The Most Expensive Painting In The World

Massacre of the innocents by Petter  Rubens,1610, $76million

 Bought by kennet Thompson at Sotheby’s London on  July 2002. The flamboyant and dramatic work by Rubens though recently some voices discussing its authenticity have been heard could also fight for the title of the most unexpected success. Christie had estimated its price at a mere £5 million.

Jasper Johns ,False start , $80,000,000.

 Another painting formerly owned Geffen and allegedly sold to CEO of the citadel invertment group, Kenneth C. griffin, making it the most expensive painting to be sold by a living artist, the iconic jasper johns.

Pablo Picasso garcon a la pipe. $104,200,00

 So far the highest price a painting has ever fetched at auction ( as the others were all sold privately), and was the first painting to break the $ 100 million barrier it was sold in 2004,( whilst 1-3 were all in 2006) the strange thing is that it was never made public as to who expressed such an interest in Picasso portrait of a smoking Parisian .

The scream by Edvard Munch, 1895, $ 199.9 million.

 This iconic work was the most expensive painting ever sold at auction until it was surpassed by bacon’s ‘’three studies of Lucian Freud’’ the work is the most colorful of the versions of Edvard Munch’s masterpiece ‘’the scream’’, and the only still in private hands.

Gustav Klimt –portrait of Adele Bloche – Bauer. $135,000,000

 This was sold by Maria Atlmann, who –after a lengthy and complicated court battle, was deemed rightful owner of this Klimt and several  others. The painting was bought by Ronald lauder for his 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. 

Jackson Pollock-no.5, 1948. $140,000,000.

 It is claimed by the new York times that this painting was sold by David Geffen, to David Martinez (managing partner of Fintech advisory).However,  a press release issued on behalf of Martinez statues that he didn’t actually purchase the painting. so thé truth is shrouded mystery, and it can only be rumored to have sold for à record-breaking $ 140 million.

Vincent van Gogh-portrait of Dr.Gachet   $82,500,000

 This was at the time the most expensive painting in the world, up for auction in 1990 and purchased by Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito, Saito (then 75) caused controversy at the time , stating that when he died, he’d have the painting cremated along with him. This was later cleared up as the claimed that he was only using the expression to show his intense affection for it.

Gustav Klimt-portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauerll  $87,900,000

 This portrait of Bloch-Bauer was part of a lot in 2006 of four Klimt painting that went on to fetch a total of $192 million. The only model to be painted twice by Klimt and sold a few months after the first version.

Francis Bacon – Triptych, 1976 $86,300,000.

 Breaking the previous sale record of his work $52.68 million, bacon’s 3-piece masterpiece was sold to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, smashing the previous estimate of $70 million.

Pablo Picasso – Dora Maar au chat. $95,200,000.

 Is the second highest price ever fetched at auction, and another anonymous buyer Auctioned in 2006, a mysterious Russian took this home (along with a Monet and a Chagall, spending over $100 million) and no one has since found out who he was. The ownership of the painting has still not been made public.