20 Most Expensive Painting sold till Date

Painting is an art of applying paint,oil or pigment to a surface. The below is a list of most expensive painting s. They are  according to their highest   known prices paid.

20 Most Expensive Painting

1. Will You Marry Me - $ 300 millions. It is an oil painting by artist Paul Gauguin. It featured two stony-faced card players, the gardener and a farm hand. It was successfully placed among most expensive painting in the world.
   
2. The Card Players - $ 272 millions. It is a series of oil paintings by French artist Paul Cezanne. There are five paintings in this series and are painted in early 1890s. The versions vary in size and in number of players.
    
3. No 6(violet,green and red) - $ 186 millions. It is an artwork by Mark Rothko. He was an American painter of Latvian Jewesh descent. His work is considered as an example of Abstract Expressionism.
   
4. Pendant Portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit - $ 180 millions. It is a pair of full length wedding portraits. That were painted by Rembrandt on the occasion of wedding of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit in 1634.
   
5. Les Femmes d Alger - $ 179.4 millions. It is a  masterpiece series of 15 paintings and numerous drawings by Spanish painter Pablo Picasso.It is a tribute to the artists that he admired. Many of the individual paintings and drawings are now public and private collections.
   
6. Nu Couche - $ 170.4 millions. This is a painting of an outstretched nude woman by artist Amedeo Modigliani. The painting became the 10th work of art to reach nine figures under the hammer.
   
7. No 5, 1948 - $ 164.3 millions. It is a painting by Jackson Pollock, an American painter. He is known for his contributions to the abstract expressionist movement.
   
8. Women ||| - $ 161.4 millions. It is a painting by abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning. It is a series of six paintings between 1951 and 1953 in which woman was the central theme.
   
9. Portrait Of Adele Bloch Bauer | - $ 158.5 millions. It is also called as The Lady In Gold or Woman In Gold. It is a painting by Gustav Glimt in 1907. Bloch Bauer was a close friend of klimt and was a wealthy member of viennese society.
   
10. Le Reve - $ 157.5 millions. It is an oil painting by Pablo Picasso in 1932 painted in one afternoon. Picaso portrays his 22 year old mistress Marie Therese Walter. It is said to be painted on an afternoon of 24 January 1932.
    
11. Portrait Of Dr. Gachet - $ 149.4 millions. It is a painting by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. It portrays Dr. paul Gachet who took care of Van Gogh during his final stage of life. There are two versions of this portrait painted in June 1890.
    
12. Three Studies Of Lucian Freud - $ 144.7 millions. It is a oil-on-canvas painting of 1969. It is painted by Irish born British Painter Francis Bacon. It portrays Freud sitting on a cane bottomed wooden chair within a cave.
    
13. Bal Du Moulin De La Galette - $ 141.5 millions. It is commonly known as Dance at Le Moulin De Galette. It is painted by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It depicts a typical sunday afternoon at Moulin de la galette in Paris. In late 19th century working class Persians would dress up, sing and dance at galettes in the evenings.
    
14. Garcon E La Pipe - $ 130.5 millions. It is an  oil canvas painting by Pablo Picasso. It was painted in 1905 when Picasso was 24 years old. It portrays  a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand and wearing a garland of flowers.
    
15. Salvator Mundi - $ 129.5 millions. It is a painting of Christ in Renaissance garb giving a benediction with raised right hand and crossed fingers while holding a crystal sphere in his left hand. Leonardo da Vinci painted this subject.
    
16. The Scream - $ 123.6 millions. It is the popular name given for the each of four compositions by expressionist artist Norwagian Edvard Munch. He created four versions in different media. The scream was target of high profile art thefts.
    
17. Reclining Nude With Blue Cushion - $ 122 millions.  It is a painting by Amedeo  Clemente Modigliani. He was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked in France.
    
18. Flag - $ 119.4 millions. Flag is an astounding painting by the American artist Jasper Johns. This painting was the first of many works that were inspired by the dream of US flag in 1954.
    
19. Nude Green Leaves And Bust - $ 115.5 millions. It is painting by Picasso in 1932 featuring his mistress. It is one of a series of portraits that Picasso painted of his mistress and muse Marie- Therese Walter.
    
20. Portrait Of Joseph Roulin - $ 114.5 millions. It is one of six van Gogh painted his close friend  Joseph Roulin. Roulin became good and supportive friend of Gogh during his stay in Arles. It was important for him to represent a man he admired in his works .

The oldest paintings are about 32000 years old. The worlds famous and most expensive painting are held and owned by museums. The museums seldom sell them as they are quite priceless. Among millions of paintings,only few leave impressions in the minds of people. The selected paintings are recognizable by people of all ages. Mona lisa, The last supper, The creation of Adam, Starry night, The scream, The persistence of memory, are some of the famous paintings in the world.



The relationship between art and money is amazing. Art lovers spend millions of dollars to own them. Auctions are conducted in various auction-houses throughout the world. It is the process of offering bid,taking bid and selling to the highest bid. Participants bid openly against each other and own at the highest price.