Police Gazette de Kooning, Willem ! Willem de Kooning 1955 000000002006 - 10 - 12 - 0000 October 12, 2006 20 David Geffen Steven A. Cohen Private sale via Richard Gray. $73.8 $39.7 ( £ 24.75 ) Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1888 000000001987 - 03 - 30 - 0000 March 30, 1987 Helen Beatty, daughter - in - law of Chester Beatty Yasuo Goto, Yasuda Comp. Christie 's, London $71.7 $69.6 Portrait of George Dyer Talking Bacon, Francis ! Francis Bacon 1966 000000002014 - 02 - 13 - 0000 February 13, 2014 Christie 's, New York $71.4 $70.5 Untitled ( New York City ) Twombly, Cy ! Cy Twombly 1968 000000002015 - 11 - 11 - 0000 November 11, 2015 61 Family of Sydney M. Irmas Christie 's, New York $71.3 $69.6 Untitled Twombly, Cy ! Cy Twombly 1970 000000002014 - 11 - 12 - 0000 November 12, 2014 55 Nicola del Roscio Christie 's, New York $71.3 $69.6 Four Marlons Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1966 000000002014 - 11 - 12 - 0000 November 12, 2014 55 WestSpiel Christie 's, New York $70.6 $65.5 ( ¥ 425.5 ) Eagle Standing on Pine Tree Qi Baishi 1946 000000002011 - 05 - 22 - 0000 May 22, 2011 38 Liu Yiqian Hunan TV & Broadcast Intermediary Co China Guardian Auctions $70.4 $40.7 Au Lapin Agile Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1904 000000001989 - 11 - 27 - 0000 November 27, 1989 5 daughter of Joan Whitney Payson Walter H. Annenberg Sotheby 's, New York $70.1 $70.1 Contraste de formes Léger, Fernand ! Fernand Léger 1913 000000002017 - 11 - 13 - 0000 November 13, 2017 68 Anna - Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation Christie 's, New York $69.7 $63.4 Men in Her Life Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1962 000000002010 - 11 - 08 - 0000 November 8, 2010 37 Jose Mugrabi Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al - Thani Phillips de Pury & Company $69.3 $38.5 ( £ 20.9 ) Acrobate et jeune arlequin Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1905 000000001988 - 11 - 28 - 0000 November 28, 1988 Heir of Roger Janssen ( suspected ) Mitsukoshi Christie 's, London $68.9 $49.5 Femme assise dans un jardin Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1938 000000001999 - 11 - 10 - 0000 November 10, 1999 13 Robert Saidenberg Sotheby 's, New York $68.3 $67.45 La Gommeuse Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1901 000000002015 - 11 - 05 - 0000 November 5, 2015 63 William I. Koch Sotheby 's, New York. $68.2 $67.4 Buste de femme ( Femme à la résille ) Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1938 000000002015 - 05 - 11 - 0000 May 11, 2015 59 Steve Wynn Joseph Lau Christie 's, New York $67.8 $47.5 Peasant Woman Against a Background of Wheat Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1890 000000001997 - 01 - 01 - 0000 1997 12 Steve Wynn Private sale via Acquavella Galleries Inc., New York $67.8 $66.2 Untitled Rothko, Mark ! Mark Rothko 1952 000000002014 - 05 - 13 - 0000 May 13, 2014 54 Private Collection Anonymous Christie 's, New York $67.2 $66.3 L'Allée des Alyscamps Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1888 000000002015 - 05 - 05 - 0000 May 5, 2015 60 Sotheby 's, New York $67.0 $62.1 ( ¥ 402.5 ) Zhichuan Resettlement Wang Meng 1350 000000002011 - 06 - 04 - 0000 June 4, 2011 42 Beijing Poly Auction $66.7 $65.1 Spring ( Le Printemps ) Manet, Edouard ! Édouard Manet 1881 000000002014 - 11 - 05 - 0000 November 5, 2014 57 Getty Museum Christie 's, New York $66.5 $61.7 1949 - A-No. 1 Still, Clyfford ! Clyfford Still 1949 000000002011 - 11 - 09 - 0000 November 9, 2011 44 City and County of Denver Sotheby 's, New York $66.3 $66.3 Untitled XXV De Kooning ! Willem de Kooning 1977 000000002016 - 11 - 15 - 0000 November 15, 2016 70 Christie 's, New York $64.4 $62.9 Race Riot Warhol, Andy ! Andy Warhol 1964 000000002014 - 05 - 13 - 0000 May 13, 2014 57 Private Collection Anonymous Christie 's, New York $63.7 $63.7 Femme Assise Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1909 000000002016 - 06 - 24 - 0000 June 24, 2016 Sotheby 's, London $63.2 $61.8 Nature morte, Vase aux marguerites et coquelicots