They say “Beauty lies in the eye of beholder”. But wouldn’t you agree that beauty also lies with the ‘brush-holder’? When you look at a painting, there is so much to absorb, so much to appreciate. It doesn’t come as a surprise that all great names, from Picasso to Warhol, Pollock to Van Gogh, are remembered with reverence even today for the masterpieces that they introduced to the world. You don’t need to be an art collector to be familiar with the legendary Mona Lisa or Water Lilies or The Starry Night. These priceless paintings speak for themselves. But wait, priceless? No! Buying art is an expensive affair. And this is quite evident at the major art auctions. It is not only the art works of the famous artists that come with a high price tag, but any work of art – be it a sculpture or a painting – it has its own worth. If you want to be the proud owner of a painting, you surely need to have deep pockets. Have a look at 10 of the most expensive paintings in the world with their startling prices.
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The Card Players by Paul Cézanne – $250 Million, 2011
The exact price of The Card Players (even the currency of sale) is not known, with estimates from $259 million to even $320 million. The Card Players is a series of oil paintings by the French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne.
2. La Rêve (The Dream) by Pablo Picasso – $155 Million, 1932
La Rêve (The Dream) is one of Picasso’s most sensual and famous paintings, depicting her lover, Marie-Therese Walter, sitting on a red armchair with her eyes closed.
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Three Studies of Lucian Freud by Francis Bacon – $142,4 Million, 1969
This is not only the most expensive painting ever auctioned but also a record for a contemporary work of art.
4. Jackson Pollock – No.5 – $140 Million, 1948
This painting by Pollock is rumored to have sold for a record-breaking $140 Million
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Woman III, Willem de Kooning – $137 Million, 1951
It is part of a series of 6 painted by de Kooning in the period of 1951-53, which revolved around the theme of a woman, and is allegedly the only Woman still in private hands.
6.Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, Gustav Klimt – $135 Million
The painting was bought by a person called Ronald Lauder for his Neue Galerie in New York, to be the centerpiece of a collection of Jewish-owned art rescued from the Nazi looting that took place in the Second World War.
7.The Scream by Edvard Munch – $119.9 Million, 1895
This iconic work was the most expensive painting ever sold at auction until it was surpassed by Bacon’s Three Studies of Lucian Freud.
8. Flag by Jasper Johns – $110 Million, 1958
Flags are Jasper Johns most famous works. The artist painted his first American flag in 1954–55, a work now at the MoMA.
9. Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso – $106.5 Million, 1932
This sensual and colorful masterpiece is the most expensive work by Picasso ever sold at auction.
10. Silver Car Crash [Double Disaster] by Andy Warhol – $105.4 Million, 1932
This is the most expensive work by the most famous legend of Pop Art, Andy Warhol.
Have you ever wondered why these art works are worth so much? They might not be an eye candy or appeal the most to your visual senses, but people paid a huge price to own them. Why? Well, there are so many factors which make up for that, but we have the probable answers.
Art, especially paintings, are worth a lot of value. The paintings mentioned above are all by notable and probably the best artists of all times. This in itself is a major reason for their immense value. Along with the fact that as these paintings age gracefully, their prices and value would only increase. You would never have Picasso painting again so it naturally impacts the significance. Moreover, paintings are valuable because they represent a pinnacle of human creativity. Now, it’s odd to put an economic value on that. But artistic creativity is one of the key aspects of humanity, and it should be celebrated.
These paintings not only mark the revolution of different schools and forms of fine art at various periods but also makes a huge part of the global heritage of art. And any person would be more than proud and happy to own these beauties at literally any cost. Wouldn’t you?
