The most expensive paintings of the 20th century. The most expensive artists in the world

The most expensive paintings in the world, as a rule, are stored in galleries and museums in Europe and the USA. These paintings are so valuable that art lovers are willing to spend millions of dollars to purchase them. Most often, the value of a painting depends on its age and the artist who painted it. Some paintings look quite ordinary at first glance, but are worth millions simply because they were painted by world-famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh or Pablo Picasso. Below is a list of the twenty-five most ridiculous expensive items art and paintings in history:

25. Acrobat and Young Harlequin

This painting by Pablo Picasso was originally estimated at $38.5 million and sold for $69.4 million. This painting, painted in 1905, was first exhibited in Action: Cahsiers Individualistes De Philosophie at Princeton University in 1923 and was sold by Roger Janssen's heir to Miitsukoshi in 1988. On at the moment The painting is in America and is in the public domain.

24. “Agile Rabbit” (Au Lapin Agile)

The Agile Rabbit was painted in 1904 by Pablo Picasso and sold in 1989 by Joan Whitney Payson's daughter to Walter H Annenberg for $70 million. The auction took place on November 27, 1989 at Sotheby's, New York.

23. Diana and Actaeon


This painting by Titian, Italian artist Renaissance, was written between 1556 and 1559. She is considered one of his greatest masterpieces. The painting depicts the moment when the goddess Diana met Actaeon. In 2009, the Duke of Sutherland donated this painting National galleries Scotland and London (National Galleries of Scotland & National Gallery in London). The painting is valued at $70.6 million.

22. Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)

This painting, painted by Andy Warhol in 1963, was sold on May 16, 2007 to Philip Niarchos. Green Car Crash, better known as Green Burning Car I, was originally priced at $71.7 million but sold for $73.7 million. The auction took place at Christie's, New York.

21. “Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers”

The painting “Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers” ​​depicts a bouquet of sunflowers placed in a vase. This picture Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh was painted in 1888 and is the second painting of sunflowers by this artist. It was sold by Chester Beatty's sister-in-law Yasuo Goto in 1987 for $74.5 million, nearly double its original price of $39 million.

20. White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose)

This painting, painted by Mark Rothko and originally valued at $72.8 million, was sold by David Rockefeller in 2007 to the Qatari royal family, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa At-Thani. for $74.9 million. This abstract painting was completed in 1950 and is considered part of the artist's legendary, protean painting style.

19. Curtain, Jug and Fruitbowl


This painting, painted by Paul Cezanne in 1894, was auctioned on May 10, 1999 at Sotheby's, New York. Although most people know it as "Curtain, Jug and Fruit Bowl", original title the painting sounds like “Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier”. The painting was sold by the Whitney family to an unknown buyer for an adjusted price of $77.4 million.

18. Water Lily Pond


The painting “Pond with Water Lilies” (Le Bassin aux Nympheas) was painted in 1919 by the French impressionist artist Claude Monet, but it was not put up for auction until June 4, 2008. This oil on canvas painting was sold at Sotheby's in New York to J Irrwin and Xenia S Miller for $79.7 million.

17. “Self Portrait of Picasso”

Picasso's Self-Portrait (Yo, Picasso) was sold for $47.9 million on May 9, 1989 by Wendell Cherry to Stavros Niachros at Sotheby's in New York. This painting was painted in 1901 and depicts the artist himself. It was considered the second most popular painting on the day it was auctioned. Her adjusted net worth is currently $90.5 million.

16. “Wheatfield with Cypresses”


This painting, part of a series of paintings called "Wheatfield", was painted by Van Gogh in 1889. psychiatric hospital Saint Paul De Mausole in Arles, France (where Van Gogh was temporarily a patient). In 1993, the painting was sold by Emil Georg Bührle's son to Walter Annenberg for $84.1 million.

15. False Start

"False Start" is a painting by Jasper Johns that was offered at private auction by Richard Gray on October 12, 2006. It was written in 1959 and sold by David Geffen to Kenneth Griffin for $84.6 million, which was $4.6 million more than the original price of $80 million.

14. “Marriage of Pierrette”


Les Noces de Pierrette, best known as The Wedding of Pierrette, was painted in 1905, during the Blue Period" artist. During this period, Picasso experienced poverty and depression following the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas in 1901. In 1907 it was acquired by an art dealer named Joseph Stansky, but between 1945 and 1962 it was in the possession of Picasso's son Paulo Picasso. It was sold by Fredrik Roos to Tomonori Tsurumaki for $84.8 million in 1989.

