The all-time board
The highest prices ever paid for a painting.
127 paintings, each with two figures: what was paid at the time, and what that is worth in 2025money. The second column is the source’s own consumer-price-index adjustment — this site deflates nothing itself, because an index a reader cannot check is not a method.
Licence and attribution
Wikipedia contributors, "List of most expensive paintings", Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reused and adapted here under the same licence.
CC BY-SA 4.0 · the licence · the source · retrieved 2026-09-24 · this reuse is shared under the same licence
The list
Ordered by the source’s inflation-adjusted value. A price at an auction house is with fees — the source says its figures include commission. Where the source records a private sale, no fee is stated and the basis is left unestablished rather than assumed from the row above.
| # | Painting | Sold | House | Paid | In 2025 money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salvator MundiLeonardo da Vinci (attribution disputed) · c. 1500 | November 15, 2017 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $450.3m | $591.5m |
| 2 | InterchangeWillem de Kooning · 1955 | September 2015 | Private salebasis not established | $300m | $407m |
| 3 | The Card PlayersPaul Cézanne · 1892/93 | April 2011 | Private salebasis not established | $250m | $358m |
| 4 | Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?)Paul Gauguin · 1892 | September 2014 | Private salebasis not established | $210m | $285m |
| 5 | Number 17AJackson Pollock · 1948 | September 2015 | Private salebasis not established | $200m | $272m |
| 6 | Wasserschlangen IIGustav Klimt · 1904–1907 | 2013 | Private sale[note 4]basis not established | $183.8m | $254m |
| 7 | No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)Mark Rothko · 1951 | August 2014 | Private sale viaYves Bouvierbasis not established | $186m | $253m |
| 8 | Pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen CoppitRembrandt · 1634 | February 1, 2016 | Private salebasis not established | $180m | $244m |
| 9 | Les Femmes d'Alger ("Version O")Pablo Picasso · 1955 | May 11, 2015 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $179.4m | $243.6m |
| 10 | Portrait of Elisabeth LedererGustav Klimt · 1914-1916 | November 18, 2025 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $236.4m | $236.4m |
| 11 | The Standard BearerRembrandt · 1636 | February 2022 | Private salebasis not established | $198m | $235.3m |
| 12 | Nu couchéAmedeo Modigliani · 1917/18 | November 9, 2015 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $170.4m | $231.5m |
| 13 | No. 5, 1948Jackson Pollock · 1948 | November 2, 2006 | Private sale via Sotheby'swith fees | $140m | $223.6m |
| 14 | Woman IIIWillem de Kooning · 1953 | November 18, 2006 | Private sale via Larry Gagosianbasis not established | $137.5m | $219.6m |
| 15 | MasterpieceRoy Lichtenstein · 1962 | January 2017 | Private salebasis not established | $165m | $216.7m |
| 16 | Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer IGustav Klimt · 1907 | June 18, 2006 | Private sale via Christie'swith fees | $135m | $215.6m |
| 17 | Shot Sage Blue MarilynAndy Warhol · 1964 | May 9, 2022 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $195m | $214.5m |
| 18 | Le RêvePablo Picasso · 1932 | March 26, 2013 | Private salebasis not established | $155m | $214.2m |
| 19 | Portrait of Dr. GachetVincent van Gogh · 1890 | May 15, 1990 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $82.5m | $203.3m |
| 20 | Nu couché (sur le côté gauche)Amedeo Modigliani · 1917 | May 15, 2018 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $157.2m | $201.6m |
| 21 | Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer IIGustav Klimt · 1912 | 2016 | Private sale via Larry Gagosianbasis not established | $150m | $201.2m |
