Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings of All Time

Rembrandt’s “The Standard Bearer” is an impressive piece today, and has been regarded as such for much of its history. The self-portrait depicts the artist as a member of the Netherlands’ military, evoking the independence effort against Spain in the Eighty Years’ War. The oil painting captures the subject in a lifelike appraisal that’s approached from an almost straight on view, giving “The Standard Bearer” an intimate feeling. At one time, the piece was owned by King George IV of England. A private sale from the Rothschild family to the Netherlands saw “The Standard Bearer” bring in a cool €175 million in the early 2020s.

The art of Pablo Picasso has influenced generations of future artists in terms of style and approach. His series of fifteen drawings and paintings titled “Les Femmes d'Alger,” or “Women of Algiers,” has also proved to be financially lucrative. In 2015, the final painting in the series, “Version O,” was sold for $179.4 million in total to the ex-Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. The transaction took place at Christie’s auction house in New York, setting a record at the time for the most expensive piece to ever be sold at auction at that location.

We can probably call this one of the most expensive wedding visual packages of all time. This pair of portraits was commissioned to celebrate the title subjects’ wedding. Although painted separately by Rembrandt, the works have always been kept and displayed together, adding another romantic layer to the historic pieces. “Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit” is another example of famous works of art that were owned by the Rothschilds. The Louvre Museum and the Rijksmuseum split the €160 million bill to buy the portraits in a sale finalized in 2016. The two museums agreed to keep the pair together and trade off where they would be on display.

Abstract painter Mark Rothko was known for capturing engaging combinations of color. For Rothko, color could be used as a vehicle to convey the simplest and most powerful of human emotions. His 1951 painting, “No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red),” is a compelling example of this sentiment. The high price tag for the piece is partially due to its involvement in the Bouvier Affair of the mid-2010s. A disingenuous art dealer and shipper by the name of Yves Bouvier was alleged to have defrauded clients by selling pieces, including “No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red),” at inflated prices. Bouvier sold the Rothko to Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev for €140 million — almost double what the dealer originally paid.

This provocative oil painting has a dramatic history, including a period of time when it was seized by Nazis during World War II. The Bouvier Affair also led to a staggering sales figure when it was sold to Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2013. The businessman purchased the Gustav Klimt painting for approximately $183.3 million. Art dealer Bouvier did not reveal to Rybolovlev that he was actually the seller, having recently bought the piece and tacking around an extra $70 million onto the price tag. Rybolovlev sold “Water Serpents II” a couple of years later, albeit at a loss to his original investment.

Depending on who you ask, the art of Jackson Pollock is either the stuff of inspired, spontaneous brilliance or completely random splatter paint. A recognizable figure in the world of abstract expressionism, Pollock used his signature drip technique in many paintings he produced in the late 1940s. “Number 17A” is a chaotic blend of lines and colors that was featured in a Life magazine profile of Pollock in 1949. Fast forward to the year 2015, and “Number 17A” would be purchased by hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin for $200 million. That’s not too shabby for random splatter paint.

There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to the historical subtext of Paul Gauguin’s “When Will You Marry?” The painting was created after a trip to Tahiti by the French artist didn’t exactly go as planned. Gauguin was hoping to capture what he deemed to be “primitive” Tahitian life. However, he found that the island’s indigenous culture was different from his imagination due to colonization. “When Will You Marry?” was more of a fantasy than a realistic portrait of Tahitian life, and it also wasn’t considered a grand success upon completion. Its value had changed by the mid-2010s, though, when it was sold to Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani of Qatar for almost $210 million.

This series of five paintings were completed as the French post-impressionist approached the end of his career. Cézanne used farm workers as models for the series, refining the works over several years. He maintained the subjects’ concentration on the game of cards throughout each piece while playing with complexity, space, and symmetry. Qatar’s Royal Family purchased one piece from the series in 2011, paying a record-setting price at the time. Facilitated by the notable art collector George Embiricos, “The Card Players” reportedly sold for around $250 million, although rumors swirled that they had paid even more.

The Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning received $4,000 for the oil painting “Interchange” in 1955. The piece displays several points of transition for the abstract expressionist, including his choice of subject and technique. Although it fetched a fair chunk of change for the time, that sum is paltry compared to what it would cost Kenneth C. Griffin to acquire the piece in 2015. The hedge fund manager shelled out $300 million to the David Geffen Foundation for the art. Plus, Geffen had originally gotten “Interchange” at a loss to its previous seller, thanks partially to a recession in the 1990s.

This captivating image of Jesus Christ is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, although scholars debate its origins and long history. In the 21st century, the piece went on a globe-hopping tour, shown in cities in Asia, Europe, and the US before being put up for auction at Christie’s New York in 2017. The mystery around the painting did not stop it from selling for a record-setting $450.3 million to Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, a Saudi Arabian government figure. Following the sale, “Salvator Mundi” was moved around several times and placed in storage, then plans were made to exhibit it in a newly constructed museum in 2024.


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