When we think of great art, we tend to imagine it hanging in famous galleries, surrounding by velvet ropes and watched over by security cameras and vigilant guards. While this is a reality for most people, there are some lucky enough to own world-famous (and unbelievably pricey) artworks themselves, meaning they can turn their homes into their very own galleries.
Here are ten of the most expensive artwork sales of all time...
Woman III, Willem de Kooning (£113.3 million)The tenth most expensive painting ever sold was painted by Willem de Kooning, a Dutch American abstract expressionist. The painting was completed in 1953 and sold to hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen in 2006.
No. 5, 1948, Jackson Pollock (£115.5 million)This eight foot by four foot painting was completed in 1948 and sold to Mexican investor David Martinez in 2006.
Nu Couche, Amedeo Modigliani (£119.7 million)This sensual Modigliani painting is one of his most famous. It was painted in 1917 and was sold in 2015 to a Chinese businessman.
Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O), Pablo Picasso (£126 million)Les Femmes d'Alger is the only Picasso painting to make this list, but it's certainly one that captures his unique style. Completed in 1955, this 45 x 58 inch painting was bought by a former Qatari prime minister in 2015.
Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit, Rembrandt (£126.5 million)It's no surprise that Dutch master painter Rembrandt is on this list. These particular paintings were created as wedding portraits for the subjects. They were painted in 1634 and bought jointly by the Louvre in Paris and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 2015.
No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red), Mark Rothko (£130.8 million)Russian-American painter Mark Rothko painted No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red) in 1951. It was bought in a private sale by Russian businessman and philanthropist Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2014.
Number 17A, Jackson Pollock (£140.6 million)Abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock is well known for his distinctive painting style, and just last year, hedge fund manager and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin snapped up one of his famous paintings, Number 17A.
The Card Players, Paul Cezanne (£191.2 million)French post-impressionist Paul Cezanne painted this scene of two men playing cards between 1894 and 1895. It was sold to the State of Qatar in 2011.
Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?), Paul Gauguin (£211 million)The popular post-impressionist Paul Gauguin painted When Will You Marry? when he was living on the island of Tahiti. The 40 x 30 inch masterpiece was sold in February 2015, although it is not known who bought the painting.
Interchange, Willem de Kooning (£211 million)In first place is another piece by de Kooning, who completed this 79 x 69 inch abstract expressionist piece in 1955. Interchange was sold to Kenneth C. Griffin (who also owns Pollock's Number 17A) in September 2015 for a massive 0 million, and is thought to be the most expensive artwork of all time.
So what do you think? Would you shell out a few million for any of these artworks? You might, perhaps, be better off settling for a nicely framed reproduction...
Article Posted: 23/04/2018 13:15:42