Gogh, Vincent van ! Vincent van Gogh 1890 000000002014 - 11 - 04 - 0000 November 4, 2014 Sotheby 's, New York $62.8 $45.1 Nu au fauteuil noir, 1932 Picasso, Pablo ! Pablo Picasso 1932 000000001999 - 11 - 09 - 0000 November 9, 1999 Christie 's, New York $60.9 $35.2 Portrait of a Halberdier Pontormo 1537 000000001989 - 05 - 31 - 0000 May 31, 1989 5 Chauncey Stillman Getty Museum Christie 's, New York $45.5 $44.4 Jimson Weed / White Flower No. 1 Georgia O'Keeffe 1932 000000002014 - 11 - 20 - 0000 November 20, 2014 Crystal Bridges Museum Sotheby 's, New York See also Visual arts portal Lists portal Cultural commodification List of most expensive photographs List of most expensive sculptures Notes Jump up ^ The Wikipedia template uses a yearly average inflation. Using monthly averages gives slightly different numbers, most significantly for paintings sold early or late in a year with significant inflation. Jump up ^ Exact price ( even the currency of sale ) is not known, with estimates from $250 million to even $300 million Jump up ^ The triptych had probably been reassembled by the Italian collector Francesco De Simone Niquesa, but were resold to a person in the US before 2013 Jump up ^ Reportedly, Gachet 's portrait was privately resold to a European buyer in 1997 or 1998 for $65 - $90 million through Sotheby 's Jump up ^ This is the small version of the painting ; the large version is at the Musée d'Orsay. Jump up ^ Privately resold for ca. $50 million through Sotheby 's in 1997. Jump up ^ One of two pastel versions ; another two painted versions ( and lithography ) exist, all created by Munch. Jump up ^ This stands as the most expensive painting by a living artist. Jump up ^ Price excludes sales commission and other costs. Jump up ^ Exact date of sale is not known. Jump up ^ The paintings transferred to the dealers include a late Monet entitled Corona ( Water Lilies ) from around 1920 ; Renoir 's Reclining Nude of 1902 ; Kandinsky 's Autumn Landscape, Murnau from 1908, and Picasso 's Striped Bodice from September 1943. Jump up ^ Later in 2002, Thomson donated his private collection, including the Rubens, to the Art Gallery of Ontario Jump up ^ Alan Bond could not pay off the painting, and Irises was resold ( probably for somewhat less ) to the Getty Museum. Jump up ^ Annenberg subsequently donated it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Jump up ^ Purchased this painting for $60,002,500 in 2008. Jump up ^ Steve Wynn, who bid on the painting at auction, privately acquired the work several months later from the unidentified buyer for an undisclosed, supposedly lower price. Kenneth Griffin acquired it in 2004 from Wynn. Jump up ^ Usually estimated at `` over € 50 M '' or `` between 50 and 60 million Euros ''. On July 12, 2011, $75 M was equivalent to € 53M. Jump up ^ Re-sold for £ 12m to Stavros Niarchos in 1993. Jump up ^ A Belgian banker and collector who bought it in 1939 for $18,000. His was the last name on the 1988 provenance list ; painting came from `` a private collection in Arizona '' Jump up ^ Son of Daniel ( conductor & cellist ) and Eleanore Saidenberg who were Picasso 's New York dealers from 1955 to 1973. Jump up ^ On Oct. 7, 2005, The New York Times reported that Steven Cohen bought van Gogh 's `` Peasant Woman Against a Background of Wheat '' and Gauguin 's `` Bathers '' ( 1903 ) from Steve Wynn for approximately $110 million, though guesses range from $100 - 150 million. One or both of the paintings may thus occur higher on this list. References Jump up ^ `` ' Lost ' Leonardo da Vinci to go on display, says National Gallery ''. Telegraph. 12 July 2011. Jump up ^ `` National Gallery Exhibition Catalogue '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ Thomas, Ryland ; Williamson, Samuel H. ( 2018 ). `` What Was the U.S. GDP Then ? ''. MeasuringWorth. Retrieved January 5, 2018. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series. Jump up ^ William Wilson, Getty Pays $10.5 Million For Painting, New York Times, April 19, 1985 Jump up ^ Nick Bilton, `` For Founders to Decorators, Facebook Riches, '' The New York Times, 1 / 1 / 12. Jump up ^ `` The Red Vineyard Painting at annaboch.com ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Most Expensive Female Artists 2016 - artnet News ''. artnet News. 2016 - 05 - 24. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 17. Jump up ^ `` American Art Auction Results ''. Retrieved 16 November 2017. Jump up ^ `` Abu Dhabi to acquire Leonardo da Vinci 's ' Salvator Mundi ' : Christie 's ''. Reuters. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 08. Jump up ^ Crow, Kelly ( 2017 - 11 - 16 ). `` Leonardo da Vinci Painting ' Salvator Mundi ' Sells for $450.3 Million ''. Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099 - 9660. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 16. ^ Jump up to : Kazakina, Katya ( February 18, 2016 ). `` Billionaire Griffin Pays $500 Million for Two Paintings ''. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved February 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Art Media Agency ( AMA ), 250 M $, a new record for a painting ?, 4 May 2011 Jump up ^ Stefan Koldehoff, Welt - online : Das Rätsel vom teuersten Bild aller Zeiten, 31 July 2011 ( already mentions Qatar as most likely buyer ) Jump up ^ Peers, Alexandra ( January 2012 ). `` Qatar Purchases Cézanne 's The Card Players for More Than $250 Million, Highest Price Ever for a Work of Art ''. QuatarSale. Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 03. Jump up ^ Haigney, Sophie ( July 3, 2017 ). `` Lawsuit Reveals Gauguin Painting Was Not World 's Most Expensive ''. The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2017. Jump up ^ Reyburn, Scott ; Carvajal, Doreen ( February 5, 2015 ). `` Gauguin Painting Is Said to Fetch Nearly $300 Million ''. The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Baker, Stephanie ( April 27, 2015 ). `` The Billionaire, the Dealer, and the $186 Million Rothko ''. Bloomberg. Jump up ^ Rembrandt portraits may come home, The New York Times September 21, 2015 Jump up ^ Smith, Emily ( 20 May 2015 ). `` Buyer of record - setting Picasso painting revealed ''. Page Six. Retrieved 6 February 2016. ^ Jump up to : Reyburn, Scott ( 11 May 2015 ). `` Picasso and Giacometti Artworks Top $120 Million Each at Christie 's Sale ''. New York Times. Retrieved 12 May 2015. Jump up ^ Qin, Amy ( 10 November 2015 ). `` Chinese Taxi Driver Turned Billionaire Bought Modigliani Painting ''. New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2015. ^ Jump up to : Pogrebin, Robin ; Reyburn, Scott ( 9 November 2015 ). `` With $170.4 Million Sale at Auction, Modigliani Work Joins Rarefied Nine - Figure Club ''. New York Times. Retrieved 9 November 2015. Jump up ^ Reyburn, Scott ( 2017 - 02 - 09 ). `` Auction Sales Down at Christie 's, Sotheby 's and Phillips, in a Challenging 2016 ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 05. Jump up ^ On June 11, 2017, Ms. Gund revealed that she intended to use the proceeds from the sale of the painting for a specific purpose : to create a fund that supports criminal justice reform and seeks to reduce mass incarceration in the United States. Pogrebin, Robin ( 11 June 2017 ). `` Agnes Gund Sells a Lichtenstein to Start Criminal Justice Fund ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2017. Jump up ^ Frank, Robert ( 12 June 2017 ). `` Steve Cohen buys Roy Lichtenstein 's ' Masterpiece ' for $165 million ''. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 18. Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, A Pollock Is Sold, Possibly for a Record Price, New York Times, November 2, 2006 Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, Landmark De Kooning Crowns Collection, New York Times, November 18, 2006 Jump up ^ Carol Vogel & Peter Lattman, $616 Million Poorer, Hedge Fund Owner Still Buys Art, New York Times, March 26, 2013 Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, Lauder Pays $135 Million, a Record, for a Klimt Portrait, New York Times, June 19, 2006 Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Nu couché ( sur le côté gauche ) '' at Sotheby 's website. Jump up ^ `` The Gustav Klimt Painting Oprah Reportedly Sold for $150 M Has Quite a Story ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Jump up ^ Crow, Kelly ( 7 November 2013 ). `` Bringing Home the Bacon ''. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 November 2013. Jump up ^ Swaine, Jon ( 13 November 2013 ). `` Francis Bacon triptych smashes art auction record ''. London : Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 14 November 2013. Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, Buyer of $142.4 Million Bacon Triptych Identified as Elaine Wynn, New York Times, January 15, 2014 Jump up ^ Vogel, Carol ( November 12, 2013 ). `` Bacon 's Study of Freud Sells for $142.4 Million ''. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved November 13, 2013. Jump up ^ `` ARTnews : The Most Wanted Works of Art ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` artnet : the silent boom ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ Claire Foy - Smith, Who buys paintings for $104 m ?, BBC News Online, 6 May 2004 Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Garçon à la pipe '' at Sotheby 's website. Jump up ^ Kelly Crow, An Art Mystery Solved : Mogul Is ' Scream ' Buyer, The Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2012 Jump up ^ Vogel, Carol. `` Planting a Johns ' Flag ' in a Private Collection ''. Jump up ^ `` Who Bought the Brody Picasso for $106 m ? ''. 28 January 2016. Jump up ^ Art Sales : Russian buyers inject confidence into Old Master market : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/art/art-sales-russian-buyers-inject-confidence-into-old-master-marke/, accessdate : November 21, 2016 Jump up ^ Picasso piece sets record for art sold at auction, Reuters, May 5, 2010 Jump up ^ `` Rockefeller Picasso sells for $115 million including feesauthor = Robert Frank ''. CNBC. Jump up ^ `` Archivio Corriere della Sera ''. archiviostorico.corriere.it. Jump up ^ Dan Duray, qatar may have purchased Warhol 's ' Eight Elvises ', ArtNews 08 / 07 / 14 Jump up ^ The Pop master 's highs and lows, The Economist, 26 November 2009. Jump up ^ Marc Spiegler, he Hunt for the Red Collector, New York Magazine, 22 August 2006. Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Dora Maar au Chat '' at Sotheby 's website. Jump up ^ Pogrebin, Robin ; Reyburn, Scott ( 18 May 2017 ). `` A Basquiat Sells for ' Mind - Blowing ' $110.5 Million at Auction '' -- via www.nytimes.com. Jump up ^ `` DIC Sells ' Anna 's Light ' Painting For Y10. 3bn Gain ''. Jump up ^ Barnett Newman `` Anna 's Light '' ( in Japanese ) Jump up ^ Regarding extraordinary profit associated with the sale of a certain painting owned by the company and revision of its consolidated operating result forecast Jump up ^ Silver Car Crash auction results at Sotheby 's Jump up ^ Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press Staff Writer ( 5 February 2015 ). `` Qatar bought Ford House 's $100 - million Cezanne ''. Detroit Free Press. Jump up ^ Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press Staff Writer ( 19 December 2014 ). `` $100 M for Cézanne painting ? Ford House could n't refuse ''. Detroit Free Press. Jump up ^ Sarah Cascone ( 19 December 2014 ). `` Secret $100 Million Cézanne Sale in Detroit - artnet News ''. artnet News. Jump up ^ Kimmelman, Michael : How the MoMA got the Van Gogh, New York Times, 09 October 1989. Jump up ^ Mr. Kenneth Thomson 's gift to the AGO of his art collection -- the most significant private art collection in Canada -- will add 2,000 outstanding works to the Art Gallery of Ontario, archived from the original on 2006 - 10 - 08, retrieved 2013 - 09 - 02 Jump up ^ Wine Spectator Online : Unfiltered ( 21 May 2008 ). `` Château Pétrus Makes a Record - Breaking Sale -- of Art ''. Jump up ^ Cristina Ruiz and Sarah Thornton Roman Abramovich brings home the $86.3 m Bacon and the $33.6 m Freud, The Art Newspaper, 1 June 2008 Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Triptych, 1976 '' at Sotheby 's website. ^ Jump up to : Carol Vogel, Works by Johns