| 22 | Three Studies of Lucian FreudFrancis Bacon · 1969 | November 12, 2013 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $142.4m | $196.8m |
| 23 | Bal du moulin de la Galette[note 8]Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1876 | May 17, 1990 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $78.1m | $192.5m |
| 24 | Twelve Landscape ScreensQi Baishi · 1925 | December 17, 2017 | Beijing Poly Auctionwith fees | $140.8m | $184.9m |
| 25 | Number 7AJackson Pollock · 1948 | May 18, 2026 | Christie’s, New Yorkwith fees | $181.2m | $181.2m |
| 26 | Garçon à la pipePablo Picasso · 1905 | May 5, 2004 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $104.2m | $177.6m |
| 27 | Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version)Georges Seurat · 1888 | November 9, 2022 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $149.2m | $177.3m |
| 28 | The Scream[note 10]Edvard Munch · 1895 | May 2, 2012 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $119.9m | $168.2m |
| 29 | OtahiPaul Gauguin · 1893 | 2013 | Private sale[note 11]basis not established | $120m | $165.9m |
| 30 | Reclining Nude With Blue CushionAmedeo Modigliani · 1916 | 2012 | Private sale via Yves Bouvierbasis not established | $118m | $165m |
| 31 | La Montagne Sainte-VictoirePaul Cézanne · 1888-1890 | November 9, 2022 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $137.7m | $164m |
| 32 | Flag[note 12]Jasper Johns · 1958 | March 2010 | Private sale, estimated pricebasis not established | $110m | $162.4m |
| 33 | Nude, Green Leaves and BustPablo Picasso · 1932 | May 4, 2010 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $106.5m | $157.2m |
| 34 | Portrait of Joseph RoulinVincent van Gogh · 1889 | August 1, 1989 | Private sale viaThomas Ammann,Fine Art Zurichbasis not established | $58m | $155.8m |
| 35 | L’Homme assis au verrePablo Picasso · 1914 | May 2011 | Private sale viaYves Bouvierbasis not established | $107.5m | $153.9m |
| 36 | IrisesVincent van Gogh · 1889 | November 11, 1987 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $53.9m | $152.7m |
| 37 | Dora Maar au ChatPablo Picasso · 1941 | May 3, 2006 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $95.2m | $152.1m |
| 38 | Eight ElvisesAndy Warhol · 1963 | October 2008 | Private sale via Philippe Ségalotbasis not established | $100m | $149.5m |
| 39 | Young Girl with a Flower BasketPablo Picasso · 1905 | May 8, 2018 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $115m | $147.4m |
| 40 | Femme à la montrePablo Picasso · 1932 | November 9, 2023 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $139.3m | $147.2m |
| 41 | Anna's LightBarnett Newman · 1968 | October 4, 2013 | Private salebasis not established | $105.7m | $146.1m |
| 42 | Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)Andy Warhol · 1963 | November 13, 2013 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $105.4m | $145.7m |
| 43 | UntitledJean-Michel Basquiat · 1982 | May 18, 2017 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $110.5m | $145.1m |
| 44 | Portrait de l'artiste sans barbeVincent van Gogh · 1889 | November 19, 1998 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $71.5m | $141.2m |
| 45 | MeulesClaude Monet · 1890 | May 14, 2019 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $110.7m | $139.4m |
| 46 | Verger avec cyprèsVincent van Gogh · 1888 | November 9, 2022 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $117.1m | $139.2m |
| 47 | La Montagne Sainte-Victoire vue du bosquet du Château NoirPaul Cézanne · 1904 | 2013[note 17] | Private salebasis not established | $100m | $138m |
| 48 | Massacre of the InnocentsPeter Paul Rubens · 1611 | July 10, 2002 | Sotheby's, Londonwith fees | $76.7m | $137.3m |
| 49 | NurseRoy Lichtenstein · 1964 | November 9, 2015 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $95.4m | $129.5m |
