Most Expensive Paintings of World

Since the life came into being, Art has been a common interest of people at all times. Accepting the changes that were brought in with different eras, the love for Art remained at its place. If you are an art lover, with also having a keen interest in money, then this is what you must check out. Painting is one of the most broad extensions of art with no limits. There are trillions of artists with their hit stories about their love and dedication for painting if you turn back few pages of history. It is also true that not all of these artists were as successful as Pablo Picasso, However, each of these artists succeeded to give at least one masterpiece in their lives that are cherished even today.

When we talk about famous paintings, the first image that clicks in mind is the portrait of Mona Lisa, isn’t it? Well, you would be shocked to know about its worth, which is more than $670 Million today. Although most of the masterpieces given by great artists are owned by Museums and art galleries, Here are some most expensive paintings with their brief introduction.

The Card Players (1892-93) – Paul Cezanne

Amount– $259 million

The painting is among a series of 5 oil paintings famously created by the French post -Impressionist artist Paul Cezanne during 1890 – 1893. One of the oil painting (the largest one ) was sold in 2011 to the royal family of Qatar for a staggering price of $259 million, thereby making it single-handedly the most expensive art work ever sold in the world. The rest of the oil paintings are housed in different museums in America. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, houses one. Two are owned by the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia. The remaining two are housed in Courtauld Institute of Art, London and Musee d’ Orsay in Paris.

 No. 5, 1948 (1948) – Jackson Pollock

Amount – $140 million

This extra-ordinary masterpiece was painted by an American painter Jaskson Pollock, this is popularly known for his profound contribution to abstract expressionist movement. But back to the painting,this was painted on an 8’ x 4’ sheet of fibreboard.This was originally owned by the Samuel Irving Newhouse and was late sold for an insane amount of $140 million to an unknown buyer in 2006 which was said to be David Martinez, managing partner of Fintech Advisory LTD.

Woman III (1953) – Willem de Kooning

Amount – $137.5 million

This awesome painting was mastermind and painted by Willem Kooning; and it is among the 6 series of painting he did which main theme was a woman (as shown). All 6 paintings were later completely around 1951 – 1953.Then in 2006, David Geffen (the present owner at that time) sold it to billionaire Steven A. Cohen for a mouth watering $137.5 million, that ended up making it the third most expensive paintings ever sold.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907)– Gustav Klimt

Amount – $135 million

This painting is the first Adele Bloch-Bauer’s portrait which was painted by famous painter Gustav Klimt.This beautiful painting was later sold to Ronald Lauder in New York for a staggering amount of $135 million, that automatically made it the 4th most expensive painting in the world.

The Scream (1895) – Edvard Munch

Amount – $119.9 million

This painting titled, “the scream” is among the 4 series of masterpiece painted by the popular expressionist artist Edvard Munch around 1893-1910. The artwork depicts a figure which seems to possess an agonized face which a surprise look against a mixture of an orange and fiery red sky. Leon Black later ended up buying this masterpiece of art for an auction price of – $119.9 million, thereby making the scream the 5th most expensive painting in the world currently.

Nude, Green Leaves and Bust (1932) –Pablo Picasso

Amount – $106.5 million

The Spanish masterpiece Pablo Picasso painted Nude, Green Leaves and Bust in 1932. It features his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter.This was formally in the possession of Los Angeles art collectors Sidney and Frances Brody and was later sold at an auction for a hectic amount of $106.5 million, what made it the second highest world record price for a masterpiece sold in any action.

Garcon a la Pipe (1905) – Pablo Picasso

Amount – $104.2 million

Garçon à la Pipe which means “Boy with a Pipe” in English is a masterpiece painted by the famous Pablo Picasso in 1905. It was precisely when he was 24 years old, and the oil drawing explicitly features a Parisian boy holding a pipe and having is head crown with various flowers. This was later bought by the Barilla Group through an auction, which they won for a staggering amount of $104.2 million, making it the 7th costliest painting in the world.

 Eight Elvises (1963) – Andy Warhol

Amount – $100 million

This silkscreen painting of Elvis Presley is  done by American pop artist Andy Warhol in 1963. This was later sold for $100 million on November 26, 2009 to a private broker Philippe Ségalot; making the portrait, automatically, the 8 th most expensive painting in the world.

 Dora Maar au Chat (1941) – Pablo Picasso

Amount – $95.2 million

This  is again another art work of Pablo Picasso which he drew his mistress, Dora Maar, seated on wooden chair with a cat around her left shoulder. This painting was precisely painted around 1941, during the time when the France nation was being occupied by the Nazis.In 2005 – ‘06, the painting was bought in an auction for $95.2 million by an unknown art collector, that made it the 9th most expensive work of art in the world.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II (1912) – Gustav Klimt

Amount – $87.9 million

This beautiful long portrait is a 1912 masterpiece painted by Gustav Klimt. The woman in the portrait is the wife of rich industrialist Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer. Her portrait was reportedly seized from their family house by the Nazis during the World War II. So after the world war, it was later made to rest in an Austrian museum. Then In 2006, the family wanted to take possession of the portrait back and as you’d imagine, the Austrian museum refused to give the portrait back.In January, 2006, this led to a long court case which ended in the Austrian museum handing over the portrait to the niece of Bauer. This painting was later auctioned of at a whopping pay of $87.9 million to an art collector and that deal made it the tenth most expensive Painting in the World.


So these are some most expensive paintings of world,if you're a painter or do have any interest about paintings then we bet you would love this article.Do not forget to share your view about this article through your comments.