13. "Triptych, 1976" (Triptych, 1976)


Painting entitled "Triptych" painted by Francis Bacon ( Francis Bacon) in 1976, was painted in oil and pastel on canvas and divided into three parts, each measuring 198 by 147 centimeters. It was sold at Sotheby's in London on May 14, 2008, where the Moueix Family sold the work of art to Roman Abramovich for $85.5 million.

12. “Portrait of Adele Block Bauer II”

This was the second portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer painted by Gustav Klimt in 1912. Adele Bloch-Bauer was the wife of Ferdinand Block Bauer and his model. This painting was put up for auction in auction house Christie's and sold for almost $88 million.

11. “Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh”

Of the dozen self-portraits painted by Vincent van Gogh, this is the only one that has survived to this day. This self-portrait, painted in 1886, shows the artist's face exactly as Van Gogh saw it when looking in the mirror (which he used to paint own person). The painting was sold for $93.5 million.

10. “Dora Maar with a cat” (Dora Maar with Cat)

"Dora Maar au Chat", also known as "Dora Maar with a Cat", was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1941. This painting shows the artist's mistress named Dora Maar, who is sitting in a chair with a kitten on her shoulder. The size of this painting is only 128.27 by 95.25 centimeters, however, it was sold in 2006 for $95,216,000.

9. Massacre of the Innocents


The painting "Massacre of the Innocents" was painted by Peter Paul Rubens and depicts the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem in the Book of Matthew of the Holy Bible. It was completed in 1611 and auctioned at Sotheby's in London on July 10, 2002, where an Austrian family sold it to Kenneth Thomson for $99.7 million.

8. “Irises”


This painting by Vincent van Gogh was painted in 1889 and sold to Alan Bond for $101.2 million by Joan Whitney Payson's son at Sotheby's in New York on November 11, 1987. Van Gogh painted this masterpiece while in a psychiatric hospital in France.

7. “Portrait of Joseph Roulin”

Another Van Gogh painting, Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin, was completed in 1889 and sold to the New York Museum contemporary art(Museum of Modern Art in New York) for more than $111 million (more than double its original price of $58 million).

6. Boy with a Pipe

Painted by Pablo Picasso in 1905, Garçon à la pipe or Boy with a Pipe was completed during Picasso's Rose Period while he was in Paris. The painting shows a Persian guy wearing a wreath of roses, holding a pipe in his hand. The painting was sold by the Greentree Foundation to the Whitney family in 2004 for $104 million. Her current worth is estimated at $129 million.

5. “Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette”


The painting "Bal Du Moulin de Galette", better known as "The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette", was painted by the French artist Pierre Auguste Renoir ( Pierre Auguste Renoir) in 1876. The cost of the painting is estimated at $141.5 million. At the moment, this painting is kept in the Orsay Museum (Musee de Orsay), located in Paris. This famous impressionist painting by Betsey Whitney was sold by Ryoei Saito in 1990.

4. “Portrait of Dr. Gachet”

In the painting entitled "Portrait of Doctor Gachet", painted by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, depicting a doctor during last months Van Gogh's life. The masterpiece was completed in 1890 in Auvers and sold at auction for $82.5 million. At the moment, the cost of the painting is $149.5 million.

3. “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”

This painting, painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907, was one of two portraits of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Considered one of his greatest masterpieces, the painting was sold to Ronald Lauder for $135 million at an auction held in New York in June 2006. For four months, this painting remained the most expensive in the world. It is currently valued at $155.8 million.

2. "Woman III"

Woman III was painted by abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning and was one of six paintings he completed between 1951 and 1953. For two decades, the painting was part of the collection of the Tehram Museum of Contemporary Art, but in 2006 it was sold to Steven Cohen for $137.5 million. Currently, its value is estimated at $159.8 million.

1. “No. 5, 1948”


This painting was painted by Jackson Pollock in 1948 and purchased by David Martinez from David Geffen for $140 million at auction in New York on November 2, 2006. At the moment, the cost of this painting is estimated at 162.7 million dollars.

Prices for the most expensive paintings in the world are based on the results of auctions. You can see photos and prices of paintings below. You won't find them in museums; they are mostly in private collections and cost huge sums of money.