| 50 | Triptych, 1976Francis Bacon · 1976 | May 14, 2008 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $86.3m | $129m |
| 51 | Les Noces de PierrettePablo Picasso · 1905 | November 30, 1989 | Binoche et Godeau Parisbasis not established | $49.3m | $128.1m |
| 52 | False Start [de]Jasper Johns · 1959 | October 12, 2006 | Private sale via Richard Graybasis not established | $80m | $127.8m |
| 53 | Te FarePaul Gauguin · 1892 | June 2008 | Private sale[note 19]basis not established | $85m | $127.1m |
| 54 | A Wheatfield with CypressesVincent van Gogh · 1889 | May 1993 | Private sale via Steven Mazohbasis not established | $57m | $127m |
| 55 | Boy and Dog in a JohnnypumpJean-Michel Basquiat · 1982 | 2020 | Private salebasis not established | $100m | $125.9m |
| 56 | Maternité IIPaul Gauguin · 1899 | November 9, 2022 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $105.7m | $125.6m |
| 57 | Yo, PicassoPablo Picasso · 1901 | May 9, 1989 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $47.8m | $124.3m |
| 58 | Birch ForestGustav Klimt · 1903 | November 9, 2022 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $104.5m | $124.2m |
| 59 | Turquoise MarilynAndy Warhol · 1964 | May 20, 2007 | Private sale via Larry Gagosianbasis not established | $80m | $124.2m |
| 60 | The Empire of LightRené Magritte · 1954 | November 19, 2024 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $121.2m | $124.3m |
| 61 | Femme assise près d’une fenêtre (Marie-Thérèse)Pablo Picasso · 1932 | May 13, 2021 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $103.4m | $122.9m |
| 62 | Portrait of Alfonso d'Avalos with a PageTitian · 1533 | November 2003 | Private sale viaHervé Aaronbasis not established | $70m | $122.5m |
| 63 | Orange, Red, YellowMark Rothko · 1961 | May 8, 2012 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $86.9m | $121.8m |
| 64 | Le Bassin aux NymphéasClaude Monet · 1919 | June 24, 2008 | Christie's, Londonwith fees | $80.5m | $120.5m |
| 65 | Chop SueyEdward Hopper · 1929 | November 13, 2018 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $91.9m | $117.8m |
| 66 | Rideau, Cruchon et CompotierPaul Cézanne · 1894 | May 10, 1999 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $60.5m | $116.9m |
| 67 | Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)David Hockney · 1972 | November 15, 2018 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $90.3m | $115.8m |
| 68 | Lady with a FanGustav Klimt · 1917-8 | June 27, 2023 | Sotheby's, Londonwith fees | $108.4m | $114.5m |
| 69 | Black Fire IBarnett Newman · 1961 | May 13, 2014 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $84.2m | $114.5m |
| 70 | White Center (Yellow, Pinkand Lavender on Rose)Mark Rothko · 1950 | May 15, 2007 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $72.8m | $113.1m |
| 71 | Vase with Fifteen SunflowersVincent van Gogh · 1889 | March 30, 1987 | Christie's, Londonwith fees | $39.7m | $112.4m |
| 72 | Buffalo IIRobert Rauschenberg · 1964 | May 15, 2019 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $88.8m | $111.8m |
| 73 | Triple ElvisAndy Warhol · 1963 | November 12, 2014 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $81.9m | $111.4m |
| 74 | Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)Andy Warhol · 1963 | May 16, 2007 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $71.7m | $111.4m |
| 75 | No. 10Mark Rothko · 1958 | May 13, 2015 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $81.9m | $111.3m |
| 76 | In This CaseJean-Michel Basquiat · 1983 | May 11, 2021 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $93.1m | $110.6m |
| 77 | Suprematist CompositionKazimir Malevich · 1916 | May 15, 2018 | Christie's, New York[note 22]with fees | $85.8m | $110m |
| 78 | Three Studies for a Portrait of John EdwardsFrancis Bacon · 1984 | May 13, 2014 | Christie's, New York.with fees | $80.8m | $109.9m |
