Although Art Comes With No Price-tag, The Value Of These Paintings Will Leave You In Shock!

Written By Diyali Banerjee | Mumbai | Published:


  • Salvator Mundi is a painting drawn by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci which was sold at a price of $ 450.3 Million
  • French artist Paul Cézanne's creation, 'The Card Players' was sold at an estimated $ 250 million

As the very old quote says that 'one can never measure the worth of an artist', it is impossible to assume the value of their art. Painters who take up the brush to extend a thousand words have been influencing people over centuries. However, it is has been a topic of controversy if the creation of an artist ever gets the appreciation that it deserves. The masterpieces hanging on the walls of the museums have often astonished the visitors. The value of art is indeed illimitable, but the price at which these old paintings were sold will leave you in shock. 

Here are some of the most expensive paintings from around the world:

1. Salvator Mundi

Salvator Mundi is a painting painted by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. The portrait that dated to c. 1500, depicts Jesus Christ as 'Salvator Mundi' (Latin) meaning "Savior of the World". The painting shows Jesus dressed in Renaissance outfits giving a benediction with his right hand raised and two fingers extended while holding a transparent rock crystal ball in the other hand. The picture sold by Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev on November 15, 2017, was bought by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism for 450.3 Million US Dollars, which is the highest known price ever paid for a painting. 

(Source: Twitter)

2. The Card Players

French artist Paul Cézanne's creation, 'The Card Players' is a series of five oil paintings that depict men playing cards. However, the versions of the pictures vary in size, the number of players and the setting of the game. One version of the series was bought by the Royal Family of Qatar in 2011 for an estimated price of 250 million dollars.

(Source: Twitter)

3. Nafea Faa Ipoipo 

'Nafea Faa Ipoipo' also known as 'When Will You Marry?' is an oil painting from 1892 by the French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. The picture which depicts two black women, dressed in traditional outfits sitting on the grass, was one of the highest rated paintings of the time. It was bought by the Royal family of Qatar 210 Million US Dollars

(Source: Twitter)

4. Les Femmes d'Alger ("Version O")

World famous artist Pablo Picasso's 'Les Femmes d'Alger' includes a series of 15 paintings. The 'Version O' painting is the final painting in the series and was painted in the year 1955. It was bought by former Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, in 2015 at an estimated price of 179.4 Million US Dollars.

(Source: Twitter)

5. Nu Couché

'Nu couché' the oil painting painted by the famous Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani was painted in 1917. The picture which depicted a nude lady was one of the most widely reproduced and exhibited paintings in the world. It was auctioned by Christie's Auction house in November 2015 at an estimated price of 170.4 million US Dollars

(Source: Twitter)

6. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I

The 'Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I', also denoted as the 'Lady in Gold'  is a painting by renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, who supposedly completed the work of art between 1903 and 1907. Reportedly, the painting was stolen by the Nazis in 1941 and was displayed at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere. However, after several efforts, the decedents of the Bloch-Bauer linage got it back in 2006 and sold it for 135 Million USD in the same year. 

(Source: Twitter)

7. The Scream 

'The Scream' is a very popular painting series that included multiple versions of a composition by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The paintings that represent the scream of nature were drawn between 1893 and 1910. One of two pastel versions of the series was sold at an estimated price of 119.9 Million Dollars in May 2012.  

(Source: Twitter)