Top 10 Most Expensive Art Pieces Ever Sold

It’s incredible what some art enthusiasts will pay for original artwork from a famous artist. These buyers really take the cake, shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars for paintings from the likes of and .

Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple. Many of the purchasers of these paintings are thought to be the victims of fraud, most notably from the Bouier Affair in which Swiss art dealer misrepresented the actual original cost of the paintings he sold. Still, many of these paintings were simply purchased by rich art collectors and art museums.

Check out these ten most expensive paintings ever purchased!

10. “Nu couché” by

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: $170,400,00

Also known as “Reclining Nude,” this oil on canvas painting by Italian-Jewish sculptor and painter Amedeo Modigliani is one of the artist’s most widely reproduced, printed, and exhibited paintings ever. It is also notably small at one two feet by three feet in size. It was just one of a famous series of nude paintings Modigliani created from the sponsorship and funding of Polish art dealer Léopold Zborowski.

“Nu couché” was painted between 1917 and 1918. It was sold by Laura Mattioli Rossi to investor Liu Yiqian on November 9th, 2015.

9. “Les Femmes d'Alger (‘Version O’)” by Pablo Picasso

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: $179,400,00

“Les Femmes d’Alger” or “Women of Algiers” was a series of fifteen different paintings as well as several drawings by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The series was completed between 1954 and 1955 and was inspired by artist Eugène Delacroix's painting from 1984 titled “The Women of Algiers in their Apartment” or “Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement.” Similarities between “Version O” and Delacroix’s painting are quite noticable.

This Picasso painting was created in 1955. It was sold by a private collection to Qatari politician Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani on May 11th, 2015.

8. “Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit” by Rembrandt

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: $180,000,000

These two pendant portraits from famous Dutch painter Rembrandt were painted for the marriage of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit in 1634. They were each sold to the Rijksmuseum and Louvre museums in 2015 by Éric de Rothschild.

7. “No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)” by

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: $186,000,000

Abstract expressionist Mark Rothko’s iconic painting was one of the most expensive pieces of art to ever be sold at an auction and is a part of the notorious Bouvier Affair of overselling famous artwork.

This captivating piece from Rothko was painted in 1951. It was sold by Cherise Moueix to in August 2014.

6. “Wasserschlangen II” by Gustav Klimt

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: $183,800,000

Also known as “Water Serpents II” in English, this painting from painter Gustav Klimt has quite the controversial history of being oversold, as well as many of Klimt’s other works. Buyer Dmitry Rybolobleb has claimed that he was charged an outstanding $3,700,000 in administrative fees to Yves Bouvier, which was never given to the private sellers of the work.

Scholars believe “Wasserschlangen II” was painted by Klimt sometime between 1904 and 1907. The painting was sold in 2013 by Yves Bouvier to Russian investor Dmitry Rybolovlev.

5. “” by

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: Approximately $200,000,000

“Number17A” was created in by Pollock in 1948. Little is known about the intention or inspiration behind the painting. It was sold by the Foundation to Kenneth C. Griffin in September 2015.

4. “Nafea Faa Ipoipo” by

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: $210,000,000

French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin created this beautiful oil painting after traveling to Tahiti in 1891. His trip was intended to allow him to create “pure, primitive art” in “an edenic paradise” instead of the faux reproduction work that was being created in during that time. Despite the widespread genocide of the Tahitian people and colonialisation and immigration of Europeans in the 18th century, Gaugin sought out native Tahitian women and made them the focus of his paintings during this time.

This beautiful Gauguin classic can be translated as “When Will You Marry?” from Tahitian and was painted in 1892. The painting was sold by the heir of Swiss businessman Rudolf Staechelin to the State of Qatar in September 2014.

3. “The Card Players” by Paul Cézanne

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: Approximately $250,000,000

French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne painted the oil-based “The Card Players” during his final period, and it is one of five paintings in the series.

This Cézanne piece is believed to have been painted sometime in 1892 or 1893. “The Card Players” was sold by art collector George Embricios to the State of Qatar in April 2011.

2. “” by

(Photo source) ​ ​ Original price: Approximately $300,000,000

This oil on canvas painting from famed abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning was one of the artist’s first abstract landscapes. The piece marked the beginning of his change in style after being influenced by the artist Kranz Kline.

Painted in 1955, this iconic Kooning painting was sold by the David Geffen Foundation to American investor Kenneth C. Griffin in September 2015.

1. “Salvador Mundi” by Leonardo da Vinci

(Photo source) ​ ​

Original price: $250,300,000

And here we have it: The most expensive painting in the world. And some scholars and ​ specialists believe that it isn’t even really a complete da Vinci painting! ​

This Renaissance painting by Leonardo da Vinci was originally thought to be a mere copy of a long lost original painting but was later discovered to be an original. Or at least, most believe this to be so. It was restored and included in a National Gallery exhibition in London from 2011-2012 before it was sold.

“Salvador Mundi” is believed to have been painted sometime in 1500. It was purchased from Dmitry Rybolovlev on November 15, 2017 by Saudi minister Badr bin Abdullah al Saud.

What do you think about these incredible (and expensive) pieces of art? Tell us which one is your personal favorite in the comments below.