| 79 | Portrait of a Young Man holding a RoundelSandro Botticelli · c. 1480 | January 21, 2021 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $92.2m | $109.5m |
| 80 | MeuleClaude Monet · 1891 | November 16, 2016 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $81.4m | $109.3m |
| 81 | Nymphéas en fleurClaude Monet · 1914–1917 | May 8, 2018 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $84.7m | $108.6m |
| 82 | Darmstadt MadonnaHans Holbein · 1526 | July 12, 2011 | Private sale viaChristoph Graf Douglasbasis not established | $75m | $107m |
| 83 | Laboureur dans un champVincent van Gogh · 1889 | November 13, 2017 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $81.3m | $106.8m |
| 84 | Triptych Inspired by the Oresteia of AeschylusFrancis Bacon · 1981 | June 30, 2020 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $84.6m | $106.5m |
| 85 | Diana and ActaeonTitian · 1556–1559 | February 1, 2009 | Private salebasis not established | $70.6m | $106m |
| 86 | Au Lapin AgilePablo Picasso · 1904 | November 27, 1989 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $40.7m | $105.7m |
| 87 | The Gross ClinicThomas Eakins · 1875 | April 12, 2007 | Private salebasis not established | $68m | $105.6m |
| 88 | No 1 (Royal Red and Blue)Mark Rothko · 1954 | November 13, 2012 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $75.1m | $105.4m |
| 89 | Acrobate et jeune arlequin (Acrobat and Young Harlequin)[note 24]Pablo Picasso · 1905 | November 28, 1988 | Christie's, Londonwith fees | $38.5m | $104.9m |
| 90 | Odalisque couchée aux magnoliasHenri Matisse · 1923 | May 8, 2018 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $80.8m | $103.5m |
| 91 | Femme aux Bras CroisésPablo Picasso · 1902 | November 8, 2000 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $55m | $102.8m |
| 92 | Nude Sitting on a DivanAmedeo Modigliani · 1917 | November 2, 2010 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $69m | $101.8m |
| 93 | Police GazetteWillem de Kooning · 1955 | October 12, 2006 | Private sale via Richard Gray.basis not established | $63.5m | $101.4m |
| 94 | UntitledJean-Michel Basquiat · 1982 | May 18, 2022 | Philips, New Yorkbasis not established | $85m | $101m |
| 95 | Diana and CallistoTitian · 1556–1559 | March 2, 2012 | Private salebasis not established | $71.7m | $100.6m |
| 96 | No. 15Mark Rothko · 1964 | May 18, 2026 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $98.4m | $98.4m |
| 97 | The High SunWang Shaofei · 2007 | May 2017 | Private salebasis not established | $74m | $97.2m |
| 98 | Untitled (New York City)Cy Twombly · 1968 | November 11, 2015 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $70.5m | $95.8m |
| 99 | Ten Views Of Lingbi Rock [zh]Wu Bin · 1610 | October 20, 2020 | Beijing Poly Auctionwith fees | $77m | $95.8m |
| 100 | Femme assise dans un jardinPablo Picasso · 1938 | November 10, 1999 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $49.5m | $95.7m |
| 101 | Portrait of George Dyer TalkingFrancis Bacon · 1966 | February 13, 2014 | Christie's, Londonwith fees | $70.2m | $95.4m |
| 102 | Peasant Woman Against a Background of WheatVincent van Gogh · 1890 | 1997 | Private sale viaAcquavella Galleries Inc.,New Yorkbasis not established | $47.5m | $95.3m |
| 103 | Untitled [de]Cy Twombly · 1970 | November 12, 2014 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $69.6m | $94.7m |
| 104 | Four MarlonsAndy Warhol · 1966 | November 12, 2014 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $69.6m | $94.7m |
| 105 | The Empire of LightsRené Magritte · 1961 | February 3, 2022 | Sotheby's, Londonwith fees | $79.5m | $94.4m |
| 106 | White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times)Andy Warhol · 1963 | November 17, 2022 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $85.4m | $94m |
| 107 | Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau)Lucian Freud · 1982 | November 9, 2022 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $85.3m | $93.8m |