Well, our list begins with neo-Dadaist Jasper Johnson and his painting “False Start”. The painting was painted by the artist in 1959. This masterpiece was sold at auction in 2008 for $80 million to collectors Kenneth and Anna Griffin.

In ninth place is Vincent Van Gogh, “Portrait of Doctor Gachet” painted in 1890. The painting was sold for $82.5 million in 1990. The owner was Japanese businessman Rioe Saito. After the businessman's death in 1996, the painting disappeared without a trace.

Eighth place is taken by Francis Bacon and his “Triptych 1976”. The work was sold for 86.3 million dollars in 2008. The owner of the painting was Roman Abramovich.

In seventh place is Pablo Picasso with his painting “Dora Maar with a Cat.” The price of the painting was 95.2 million dollars. The painting was painted by the artist in 1941. The cat itself in the picture is not so easy to see; the thing is that there are no clear lines or edges in the picture.

Sixth place is occupied by one of the most famous contemporary artists Andy Warhol. His painting “8 Elvises,” painted in 1963, sold for $100 million in 2008.

In fifth place is the painting “The Scream”. The author of the painting, Edvard Munch, spent a lot of time painting this masterpiece. The artist painted it from 1893 to 1910 at intervals. The painting was sold at auction for $120 million.

In fourth place is the painting “Adele Bloch-Bauer I” by Gustav Klimat, painted in 1907. In 2006, $135 million was paid for it at auction. Adele Bloch-Bauer was the wife of a wealthy industrialist, who commissioned a series of portraits from the artist. After the death of Adele herself, the portraits ended up in an Austrian gallery, and were then stolen. In 2005, the paintings were returned to descendants and only after that they went up for auction.

The Dutch artist Willem de Kooning with his painting “Woman III” rightfully takes third place. The painting was painted in 1953, and only strokes and strokes were used in the work. In 2006, it was sold for $137.5 million.

In second place in our top is the painting by abstract artist Jackson Pollock “No. 5, 1948”. The painting used yellow, brown and gray A. The picture was painted using the method of splashing and pouring paint. Its auction price in 2006 was $140 million.

In first place is a painting called “Card Players.” The author of the picture is French artist Paul Cezanne. The picture was painted exactly one year from 1982 to 1983. In 2013, it was bought by the royal family for $250 million.

20. Pablo Picasso - Woman with Crossed Arms (1901-1902)
Sold for $55 million in 2000.

19. Vincent van Gogh - Wheat field with cypress trees (1916)
Sold for $57 million in 1993.

18. Kazimir Malevich - Suprematist composition (1916)
Sold for $60 million in 2008.

17. Paul Cezanne - Still life with jug and drapery (1893-1894)
Sold for $60.2 million in 1999.

16. Willem de Kooning - Police Paper (1955)
Sold for $63.5 million in 2006.

15. Vincent van Gogh - Portrait of the Artist without a Beard (1889)
Sold for $71.5 million in 1998.

14. Andy Warhol - Green Car Crash (1963)
Sold for $71.7 million in 2007.

13. Mark Rothko - White Center (1950)
Sold for $72.8 million in 2007.

12. Peter Paul Rubens - Massacre of the Innocents (1609-1611)
Sold for $76.8 million in 2002.

11. Pierre Auguste Renoir - Ball at the Moulin de la Galette (1876)
Sold for $78.1 million in 1990.

10. Jasper Jones - False Start (1959)
Sold for $80 million in 2008.

9. Claude Monet - Pond with water lilies (1919)
Sold for $80.5 million in 2008.

8. Vincent van Gogh - Portrait of Doctor Gachet (1890)
Sold for $82.5 million in 1990.

7. Francis Bacon - Triptych (1976)
Sold for $86.3 million in 2008.

6. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II (1912)
Sold for $87.9 million in 2006.

5. Pablo Picasso - Dora Maar with a cat (1941)
Sold for $95.2 million in 2006.

4. Pablo Picasso - Boy with a Pipe (1905)
Sold for $104.1 million in 2004.

3. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907)
Sold for $135 million in 2006.

2. Willem de Kooning - Woman III (1953)
Sold for $137.5 million in 2006.

1. Jackson Pollock - No. 5 (1948)
Sold for $140 million in 2006.

Influential people tend to convert aesthetics into money. If you think that the most expensive paintings in the world are at exhibitions, then you are deeply mistaken. Such copies were put up for auction. Of course, not all people understand such art. Some consider the masterpiece to be a daub, while others are ready to pay exorbitant sums of money for the painting. In any case, you should familiarize yourself with the most masterpiece paintings.
We will tell you about the paintings that turned out to be the most expensive in the whole world. In this rating you will not find the well-known “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci. Because this masterpiece is insured for a huge amount of money. To be more precise - by 100 million dollars. At the moment, "Mona Lisa" is included in the Guinness Book of Records precisely for this reason. It should also be taken into account that if we convert to today’s dollar exchange rate, then this amount is already 670 million.

So, in 10th place in our rating is the picture "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer" for 87.9 million dollars. This is another masterpiece by Gustav Klimt. Of course, like any other painting, it has its own exceptional story. Why is this particular woman depicted? The famous industrial magnate sponsored many artists, one of whom was Gustav. Adele Bloch Bauer was the wife of a tycoon. Gustav wanted to thank a wealthy man for his financial assistance.
Who was this woman? There's nothing special here. Lady Jewish origin she was in charge of the most famous salon, which was constantly visited by both artists and other creative people. By the way, this is the only woman whom the artist painted twice. For your information, Adele’s second painting was also bought at auction for 135 mol. dollars. And this masterpiece was purchased at auction in 2006 by a collector who wished to remain anonymous. How did the paintings get to auction? After Adele's death, her husband gave the portraits to an Austrian gallery. Then the paintings were stolen from the gallery. In 2005, after the trial, the paintings were returned to the lady's descendants. And only then did they go to auction. "Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer" sold for $135 million. We have already mentioned this masterpiece. Also, the painting by Gustav Klimt is called “Austrian Mona Lisa” and “Golden Adele”. There are rumors that the girl was the artist’s mistress. The painting was bought by American entrepreneur Ronald Lauder.

Abstract look at people from Pablo Picasso
Painting "Dora Maar with a cat" was sold for 95.2 million dollars. What's interesting:

• the picture was painted in 1941
• the cat is not easy to see here due to the shapes used in the writing
• It was bought by Russian businessman Rustam Tariko.

The picture looks very strange, unique and majestic. Apparently they are telling the truth. Pablo Picasso is not talented artist, A mad genius. His relationship with the woman was very romantic. But the couple had very extraordinary thinking and characters. Therefore, Dora's portrait is very distorted. There are no clear lines and edges here, just like in her internal state souls.

Andy Warhol is one of the most famous artists for modern times
Even if you are a person who understands practically nothing about art, then you probably know Andy Warhol from his paintings of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. Warhol's favorite themes are:

1. repetition of the image
2. death threat
3. worldwide fame.

Painting . The painting was created in 1963. For forty years it occupied a place of honor among other creations of the collector Annibale Berlinghieri. In 2008, he decided to put it up for auction. The painting was sold for $100 million to an unknown person.

Seventh place and again Pablo Picasso. The work was written by Picasso when he was 24 years old. History is silent about who this guy is, why he has a pipe in his hand, and a crown of roses on his head.
Sotheby's auction found the owner of the painting. It turned out to be him again unknown person, which did not spare $104 million for the work. It is interesting that the original cost of the painting was 70 million. How did the work of art end up at auction quite recently? The first owner was John Hay Whitney. He bought "Boy with a Pipe" for only 30 thousand dollars in 1950.

Another masterpiece by Pablo Picasso
The painting was painted back in 1932. It is the personification of the soul and body of the artist’s mistress Maria-Therese Walter. Pablo met his beloved in 1927. The painting was sold recently. To be more precise, in 2010 at the Christie's auction. It was purchased by an unknown collector for 196 and a half million dollars. And again, the painting was originally purchased for only 19 thousand USD. the Brody family in 1951. After her husband's death, Sydney's widow decided to sell the masterpiece.

1. red-bloody sky
2. screaming figure
3. some generalizations of the landscape.

Petter Olsen, its first owner and also a Norwegian billionaire, put the masterpiece up for auction. sold for $119 million 922 000.

• the picture was not painted, strokes and strokes were used here
• every piece of the masterpiece is a unique symbol
• the masterpiece was named the best among all the artist’s paintings

The owner of the painting was the American collector David Geffen. He sold it in 2006 to millionaire Steven Cohen for a whopping $137 and a half million. This specimen can be examined and studied forever, each time learning something new.

