1 Kings 4:21, 29â34. The Israelites came to King Solomon when they needed help. One day two women came to him with a baby boy. The women said they lived in the same house. They each had a baby, but one of the babies died. Now both women wanted the baby that was alive. Each mother said he was her baby. They wanted King Solomon to tell them who could keep the baby.
The earliest sale on the list below (Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh) is from March 1987; with a price of Â£24.75 million (Â£62.8 million in current value) it tripled the previous record and introduced a new era in top art sales.
VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890). 'Self Portrait with a Bandaged Ear', 1887 (oil on canvas). This self portrait with a bandaged ear is one of two famous versions. It was Van Gogh's dream to form an artists' colony in Arles with his friend, the painter Paul Gauguin.INCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890). 'Self Portrait with Pipe', 1886 (oil on canvas). This self portrait, painted before Van Gogh's move to Paris, is typical of his earlier paintings. The dark earthy tones, which are characteristic of traditional Dutch painting, are used to create an image of humble dignity.