Some paintings have a price tag in the millions and have sparked bidding wars that have shaken the world. Sales often reach staggering amounts, but only a select few break records that ripple across decades. Here are 10 costliest artworks that have been sold, with each redefining the boundaries of beauty and fortune.
“Number 17A” By Jackson Pollock (~$200 Million)
Pollock used his signature drip technique to paint his “Number 17A.” Painted in 1948, this oil painting on a simple fiberboard epitomized abstract expressionism with a storm. Its acquisition by Kenneth Griffin underscores Pollock’s rebellious appeal, where a chaotic pattern of shapes and colors becomes coherent.
“Interchange” By Willem De Kooning (~$300 Million)
At first glance, it looks chaotic, but it has a rhythm of its own. “Interchange” captures the fluidity of de Kooning’s transition from figuration to abstraction. An urban scenery with expressive brushwork made this painting a masterpiece. It marked an important shift in the American Modern Art Movement. Kenneth Griffin’s private acquisition solidified its monumental worth.
“Le Reve” By Pablo Picasso (~$155 Million)
Dreamlike and distorted, “Le Reve” renders Picasso’s young lover, Marie-Therese Walter, in a rush of curves and color. Infamously damaged by Steve Wynn, the restored piece was later purchased by a known art collector, Steven Cohen. Part of the cubism movement, this painting highlighted the romantic life of Picasso.
Pendant Portraits Of Maerten Soolmans And Oopjen Coppit By Rembrandt (~$182 Million)
This pair of full-length wedding portraits, unusually large for Rembrandt, showcases wealth, fashion, and love in 17th-century Amsterdam. Sold jointly to the Louvre and Rijksmuseum, the pair remains united in life and art, with a transnational display agreement between France and the Netherlands.
“No. 5, 1948” By Jackson Pollock (~$140 Million)
Pollock’s “No. 5, 1948” exemplifies drip painting at its most intense. Tangles of yellow, gray, and black enamel create a dense visual experience. The painting’s private 2006 sale yet again proved that abstract art can demand and command extraordinary financial recognition, defying traditional techniques focused on realism.
“Salvator Mundi” By Leonardo Da Vinci (~$450.3 Million)
“Salvator Mundi” is a rediscovered da Vinci painting, once thought lost to time. It presents Christ as the savior of the world, with his right hand raised in benediction. This Renaissance enigma shattered auction records and stirred debates on authenticity and ownership, being the last ever painting by da Vinci.
“No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)” By Mark Rothko (~$186 Million)
Stillness has a spectrum, and Rothko mastered every shade of it. “No. 6” radiates soft-edged, uneven, and hazy fields of color that seem to hover in quiet tension. Purchased by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2014, the painting later became central to the Bouvier Affair—an international legal battle involving art dealer Yves Bouvier.
“The Card Players” By Paul Cezanne (~$250 Million)
Acquired by Qatar in a discreet sale, the painting is part of one of five in a series that reshaped global perceptions of art investment. Cezanne didn’t just paint peasants but immortalized them. “The Card Players” captures a moment of rustic stillness of common life. Its muted palette and stone-faced subjects reflect Post-Impressionist precision.
“Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?)” By Paul Gauguin (~$300 Million)
Paul Gauguin titled this 1892 painting in Tahitian “Nafea Faa Ipoipo,” meaning “When Will You Marry?” It shows two young women in contrasting dresses: one traditional, one Western. Painted during his first trip to Tahiti, the work was sold privately to Qatar in 2015 for nearly $300 million.
“Les Femmes D’Alger (Version O)” By Pablo Picasso ($179.4 Million)
Beginning with bold geometry and finishing in feverish color, Picasso’s “Version O” reinterprets Delacroix through Cubist fire. Part of a 15-part series, it blends sensuality, violence, and homage. Its 2015 sale set a then-record at auction and reaffirmed Picasso’s dominance in the modern art arena.
