When a masterpiece hits the auction block, it often reshapes what collectors chase, what museums dream of acquiring, and what the rest of us gawk at in disbelief. These 15 headline-making sales prove that in the art world, money talks—and sometimes it speaks in oil, silk, and scandal.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi – $450.3 Million
At a Christie’s auction in 2017, Salvator Mundi became the world’s most expensive painting ever sold, soaring to $450.3 million. Though the brushstrokes sparked debates about authenticity, the mystery only fueled interest. The buyer was Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, reportedly eyeing it for a museum in Riyadh.
Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn – $195 Million
Warhol’s iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe, complete with a bullet hole origin story, was already pop art royalty. But in 2022, it became the most expensive 20th-century work sold at auction. Bidding was fierce, but mega-dealer Larry Gagosian claimed it for $195 million.
Pablo Picasso’s Women of Algiers (Version O) – $179.4 Million
This riot of color and form—Picasso’s tribute to Delacroix and a nod to his late friend Matisse–made waves in 2015. Women of Algiers crushed estimates at Christie’s. It marked the culmination of a 15-part series and became a market-defining moment.
Amedeo Modigliani’s Reclining Body – $170.4 Million
In 2015, Modigliani’s reclining body, once deemed too risqué for polite society, sold for $170.4 million at Christie’s. The buyer, Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian, famously paid with an American Express card. When it was first exhibited, it prompted police to shut the show down. A century later, the controversy gave way to prestige.
Willem de Kooning’s Interchange – $300 Million (Private Sale)
Abstract Expressionism reached new financial heights when Kenneth C. Griffin bought de Kooning’s Interchange in a 2015 private deal. The swirling composition is believed to reflect the artist’s transition from figurative work to abstraction. It hung at the Art Institute of Chicago for a while—on loan, but still a trophy.
Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players – $250 Million (Private Sale)
The Card Players by Paul Cézanne doesn’t scream “record-breaker.” Yet in 2011, Qatar’s royal family reportedly paid $250 million in a private sale. The canvas, showing two men mid-game, is part of a series and is often seen as a bridge between Impressionism and Cubism.
Jackson Pollock’s Number 17A – $200 Million (Private Sale)
Pollock’s famous drip technique translated into dollar signs in 2015, when hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin scooped up Number 17A for $200 million. It was part of a two-painting deal with David Geffen. While this chaotic composition once drew skepticism, it now sits among America’s most valuable works.
Rembrandt’s The Standard Bearer – $197.9 Million (Private Sale)
Not every record belongs to the modern era. Rembrandt’s The Standard Bearer was acquired by the Dutch government and the Rijksmuseum for $197.9 million. After centuries in private hands, the work finally returned to the Netherlands, where it now receives the spotlight Rembrandt once claimed for himself.
Francis Bacon’s Three Studies of Lucian Freud – $142.4 Million
In 2013, Bacon’s three-panel portrait of fellow painter Lucian Freud ignited a bidding war at Christie’s. The fragmented, expressive figures helped the triptych sell for $142.4 million. Each panel had once been separated, which made their reunion in the ‘80s and eventual sale decades later all the more compelling.
Qi Baishi’s Twelve Screens of Landscapes – $140.8 Million
In a historic 2017 auction in Beijing, this art piece sold for $140.8 million and set a new record for Chinese art. Painted in 1925 by Qi Baishi, the set features sweeping vistas and delicate brushwork across 12 towering panels. The bidding reportedly lasted over 20 minutes, a rarity in modern auctions.
Alberto Giacometti’s Pointing Man – $141.3 Million
As one of only six life-sized casts made, Giacometti’s Pointing Man shattered sculpture records in 2015. The elongated bronze figure, captured mid-gesture, became a symbol of existentialism. For decades, it was tucked away in a private collection. Its rare public appearance at Christie’s led to brief but intense bids.
Georges Seurat’s Models (Small Version) – $149 Million
Seurat’s famed pointillism doesn’t often show up at auction, which explains the buzz when Models (Small Version) hit the block in 2022. The three figures rendered in tiny dots were part of Paul Allen’s estate; their rare appearance made it a must-have for collectors seeking 19th-century innovation.
Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I – $135 Million (Private Sale)
Nicknamed “The Lady in Gold,” Klimt’s portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer blends gold leaf with oil paint in a dazzling swirl of Vienna Secession style. After a long restitution battle, the painting was returned to Bloch-Bauer’s heir and sold in 2006 to Ronald Lauder for $135 million.
Mark Rothko’s No. 6 (Violet, Green, and Red) – $186 Million (Private Sale)
Flat fields of color rarely fetch flat prices. Rothko’s No. 6 was sold privately during the controversial Bouvier Affair. Its quiet balance of color belies the storm of lawsuits that followed. Still, this color field remains one of the highest-selling works of the era.
Roy Lichtenstein’s Masterpiece – $165 Million (Private Sale)
Lichtenstein’s Masterpiece looks like it came straight out of a comic book, with bold lines, Ben-Day dots, and a speech bubble declaring fame is just around the corner. Former owner Agnes Gund sold it to fund criminal justice reform. In 2017, that irony deepened when Steven A. Cohen bought it.