5 most expensive artworks in the world
By Akanni Dorcas
Art is an important part of our culture. It shows our history, feelings, and creativity. Many artworks have sold for millions of dollars at auctions. This high price shows their great value and influence.
In this article, we will look at the five (5) most expensive artworks ever sold. Similarly, we will share the stories behind these amazing artworks and the talented artists who created them.
Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci ($450.3 million)
Salvator Mundi, a painting linked to Leonardo da Vinci, and completed around 1500, became the most expensive artwork ever sold when it went for $450.3 million at Christie’s auction in New York on November 15, 2017. This record-breaking price created waves, as the painting has been heavily restored, and some still question if it’s truly by da Vinci. Because of this, Salvator Mundi is now one of the most debated artworks of the century.
The painting shows Christ as the “Saviour of the World.” Art dealers Robert Simon and Alex Parish bought Salvator Mundi in 2005 at an auction in New Orleans, not realising it could be a da Vinci piece.
The painting was in poor shape, with heavy overpainting and a wood support damaged by woodworms. Simon and Parish turned to art restorer Dianne Modestini to clean and repair it. Through this process, they came to believe it was by Leonardo himself.
After years of research and debate, the painting was displayed as a lost Leonardo in a 2011 exhibition at London’s National Gallery, raising even more interest and questions about its origins.
Interchange by Willem de Kooning ($300 million)
Interchange, also known as Interchanged, is a 1955 abstract expressionist painting by Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning. Originally sold by de Kooning in 1955 for $4,000, it was later sold by the David Geffen Foundation to Kenneth C. Griffin in 2015 for an incredible $300 million, making it the most expensive painting at that time.
The painting was displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago for a while, but was no longer there by 2024. Interchange is now the second most expensive painting, only topped by Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi.
The Card Players by Paul Cézanne ($250-300 million)
The Card Players is a series of oil paintings by French Post-Impressionist artist, Paul Cézanne. He created these works during his final years in the early 1890s. The series includes five paintings, which differ in size, the number of players, and the game setting.
One version of The Card Players was sold in 2011 to the Royal Family of Qatar for about $250 million (equivalent to $338.6 million today). This sale set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a painting, a record that stood until November 2017.
Nafes Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?) by Paul Gaugin ($210 million)
When Will You Marry? (French: Quand te maries-tu?, Tahitian: Nafea faa ipoipo?) is an oil painting created by French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin in 1892. For almost 50 years, it was on loan at the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland.
In February 2015, the painting was sold privately by Rudolf Staechelin’s family to Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani for nearly $210 million (£155 million), making it one of the most expensive artworks ever sold. The painting was displayed at the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen until June 28, 2015.
Number 17A by Jackson Pollock ($200 million)
Number 17A is an abstract expressionist painting created by American artist, Jackson Pollock in 1948. This artwork is made with oil paint on fiberboard and features his signature drip painting technique, where he splashes paint onto a flat surface. Pollock developed this technique a year before he painted Number 17A.
The painting gained fame when it was included in the August 1949 issue of Life magazine, which helped make Pollock a well-known figure in the art world.
In September 2015, hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin bought Number 17A from David Geffen for $200 million, setting a record at the time. The painting was lent to the Art Institute of Chicago for a period. As of May 2024, it is ranked as the fifth most expensive painting ever sold.
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