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10 Most Expensive Paintings in the World 2024: Art has long been a valued expression of human culture, serving as a medium for emotions, stories and traditions.
However, art isn’t just about creativity and beauty—it’s also something people invest in as a status symbol.
Some paintings transcend beyond being mere artwork and admiration and have now become symbols of wealth and importance.
People value these pieces not only for their artistic and aesthetic qualities but also as investments and emblems of high social standing.
Notably, many people believe that the world’s most famous painting is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
Much to our surprise, the Mona Lisa is not the world’s most expensive painting ever sold.
The Louvre Museum in Paris has securely housed the masterpiece since 1804, with an estimated valuation of $970 million.
Depicting an enigmatic woman with her mysterious smile, the Mona Lisa is the most beloved masterpiece of Western art history, reflecting beauty, power, and mystery.
As an irreplaceable symbol of French history, the ‘French Heritage Law‘ protects the painting as public property and therefore cannot be bought or sold.
The art market has witnessed staggering sales that reflect both the value of artistic expression and the wealth of collectors. Here, we explore the ten most expensive paintings ever sold, showcasing the remarkable prices these masterpieces have fetched at auction or in private sales.
| Rank | Painting | Artist | Selling Price (USD, million) | Value (INR) |
| 1 | Salvator Mundi | Leonardo da Vinci | $450.3 | ₹37,81,61,26,455.00 |
| 2 | Interchange | Willem de Kooning | $300 | ₹25,19,39,55,000.00 |
| 3 | The Card Players | Paul Cezanne | $250 | ₹20,99,49,62,500.00 |
| 4 | Nafes Faa Ipoipo | Paul Gauguin | $210 | ₹17,63,57,68,500.00 |
| 5 | Number 17A | Jackson Pollock | $200 | ₹16,79,59,70,000.00 |
| 6 | The Standard Bearer | Rembrandt | $198 | ₹16,62,80,07,943.80 |
| 7 | No.6 (Violet, Green and Red) | Mark Rothko | $186 | ₹15,62,02,49,886.60 |
| 8 | Wasserschlangen II | Gustav Klimt | $183.8 | ₹15,43,54,94,242.78 |
| 9 | Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit | Rembrandt | $180 | ₹15,11,63,70,858.00 |
| 10 | Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O) | Pablo Picasso | $174 | ₹14,61,29,81,100.00 |
Source: Forbes
Note: Please note the value figures are calculated based on the conversation rate 1 USD = 83.98 INR on 12 September 2024, 6:30 am UTC; and are subject to change as currency exchange rates are dynamic.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” which translates to “Saviour of the World,” is the most expensive painting ever sold. Created around the 1500s, it was auctioned at Christie’s in New York in 2017 for a staggering $450 million by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud, as reported by the New York Times. However, the painting, which depicts Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the World, has sparked debates regarding its authenticity and provenance.
Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning, known as the “artist’s artist,” created the abstract expressionist style with his expressive paintings inspired by people, landscapes, and still life. Interchange depicts de Kooning’s transition from painting primarily ladies to more abstract urban scenes. The piece’s focal point is the pink centre, which depicts a woman lying against a crowded background. The hedge fund’s CEO, Kenneth C. Griffin, purchased the oil painting from the David Geffen Foundation for $300 million in September 2015.
In the 1890s, Paul Cézanne made a series of five paintings portraying labourers playing cards. The picture, which portrays two guys playing a game, is more peaceful than Cézanne’s prior dramatic and colourful paintings. While most of the paintings in the series are on display in museums throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d’Orsay, the Courtauld, and the Barnes Foundation, this one was purchased by Qatar’s royal family in 2011 for $250 million.
French artist Paul Gauguin painted “Nafea Faa Ipoipo,” a Tahitian phrase that translates to “When Will You Marry?” One of his initial paintings was created during his first visit to Tahiti in 1891, the illustration depicts a native young woman with a white flower in her hair (a flower in the hair represents a person’s readiness for marriage in traditional Tahitian society) and her mother sitting protectively over her. While it previously stated that Swiss billionaire Rudolf Staechelin sold the Gaugin artwork to a Qatari client for $300 million, however, a lawsuit in 2017 showed that the painting only sold for $210 million.
Jackson Pollock, a leader in the abstract expressionist movement, is famed for his “drip” painting method, in which he would pour paint onto canvas—often on the floor—to communicate emotion via movement. Number 17A, an abstract painting with a kaleidoscope of colours on a fibreboard canvas, is one of Pollock’s early works using this method. This approach deviated from traditional procedures, emphasising the rhythm, movement, and expression of the artist’s process. Kenneth C. Griffin, a billionaire, purchased the painting from the David Geffen Foundation for $200 million in 2015.
The Standard Bearer is a 1636 painting by Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt van Rijn, depicting a military figure or self-portrait of Rembrandt. The painting showcases Rembrandt’s mastery of capturing human emotion and his use of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro. The painting was once in the collection of King George IV before being acquired by the Rothschild family in 1844. In late 2021, the Dutch government announced its intention to purchase the painting from the Rothschilds, acquiring it for €175 million (approximately $198 million) in 2022.
No. 6 was a painting by Russian-American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko and is notable for its rich, brilliant colours and huge, soft-edged shapes. No. 6, created in 1951, shows Rothko’s distinctive technique of producing immersive colour fields that elicit strong emotional responses. The artwork is part of Rothko’s exploration of the spiritual and emotional power of colour, encouraging the observer to have a peaceful and introspective experience. In 2014, it was sold to Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev for $186 million.
Wasserschlangen II (Water Serpents II), a magnificent artwork by Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt, is known for its intricate style and sensuous depiction of the feminine form. The work of art, created between 1904 and 1907 during World War II, exemplifies Klimt’s fascination with sexuality and the feminine body and is set in surreal aquatic scenery. The picture is characterised by intricate patterns, vibrant colour usage, and a combination of realism and fantasy, all of which are typical of Klimt’s work during his ‘Golden Phase.’ Following a few ownership changes, the artwork was sold again in 2017 to an anonymous bidder for $183.8 million. It’s currently on exhibit in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Rembrandt’s 1634 portraits of newlyweds Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit, which feature the Amsterdam aristocracy in rich dress, demonstrate his exceptional ability to work with light and shadow. The pictures were held by the Rothschild family in 1878 and were later sold to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris for $180 million. This combined purchase by the Dutch and French governments enabled alternate displays in both institutions, enabling more public access to these cultural heritage artefacts.
Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O) is a famous and important painting in the history of modern art. Created in 1955, it is part of Picasso’s series of 15 paintings and numerous sketches inspired by Eugène Delacroix’s 1834 painting “The Women of Algiers,” which depicts Algerian concubines in their harem with a hookah used to consume hashish or opium. Christie characterizes the artwork as a phenomenon, with connections to Cubism, a response to the artist Delacroix’s work, and an echo of Matisse’s work. It is essentially considered a new painting style, with the entire series serving as Picasso’s tribute to his deceased friend and rival, Henri Matisse. It gained immense attention when it sold for $179.4 million in 2015 to the Qatari royal family.
