The Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold
Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi is the most expensive painting ever sold, at $450.3 million in 2017.
Also known as: Highest-priced artworks
Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi sold at Christie's in 2017 for $450.3 million, the highest price ever paid for a painting at auction.
What it is
The most expensive painting ever sold is Salvator Mundi, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, which sold at Christie's in New York on 15 November 2017 for $450.3 million including fees. The buyer was later reported to be linked to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, and the work's precise attribution to Leonardo remains debated by some scholars.
| Rank | Painting | Artist | Price | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salvator Mundi | Leonardo da Vinci | $450.3 m | 2017 |
| 2 | Interchange | Willem de Kooning | ~$300 m | 2015 |
| 3 | The Card Players | Paul Cézanne | ~$250 m | 2011 |
| 4 | Nafea Faa Ipoipo | Paul Gauguin | ~$210 m | 2015 |
| 5 | Number 17A | Jackson Pollock | ~$200 m | 2015 |
Several of the highest figures come from private sales rather than public auction, so prices are reported rather than confirmed on a saleroom hammer. Salvator Mundi remains the only work to top $400 million.
Worked example
The auction record is distinct from the all-time record: Salvator Mundi holds both, but ranks 2 through 5 above were mostly private treaty sales whose prices were disclosed after the fact rather than bid publicly.
Related entries
Sources & further reading
- Leonardo's Salvator Mundi sells for $450.3 million — Christie's (article)