Painting Paradise: 9 Most Expensive Artworks  

“Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight.”

– Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red

It cannot be denied that a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes a painting or a visual illustration can depict things that can never be captured in words. Paintings are a great way to immortalize historical events and depict an artist’s emotions.

Over the centuries, the world has seen a number of artistic stalwarts. While few have their talents have been recognized during their lifetimes, a great number of them have only been able to achieve fame long after their deaths. We keep discovering masterpieces that have previously been languishing in obscurity.

Truthfully, art cannot be appraised in monetary terms. Yet, art collectors all over the world clamor to get their hands on artistic masterpieces. Every year, paintings are auctioned off for millions of dollars. Let us have a look at some of the most expensive paintings in the world.

Painting: Salvator Mundi

Artist: Leonardo da Vinci

Buyer: Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud

Leonardo da Vinci is artist extraordinaire. All of his paintings are considered masterpieces. I mean who hasn’t heard of the Mona Lisa? Salvator Mundi is another one of his exalted pieces. In this painting, da Vinci depicts Jesus in Renaissance clothing bestowing benediction with his right hand and holding a crystal orb in his left hand. Christ is shown as the savior of the world. However, Salvator Mundi had a very different journey from da Vinci’s other pieces. For over two centuries, this painting was lost in obscurity. In 2005, it emerged in an art auction in New Orleans. Sold for only 1,175, the masterpiece went through a dramatic transformation at the hands of Dianne Modestini, a famous art restorer. In 2017, Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, a wealthy Saudi Arabian Prince, got his hands on the masterpiece for over 450 million USD after an intense twenty-minute bidding war. Though a few still doubt whether it was actually painted by Leonardo da Vinci, the painting has been sold for the highest price to date.

Painting: Interchange 

Artist: Willem de Kooning

Buyer: Kenneth C. Griffin

Willem de Kooning is an acclaimed Dutch-American Expressionist painter. In 1955, he departed from his usual style and came up with his first abstract landscape painting and named it, Interchange. Though difficult to understand at first, the oil painting has a mesmerizing quality to it. In 2015, Kenneth C. Griffin, the CEO of Citadel, acquired the painting for 300 million USD, making it one of the most expensive paintings in the world. Today, the Interchange can be viewed at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Painting: The Card Players 

Artist: Paul Cézanne

Buyer: State of Qatar

French artist, Paul Cézanne, is rightfully known as the Father of Modern Art. In the 1890s, he came up with a series of five paintings. All of these paintings are known as The Card Players. Four of these five paintings grace the halls of renowned museums and art galleries around the world. One of the versions of The Card Players was purchased by the Qatari royal family from George Embiricos, a Greek shipping magnate for the astounding sum of 274 million USD.

Painting: Nafea Faa Ipoipo 

Artist: Paul Gauguin

Buyer: State of Qatar

The Qatari royal family acquired Paul Gauguin’s Nafea Faa Ipoipo. Also known as When Will You Marry?, the Post-Impressionist masterpiece was painted by Gaugin in 1892. French artist, Gaugin portrayed two Tahitian girls, including his own thirteen-year-old bride, in this enthralling painting. In 2015, Swiss collector, Rudolf Staechlin, sold Nafea Faa Ipoipo to Sheikha Al-Mayassa of the Qatari royal family for over 200 million USD.

Painting: No. 17A  

Artist: Jackson Pollock

Buyer: Kenneth C. Griffin

No. 17A is a brilliant piece of abstract expressionism painted by Jackson Pollock in 1948. The painting underlines the importance of subconscious and spontaneous invention that was so prevalent in the post-WWII era. Pollack’s dripping paint method makes No. 17A all the more intriguing. In 2015, Citadel’s CEO, Kenneth C. Griffin, acquired Pollack’s painting for a whopping 200 million USD.

Painting: Wasserschlangen II   

Artist: Gustav Klimt  

Buyer: Dmitry Rybolovlev

Gustav Klimt painted Wasserschlangen II during 1904 – 1907. The painting embodied sensuality and same-sex relationships. During World War II, the mesmerizing painting was stolen by the Nazis. In 2013, the masterpiece came back to the limelight. Russian billionaire, Dmitry Rybolovlev, acquired the painting from Yves Bouvier for 183.8 million USD. Since then, Klimt’s painting has been the subject of a legal battle till 2019. Despite all the scandals, Gustav Klimt’s Wasserschlangen II maintains its status as a masterpiece even today.

Painting: No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)    

Artist: Mark Rothko   

Buyer: Dmitry Rybolovlev

Mark Rothko is n Russian-born American Abstract Expressionist painter. Known for his Color Field artworks, Rothko bestowed this painting with an ambiguous title so that viewers could form their own views about it. He aimed to appeal to the primary emotions of human beings through his No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red). Russian tycoon, Dmitry Rybolovlev acquired the painting from Cherise Moueix via Yves Bouvier in 2014 for 186 USD. Though it is currently a part of a private collection, its influence on contemporary art is undeniable.

Painting: Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit     

Artist: Rembrandt    

Buyer: Rijksmuseum and Louvre

Rembrandt is one of the most renowned painters in the world. In the 17^th century, he was tasked to paint two portraits for the wedding of Maerten and Oopjen. In 1634, he came up with two beautiful paintings of the newlyweds and entitled them Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit. The impeccably detailed realist portraits are best viewed when displayed together. In 2015, the Louvre and Rijksmuseum purchased the portraits from Eric de Rothschild for 180 million USD.

Painting: Les Femmes d’Alger (Version “O”)     

Artist: Pablo Picasso     

Buyer: Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani

Between 1954 and 1955, the famous Pablo Picasso painted a series of 15 paintings and named it Les Femmes d’Alger. The subject of these art pieces is Algerian women. The last in this series of paintings, known as Les Femmes d’Algers (Version “O”) has become one of the most expensive paintings in the world. In 2015, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, a former Prime Minister of Qatar acquired the painting from Christie’s, New York for 179.4 USD. Today, the masterpiece is valued at 221.4 USD.

Conclusion

Even though paintings are bought and sold every month, there are certain artistic pieces that are priceless. Their value cannot be measured. They are masterpieces whose true homes are in the hallowed halls of prestigious museums. Masterpieces like the Mona Lisa are irreplaceable and inimitable. Naturally, these invaluable paintings are kept off the auction block.

Nevertheless, there are paintings that are very close to perfection. Art connoisseurs spent millions of dollars to get their hands on these paintings. The art pieces listed have been sold at astronomical prices. It is undoubtedly because there is something special about them.

Do comment and let me know which of these masterpieces have grabbed your eye.