Burning Passion
For some collectors, the sky is the limit in terms of what they are willing to pay in the name of very good desirable art.
The Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold
The above painting titled Burning Passion is a very recent work (2022) using the abstract expressionist style that is called Spontaneous Emotional Ejection.
The Art World’s Most Coveted Paintings
1. Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci
Price Paid for Painting: $450 million
Salvator Mundi, translated to "Savior of the World," is not only the world’s most expensive painting—it’s possibly the most controversial painting, as well. Many scholars doubt that the work was entirely done by Leonardo da Vinci, citing the overall composition doesn’t align completely with da Vinci’s style.
2. Interchange by Willem de Kooning
Price Paid for Painting: $300 million
Regarded as the "artist’s artist," Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning shaped the abstract expressionist style with his gestural works often based on figures, landscapes, and still life.
3. The Card Players by Paul Cézanne
Price Paid for Painting: $250 million
During the 1890s, Paul Cézanne created a series of five works depicting labor workers playing cards. The calm nature of the painting—which depicts two men immersed in a game—is a departure from Cézanne’s previous dramatic and colorful works.
4. Nafea Faa Ipoipo? by Paul Gauguin
Price Paid for Painting: $210 million
Nafea Faa Ipoipo?, translated to "When Will You Marry?", is one of the first paintings Paul Gaugin painted after his first trip to Tahiti in 1891.
5. Number 17A by Jackson Pollock
Price Paid for Painting: $200 million
A leader in the abstract expressionist movement, Jackson Pollock rose to fame for his "drip" technique, where Pollock would pour paint onto canvas—often laid onto the floor—as a way to convey emotion through movement.
6. The Standard-Bearer by Rembrandt
Price Paid for Painting: $198 million
Touted as one of Rembrandt’s most vibrant masterpieces, The Standard-Bearer is a 1636 self-portrait of the Dutch Golden Age artist.
7. Shot Sage Blue Marilyn by Andy Warhol
Price Paid for Painting: $195 million
Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn shook the art scene when it sold for just over $195 million to American art dealer Larry Gagosian during Christie’s sale in 2022.
8. No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red) by Mark Rothko
Price Paid for Painting: $186 million
In line with many of his works, Mark Rothko’s No. 6—completed in 1951—features two expanses of violet and vibrant red separated by a ban of green.
9. Portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit by Rembrandt van Rijn
Price Paid for Painting: $180 million
The pair of full-length wedding portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit were completed by a young Rembrandt in 1634.
10. Water Serpents II by Gustav Klimt
Price Paid for Painting: $170 million
Completed in 1907, Water Serpents II is the second in a series depicting the sensual nature of the female form.
Conclusion
The art world is full of masterpieces that have been sold for astronomical prices. These paintings are not only valuable but also hold significant cultural and historical importance.
FAQs
Q: What is the most expensive painting ever sold?
A: Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci, sold for $450 million.
Q: Who is the most expensive artist?
A: Leonardo da Vinci, with his painting Salvator Mundi selling for $450 million.
Q: What is the most expensive abstract expressionist painting?
A: Number 17A by Jackson Pollock, sold for $200 million.
Q: Who is the most expensive contemporary artist?
A: Andy Warhol, with his painting Shot Sage Blue Marilyn selling for $195 million.
Q: What is the most expensive Impressionist painting?
A: The Card Players by Paul Cézanne, sold for $250 million.