In second place in the ranking of the most expensive paintings in the world is mysterious picture, one might even say that this is the whole Universe or the imagination of one person. The painting was painted by a world-famous abstract artist Jackson Pollock. He is also called the inventor of "action painting". The artist amazed the world with his thinking. He is sure that the main thing is not the result of the picture, but himself creative process, experiences at this moment and so on. Every time something bothered him, he wanted to shout about something, he poured out his soul by splashing and pouring paint. Main colors in the masterpiece:

1. yellow
2. brown
3. grey

You should not try to understand what exactly the artist was thinking about, what he was puzzled by and what he was worried about. This picture can be interpreted in any way, you just need to use your own imagination. Sotheby's closed auction has found the owner of this masterpiece. The painting was bought by David Geffen, a famous collector of the most masterpiece paintings. And the cost "Numbers 5"- exactly $140 million.
Surprising but true. Here we used not the usual canvas, but a sheet of fiberboard. It was yellow and brown splashes that were applied here. And the gray color was there at the very beginning. This masterpiece looks more like a big nest.

The most expensive painting in the world

So, here is the final of our rating. Famous work art purchased by the royal family of Qatar - . The author of the masterpiece is a French artist Paul Cézanne. They were drawn for exactly 1 year, starting from 1892 and ending in 1893. The royal family bought the painting 2 years ago. This is the most expensive cost for a masterpiece of open bidding, namely $250 million.

True art is simply priceless. We have looked at those masterpieces that have already been sold. But it would be a sin not to pay attention to those paintings that have already been appreciated, but have not yet found their owner. Let's look at some of them. We don’t know, perhaps one of these masterpieces will be sold today at a closed auction. And perhaps these paintings will not find their owners very soon.

Vincent van Gogh
The painting is estimated at 85 - 130 million dollars. Her whereabouts remain unknown at this time. The portrait was painted in 1890. After writing it, mysteriously The painting ended up in the United States during World War II. Then she moved to Amsterdam to Siegfried Kramarski. And only in 1990 the painting was auctioned at Christie's.
What amazing thing does a portrait contain?

1. this is the last creation genius Wang Goga
2. written 2 weeks before death
3. the main character is not a simple character, but a real psychiatrist, Paul Gachet, who treated the artist.

The face expresses melancholy, sadness and grief. It is unknown why the artist saw his trusted doctor so sad before his death. Here we can only guess.

I would also like to remind you a few words about Russian artists. Let's look at some masterpieces that were not included in the ranking of the most expensive paintings in the world, but became the most valuable in Russia.

Mark Rothko

The picture was painted in 1950. It was sold for 72.8 million dollars. This masterpiece is rightfully considered the 12th most expensive painting in the world. The question of whether Mark can be called a native Russian soul is also controversial. He was born in Latvia, and left Russia at the age of 10, when there was still not a word about what he would draw. Therefore, we will not mention such artists.

Kazimir Malevich

Of course, this artist is known to everyone, from small children to those who do not understand anything about art, thanks to “Black Square”. Nevertheless, Malevich’s most expensive creation was the “Suprematist Composition”, which was written in 1915. In 2008, the painting was sold at Sotheby's for $60 million.

How far did the composition travel to the Sotheby's auction?

Kazimir decided to organize an exhibition of his works back in 1927. For this purpose, he brought about a hundred of his works to Berlin. But absolutely unexpectedly he was called back home. The paintings remained in storage famous architect Hugo Heringa.
During the Nazi era it was very difficult to preserve similar paintings, but the architect succeeded. As a result, in 1958 the paintings were sold to the Dutch Stendelek Museum. Malevich had already died by this time.
At the beginning of the 21st century, about 40 heirs of Malevich began proceedings in court. After all, in fact, Hering is not the owner of the paintings. Only 5 paintings were successfully judged. One of which was the “Suprematist Composition”. And only after this long journey, the painting was sold at Sotheby's.

“You have to buy either clothes or paintings. That's it. Nobody except very rich people can afford both. Don't give of great importance clothes, and most importantly, don’t chase fashion, buy durable and comfortable things, and then you’ll have money left over for paintings.” That's what Ernest Hemingway wrote. But in this article we will talk about paintings that cannot be saved by clothing restrictions, since today we will talk about the ten most expensive paintings in the world, sold at art auctions or privately.

Top 10 most expensive paintings in the world

Portrait of Paul Gachet, which monitored the artist’s health in his declining years, with a sprig of foxglove (from which he prepared a medicinal potion for the artist) was sold at Christie’s auction on May 15, 1990 for record amount $82.5 million. Over the next 15 years, the painting topped the list of the most expensive paintings. Buyer: industrialist Ryoei Saito (Japan). Shortly after the deal, he was imprisoned for three years for bribery. This difficult period Saito said that he would ask that the painting be cremated with him and buried. However, there is no evidence that this happened. Since the date of the businessman's death in 1996, the whereabouts of the painting have been unknown.

"Triptych"(1976) was for several years considered the most expensive painting painted after World War II. It consists of three equal, gloomy panels, each of which depicts exaggerated human figures - pink blood is pouring, crows are circling, and internal organs are exposed. Buyer: businessman Roman Abramovich.

8. “ORANGE, RED, YELLOW”, 1961, MARK ROTKO - $86.7 MILLION (05/08/2012)

The painting became not only the most expensive work by an artist of Russian origin, but also the most expensive work post-war and contemporary art sold at public auction. First of all Rothko known for his abstract paintings, consisting of several color segments. The buyer wished to remain anonymous.

7. “PORTRAIT OF ADELE BLOCH-BAUER II”, 1912, GUSTAV KLIMT – $87.9 MILLION (11/08/2006)

Klimt- Austrian artist, founder of modernism in Austrian painting. The main subject of his painting was female body, and most of his works are distinguished by overt eroticism. Adele Bloch-Bauer served as a model for as many as four works Austrian artist: “Judith I”, “Judith II” and, in fact, two portraits of the heroine numbered I and II, painted in 1907 and 1912.

6. “DORA MAAR WITH CAT”, 1941, PABLO PICASSO - $95.2 MILLION (05/03/2006)

Image Picasso Dora Maar, who was his muse, model and lover for almost ten years. The portrait was painted in 1941 in German-occupied Paris, when the relationship between the lovers had already begun to crack. Later artist admitted that during the period of painting Dora became for him “the personification of war.” The painting was bought by businessman Boris Ivanishvili.

5. “BOY WITH A PIPE,” 1905, PABLO PICASSO — $104.1 MILLION (05/04/2004)

Painting painted in the Bateau-Lavoir hostel in Montmartre by a 24-year-old artist Pablo Picasso in 1905, in the so-called pink period his creativity. It depicts an unknown boy wearing a wreath of roses and holding a pipe in his left hand. Buyer: according to some reports, Barilla Group (Italy).

4. “SILVER CAR (DOUBLE)”, 1963, ANDY WARHOL - $105.4 MILLION (11/13/2013)

The painting measures 2.4 meters in length and 4 meters in height and consists of two parts. On left side The artist silk-screened the canvases with 15 photographs of a car crashing into a tree. The right side of the painting, which has not been exhibited for the past 13 years, is empty.

(real name - Andrei Varhola, August 6, 1928 - February 22, 1987) - American artist, producer, designer, writer, collector, magazine publisher and film director, cult figure in the history of the pop art movement and modern art in general.

3. “NUDE” GREEN LEAVES AND THE BUST", 1932, PABLO PICASSO - $106.5 MILLION (05/05/2010)

This is one of the famous series surreal paintings 1932, on which Pablo Picasso intricately transformed his new Marie-Thérèse Walter. A series of portraits of the sleeping Marie-Thérèse as the goddess of sex and desire was made by the artist in secret from his wife, Olga Khokhlova, while staying with a friend in Boisgelou near Paris. Buyer: kept incognito.

The most famous painting from this series, “Dream,” was already almost sold for $139 million when (in 2006) the owner of the canvas caught it with his elbow and tore it. The sale transaction did not take place.

2. , (1893 - 1910), EDWARD MUNK - $119.9 MILLION (05/02/2012)

This is the 4th picture in the series "Screams"- paintings by a Norwegian expressionist artist Edvard Munch. They depict a woman screaming in despair human figure against a blood-red sky and an extremely generalized landscape background. "Scream" as an emblem of expressionism serves as a kind of prelude to the art of the 20th century, foreshadowing the key themes of loneliness, despair and alienation for modernism. Buyer: American financier, collector Leon Black.

1. “THREE SKETCHES FOR A PORTRAIT OF LUCIAN FREUD”, 1969, FRANCIS BACON - $142.4 MILLION (11/12/2013)

Triptych Francis Bacon, written by him in 1969. Bacon is an English expressionist artist, master of figurative painting. The main theme of his work is human body- distorted, elongated, enclosed in geometric shapes, against a background devoid of objects. Buyer: kept incognito.