| 108 | Eagle Standing on Pine TreeQi Baishi · 1946 | May 22, 2011 | China Guardian Auctionswith fees | $65.5m | $93.7m |
| 109 | Men in Her LifeAndy Warhol · 1962 | November 8, 2010 | Phillips de Pury & Companywith fees | $63.4m | $93.5m |
| 110 | Contraste de formesFernand Léger · 1913 | November 13, 2017 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $70.1m | $92m |
| 111 | La GommeusePablo Picasso · 1901 | November 5, 2015 | Sotheby's, New York.with fees | $67.5m | $91.6m |
| 112 | Buste de femme (Femme à la résille)Pablo Picasso · 1938 | May 11, 2015 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $67.4m | $91.5m |
| 113 | Portrait of a HalberdierPontormo · 1537 | May 31, 1989 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $35.2m | $91.4m |
| 114 | L’Allée des AlyscampsVincent van Gogh · 1888 | May 5, 2015 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $66.3m | $90.1m |
| 115 | UntitledMark Rothko · 1952 | May 13, 2014 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $66.2m | $90.1m |
| 116 | Untitled XXVWillem de Kooning · 1977 | November 15, 2016 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $66.3m | $89m |
| 117 | Zhichuan ResettlementWang Meng · 1350 | June 4, 2011 | Beijing Poly Auctionwith fees | $62.1m | $88.9m |
| 118 | Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée (Marie-Thérèse Walter)Pablo Picasso · 1937 | February 28, 2018 | Sotheby's, Londonwith fees | $69.2m | $88.7m |
| 119 | SpringÉdouard Manet · 1881 | November 5, 2014 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $65.1m | $88.6m |
| 120 | Woman as LandscapeWillem de Kooning · 1955 | November 13, 2018 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $68.9m | $88.3m |
| 121 | 1949-A-No. 1 [de]Clyfford Still · 1949 | November 9, 2011 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $61.7m | $88.3m |
| 122 | Blossoming Meadow [de]Gustav Klimt · c. 1908 | November 18, 2025 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $86m | $86m |
| 123 | No. 7Mark Rothko · 1951 | February 19, 2023 | Private salebasis not established | $82.5m | $87.2m |
| 124 | Brown and Blacks in RedsMark Rothko · 1957 | May 15, 2026 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $85.8m | $85.8m |
| 125 | Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprèsVincent van Gogh · 1889 | November 11, 2021 | Christie's, New Yorkwith fees | $71.4m | $84.8m |
| 126 | Le Bassin Aux Nymphéas (1917-19)Claude Monet · 1917-1919 | May 12, 2021 | Sotheby's, New Yorkwith fees | $70.4m | $83.6m |
| 127 | Juin-Octobre 1985Zao Wou-Ki · 1985 | September 30, 2018 | Sotheby's, Hong Kongwith fees | $65.2m | $83.6m |
What the figures are
Basis. The source states, in its own words, that the record payment is “approximately US$450.3 million (which includes commission)”. An auction price here is therefore recorded with fees. A private sale carries no such statement, so 36 of 127 rows show the basis as not established.
The source orders and labels this list by "consumer price index inflation-adjusted value ... in millions of United States dollars in 2025". That adjustment is the source's own; this site deflates nothing itself, because an index we cannot show is a figure a reader cannot check.
No pictures, on purpose
- No image is carried or linked for reproduction: every painting in this list is in copyright, and reproduction is a licence question, not a design choice.
- A private sale's price carries no basis — the source does not state what its figure includes, and a private sale has no auction commission to include.
Every painting on this list is in copyright — the artists are mostly within 70 years of death, and in the UK many of the estates are managed by DACS. Each row links to the source so the work can be found; none is reproduced.
as of 2026-09-24 · 91 of 127 rows are auction sales.