The World’s Most Expensive Paintings…
1. JACKSON POLLOCK: “Number 5, 1948″, 1948 = $140 million Private sale, 2006. Seller: David Geffen. Buyer: possibly David Martínez As of January 2008 this is the most expensive painting ever sold. A wonderful “drip” painting by Jackson Pollock broke all records when purchased by David Martinez.
2. WILLEM DE KOONING: “Woman III”, 1952-53 = $137.5 million
Private sale, 2006. Seller: David Geffen. Buyer: Steven Cohen
Another American abstract expressionist piece, suggesting this particular period is the most sought-after by current collectors.
3. GUSTAV KLIMT: “Adele Bloch-bauer I”, 1907 = $135 million
Private sale, 2006. Buyer: Ronald Lauder.
This painting generated an enormous amount of press coverage at the time of its sale, and not just because it was the most expensive painting ever at time of auction.
The story of the painting is a fascinating one, and well documented elsewhere, but to summarize it was taken from the owners by the Nazis in 1938 and only returned to the rightful owner – the 91 year old Maria Altmann, the subject’s niece – after a nearly 70 years and a 7 year legal battle. The painting was later sold to cosmetic tycoon Ronald Lauder.
You can order a genuine oil painted reproduction of this at –
http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product.php?xProd=37862
4. PABLO PICASSO: “Garçon a la pipe”, 1904 = $104.1 million
Sotheby’s New York , May 2004. Buyer: anonymous
The most expensive painting ever sold at auction and a relatively unusual example of Picasso’s work, at least to the uninitiated. It broke the record that Vincent van Gogh held since 1990, and was the first painting to break the $100 million barrier.
5. PABLO PICASSO: “Dora Maar au chat”, 1941 = $95.2 million
Sotheby’s New York , May 2006. Buyer: anonymous
Dora Maar (1907-1997) met Picasso in 1930, and was one of Picasso’s favorite models as well as mistress. The portrait is one of Picasso’s last.
6. GUSTAV KLIMT: “Adele Bloch-bauer II “, 1912 = $87.9 million
Christie’s New York , November 2006. Buyer: unknown
Sold only a few months after Klimt’s first version of Adele, this was the star lot in an auction of four works by Klimt that reached a total of $192 million.
Link to order a genuine oil painted reproduction –
http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product.php?xProd=70959
7. VINCENT VAN GOGH: “Portrait of Doctor Gachet”, 1890 = $82.5 million
Christie’s New York , May 1990. Buyer: Ryoei Saito
Sold to Japanese industrialist Ryoei Saito at the height of the Japanese economic boom, the amount paid - $82.5 million, or an inflation adjusted $129.7 million – stunned the art world. Saito later went bankrupt before his death and the whereabouts of the painting are still subject to speculation.
http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product.php?xProd=54026
8. JASPER JOHN: “False Start”, 1959 = $80 million
Private sale, Autumn 2006. Buyer: Unknown
Sold by entertainment tycoon David Geffen for the second highest price ever paid for work by a contemporary artist
9. PIERRE AUGUSTE RENOIR: “Le moulin de la Galette”, 1876 = $78.1 million
Sotheby’s New York , May 1990. Buyer: Ryoei Saito
Another purchase by the aforementioned Saito, this was bought for $78.1 million in 1990 but resold just 7 years later to a European private collector for $50 million.
http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product.php?xProd=5838
10. PETER PAUL RUBENS: “Massacre of the innocents”, 1611/12 = $76.7 million (£49.5 million)
Sotheby’s London , July 2002. Buyer: Kenneth Thompson
The only old master painting you’ll find in the top 10, it sold for far more than expected.
http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product.php?xProd=70960
(Sources include Wikipedia, theartwolf.com, telegraph.co.uk)
Thanks and best wishes to all for 2008,
The Ocean’s Bridge Team
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