and de Kooning Sell for $143.5 Million, The New York Times, October 12, 2006 Jump up ^ Mark Rothko painting sets post-war auction record, The Daily Telegraph, 9 May 2012 Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, Inside Art : Buying a Warhol ' Marilyn ', New York Times, 25 May 2007 Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Le bassin aux nymphéas '' at Christie 's website Jump up ^ The Getty secures masterpiece portrait by Titian, a November 24, 2003 press release by the Getty Museum Jump up ^ Will Bennett, The $70 million soldier, The Daily Telegraph, 23 February 2004 ^ Jump up to : `` Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale - Fine Art Auction - Search Results - Christie 's ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ description and auction details of `` Suprematist Composition '' at Christie 's website. Jump up ^ description and auction details of `` Suprematist Composition '' at Christie 's website. Jump up ^ Judd Tully, Auction ; ` Blue ' Picasso Breaks Record at $51.7 Million, The Washington Post, Dec 1, 1989 Jump up ^ `` Claude Monet ( 1840 - 1926 ), Nymphéas en fleur ''. www.christies.com. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 10. line feed character in title = at position 25 ( help ) Jump up ^ `` ARTnews : Cohen Buys Two Works from Wynn in $120 M Deal ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. ^ Jump up to : Carol Vogel, A Warhol Leads a Night of Soaring Prices at Christie 's, New York Times Nov 13, 2014 Jump up ^ Andy Warhol 's `` Triple Elvis '' auction results at Christie 's Jump up ^ Thornton, Sarah ; Adam, Georgina ( May 4, 2008 ). `` Revealed : $72.8 m Rockefeller Rothko has gone to Qatar ''. The Art Newspaper. Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` White Center '' at Sotheby 's website. Jump up ^ ( 1 ), Art Market Monitor, 13 May 2015 Jump up ^ `` Mark Rothko ( 1903 - 1970 ), No. 10 ''. www.christies.com. Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Green Car Crash '' at Christie 's website Jump up ^ Claude Monet 's `` Meule '' at Christie 's website Jump up ^ Vincent van Gogh ( 1853 - 1890 ) Laboureur dans un champ at Christie 's website Jump up ^ Greatest German Renaissance Madonna sold by prince, The Art Newspaper, July 15, 2011 Jump up ^ `` Claude Monet ( 1840 - 1926 ), Odalisque couchée aux magnolias ''. www.christies.com. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 10. line feed character in title = at position 25 ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Mark Rothko : No. 1 ( Royal Red and Blue ) ''. Sotheby 's. November 2012. Jump up ^ Farah Nayeri, U.K. Buys Titian Diana Painting for 50 Million Pounds, Bloomberg, February 2, 2009 Jump up ^ Mike Wade, Titian deal paves way for next acquisition, The Sunday Times, 2 February 2009 Jump up ^ Funds secured for Titian painting, BBC News, 2 February 2009 Jump up ^ Salisbury, Stephan ( November 14, 2006 ), A divisive deal, The Philadelphia Inquirer Jump up ^ Kelly Crow, Sotheby 's Sells $68.9 Million Modigliani, Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2010 Jump up ^ `` Nu assis sur un divan auction details at Sotheby 's ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ Pauline McLean BBC Scotland arts correspondent. `` Titian masterpiece Diana and Callisto saved for nation ''. Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012 - 03 - 01. Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Femme aux bras croisés '' at Christie 's website Jump up ^ `` Willem de Kooning ''. Twcdc.com. Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 30. Jump up ^ Francis Bacon ( 1909 - 1992 ) Portrait of George Dyer Talking at Christie 's website Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, Francis Bacon Work Sells for $70 Million at Christie 's Auction, The New York Times, February 13, 2014 Jump up ^ Pogrebin, Robin ; Reyburn, Scott ( 12 November 2015 ). `` Sale Offers a Reason for Relief at Sotheby 's '' -- via www.nytimes.com. Jump up ^ Cy Twombly 's Untitled auction results at Christie 's Jump up ^ Andy Warhol 's `` Four Marlons '' auction results at Christie 's Jump up ^ `` China auction sees Qi Baishi painting sell for $65 m ''. BBC News. May 23, 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` The buyer of 422.5 Million Qi Baishi painting revealed ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Fernand Léger ( 1881 - 1955 ), Contraste de formes ''. Christie 's. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 21. Jump up ^ Christie Chu ( 14 November 2014 ). `` What Are The Top 10 Al - Thani Family Art Acquisitions ? ''. ArtNet News. Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, Auction Records Fall at Phillips 's Sale of Contemporary Masters, NY Times, November 10, 2010 Jump up ^ Andrew Decker, The Saidenberg Coup, at artnet.com Jump up ^ Carter B. Horsley, The Collection of Eleanore and Daniel Saidenberg Jump up ^ `` La Gommeuse ''. Sotheby 's. Jump up ^ Pogrebin, Robin. `` Warmer Response at Sotheby 's 2nd Night of Auctions ''. New York Times. Jump up ^ Balfour, Frederik ( November 12, 2015 ). `` Hong Kong Billionaire Lau Sets Two Records in 24 Hours ''. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved December 16, 2015. Jump up ^ `` sGallery : A Gauguin and a van Gogh Change Hands ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, A Gauguin and a van Gogh Change Hands, New York Times, Oct 7, 2005 Jump up ^ Brian Boucher, Led by $66 M Van Gogh, Sotheby 's Impressionist and Modern Sale Robustly Kicks Off Season, Artnet, May 5, 2015 Jump up ^ 吴南岚. `` Wang Meng painting auction for $62 million ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ Craig Nakano, Getty breaks record with $65.1 - million purchase of Manet 's ' Spring ', LA Times, November 5, 2014 Jump up ^ Carol Vogel, As Stocks Fall, Art Surges at a $315.8 Million Sale, NY Times, November 9, 2011 Jump up ^ `` Willem de Kooning ( 1904 - 1997 ), Untitled XXV ''. Christie 's. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 21. Jump up ^ Pogrebin, Robin. `` Picasso 's ' Femme Assise ' Sells for $63.7 Million, an Auction High for Cubism ''. New York Times. Jump up ^ Lot description and auction details of `` Nature morte, Vase aux marguerites et coquelicots '' at Sotheby 's website. Jump up ^ `` artnet.com Magazine News - The Artnet Nude 100 ''. www.artnet.com. Jump up ^ `` American Art Auction Results ''. Sotheby 's. Accessed 16 November 2017. Check date values in : date = ( help ) External links The Most Expensive Paintings ever sold list by theartwolf Lists of most expensive items Transport Cars ( auctioned ) Media Books Coins Music videos Records Photographs ( of celebrities ) Paintings ( Indian artists ) Sculptures Video games Films animated non-English Czech Finnish Indian Locations Buildings Stadiums Cities for expatriate employees Domain names Streets U.S. public works projects Sports Contracts Association football transfers British Dutch Romanian Serbian Ukrainian Baseball Basketball Thoroughbreds Social Divorces Companies Mergers and acquisitions Pharmaceutical Video game Most expensive things Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_most_expensive_paintings&oldid=841633792 '' Categories : Lists of most expensive things Lists of visual art topics Lists of works of art Auctions Paintings Hidden categories : Articles with Japanese - language external links CS1 errors : invisible characters CS1 errors : dates Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2018 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating Interlanguage link template link number Pages with graphs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Azərbaycanca বাংলা Català Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia ქართული Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Português Română Русский Slovenščina Српски / srpski ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 17 more Edit links This page was last edited on 17 May 2018, at 01 : 40. 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Question: who bought the most expensive painting in the world
Answer: Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism