The largest of the "twelve landscape screens" series by Qi Baishi, often regarded as the most important 20th century Chinese painter.
Image © Heirs of Qi Baishi
Until the sale of Picasso's "Femmes" (see above), this Bacon was not only the most expensive painting ever auctioned, but also a record for a contemporary work of art. Christie's explained that when this work was painted, "the relationship between Freud and Bacon was at its apex".
The second version of the "Adele Bloch-Bauer" portrait (the first version was sold for a then-record $135 million in 2006). It had been auctioned in 2006 for around $88 million.
By far the most expensive painting auctioned in 2018, its sale was, paradoxically, a bit of a disappointment, as many expected the work to surpass the previous record for Modigliani ($170 million).
"Masterpiece" is one of Roy Lichtenstein's most recognizable paintings, painted one year after his "Look Mickey" and one year before "Whaam!", often considered his most famous works.
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York
This stunning "drip" by Jackson Pollock was at the time the most expensive contemporary painting ever sold, though the exact price was never confirmed (but the price displayed here is generally accepted to be true). The exorbitant sum demonstrated not only the strenght of the Art market at the time, but also an increasing interest for the contemporary works of Art.
"La Rêve (The Dream)" is one of Picasso's most sensual and famous paintings, depicting her lover Marie-Therese Walter sitting on a red armchair with her eyes closed. In 2006, Steve Wynn agreed to sell the painting to Steven Cohen for $139 million, but the sale was cancelled when Mr. Wynn accidentally damaged the work.
Image © Succession Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society, New York
This painting is the only "Woman" by Willem de Kooning still in private hands. One of this women -described by T. Hess as "black goddesses"- has been chosen by theartwolf.com as one of the 50 masterworks of the history of painting.
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York
The acquisition of this iconic work by cosmetic magnate Ronald Lauder caused a shock in the Art world, not only for the spectacular sum paid for it, but also for the way it was sold, far away from the noisy auction houses. The painting was part of a group of five canvases which had been recently returned to the heirs of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer. The Nazis confiscated his paintings during the World War II, and after the war, the canvases were placed at the National Gallery of Austria in 1948.
The story about this famous and brilliant work resumes by itself the "Japanese buyer boom" of the late 80s and early 90s: great painting, sold for an astronomic amount of money to a Japanese buyer (Ryoei Saito), who was later ruined, and the whereabouts of the painting are now unknown. Some sources places it in Europe, waiting for its return to the Art market
Another victim of the Japanese "buy it and forget it" boom was this masterpiece by Renoir, the little sister of the version currently exhibited at the Orsay. The painting was bought by Ryoei Saito (see Van Gogh's 'Portrait of Dr. Gachet) for $78.1 million at Sotheby's, 1990, and sold in 1997 to a "European private collector" for $50 million.
Christie’s New York,
Date of sell: November, 2017
Seller: Dmitry Rybolovlev. Buyer: Unknown.
Leonardo’s painting of Salvator Mundi was long believed to have existed but was generally presumed to have been destroyed until it was rediscovered in 2005. Its attribution, however, is still subject of debate among scholars.
Private sale, September 2015. Seller: David Geffen. Buyer: Kenneth C. Griffin.
The most expensive contemporary painting ever. Bought by Griffin along with Pollock’s “Number 17A” for a total of $500 million ($300 for the de Kooning, $200 for the Pollock).
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York
Private sale, 2011. Seller: George Embiricos. Buyer: Royal Family of Qatar.
This is the last version of this famous composition by Paul Cézanne still in private hands. The fabulous psychological intensity in the faces of the players make this painting a masterpiece of post-impressionist art.
Private sale, early 2015. Seller: Rudolf Staechelin Family Trust. Buyer: Qatar Museums?.
The painting -one of Gauguin’s most famous and reproduced images- depicts a couple of Tahitian native women, one of them dressed in a traditional Tahitian dress, while the other one, showing a serious expression on her face, is wearing a mission dress.
Private sale, September 2015. Seller: David Geffen. Buyer: Kenneth C. Griffin.
Bought by Griffin along with de Kooning’s “Interchange” for a total of $500 million ($300 for the de Kooning, $200 for the Pollock).
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York
Private sale, 2013. Seller: Yves Bouvier. Buyer: Dmitri Rybolovlev.
This classical work by Klimt was seized by the Nazis during World War II. It was one of Rybolovlev’s spectacular acquisitions that culminated in a lawsuit against the dealer.
Private sale, 2014. Seller: Yves Bouvier. Buyer: Dmitri Rybolovlev.
Evidently overpaid, it was one of Rybolovlev’s acquisitions via Yves Bouvier.
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York
Christie’s New York, May 2015. Seller: Private collection, Saudi Arabia. Buyer: Anonymous
“Les Femmes d’Alger (Version “O”)” is one of Picasso’s most famous late works, but not one of his most important works. The absurd sum of $179,4 million paid for the work represented the highest price ever paid for a painting at auction at the time. The painting had been sold for $31.9 million in 1997, in an auction where Picasso’s “La Rêve (The Dream)” achieved $48 million.
Image © Succession Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society, New York
Private sale, December 2021 (confirmed January 2022). Seller: Rothschild Family. Buyer: Dutch State
One of the most daring portraits of the great master of Dutch Baroque painting, related both in subject matter and style to his great masterpiece, "The Night Watch".
Christie’s New York, November 2015. Seller: Private collection. Buyer: Liu Yiqian
The painting is one of a series of great female nudes made for Léopold Zborowski that famously caused a scandal nearly a century ago when they were exhibited at Modigliani’s first and only one-man show at the Galerie Berthe Weill in Paris.
Christie's New York, May 2022. Seller: Thomas and Doris Ammann. Buyer: Larry Gagosian
The second "Shot Marilyn" on this list. Its sale set a new auction record for a 20th century work of art, although its price was lower than that achieved four years earlier by the aforementioned orange version.
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York
Price paid said to be "over $200 million" ($200-250 million)
Private sale, 2018. Seller: Samuel “Si” Newhouse. Buyer: Kenneth C. Griffin.
Warhol's portraits of Marilyn Monroe rank among the most iconic artworks ever created. The "Orange" version is arguably the most striking and desirable of all of them.
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York
Private sale, 2014. Seller: Bunny Mellon. Buyer: private collection.
A monumental work by Rothko, with an excellent provenance.
Image © Artists Rights Society, New York