List of most expensive photographs

Man Ray's Le Violon d'Ingres, 1924

This is a list of the 30 highest prices paid for photographs (in US dollars unless otherwise stated). All prices include the buyer's premium, which is the auction house fee for handling the work.

List

Rank Artist Work Price Date Seller/Auction
1 Man Ray Le Violon d'Ingres (1924) $12,400,000 May 14, 2022 Christie's New York[1]
2 Edward Steichen The Flatiron (1904) $11,800,000 Nov 10, 2022 Christie's New York[2]
3 Andreas Gursky Rhein II (1999) $4,338,500 November 8, 2011 Christie's New York[3]
4 Richard Prince Spiritual America (1981) $3,973,000 May 12, 2014 Christie's New York[4]
5 Cindy Sherman Untitled #96 (1981) $3,890,500 May 11, 2011 Christie's New York[5]
6 Cindy Sherman Untitled #93 (1981) $3,861,000 May 14, 2014 Sotheby's New York[6]


7 Justin Aversano Twin Flames #49 NFT (2021) $3,781,159 November 23, 2021 Party Bid[7][8]


8 Gilbert & George To Her Majesty (1973) $3,765,276 June 30, 2008 Christie's London[9]
9 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (1998) $3,749,000 May 12, 2014 Christie's New York[10]
10 Jeff Wall Dead Troops Talk (A vision after an ambush of a Red Army patrol, near Moqor, Afghanistan, winter 1986) (1992) $3,666,500 May 8, 2012 Christie's New York[11]
11 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2000) $3,525,000 May 10, 2016 Christie's New York[12]
12 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2001-2002) $3,401,000 November 14, 2007 Sotheby's New York[13]
13 Andreas Gursky 99 Cent II Diptychon (2001) $3,346,456 February 2007 Sotheby's London[14]


14 Andreas Gursky Chicago Board of Trade III (1999-2009) $3,298,755 June 26, 2013 Sotheby's London[15]
15 Man Ray Noire et Blanche (1926) $3,131,533 Nov 8, 2017 Christie's Paris[16]
16 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2000) $3,077,000 May 14, 2014 Sotheby's New York[17]
17 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (1997) $3,030,000 November 9, 2021 Christie's New York[18]
18 Cindy Sherman Untitled Film Still #48 (1979) $2,965,000 May 13, 2015 Christie's New York[19]
19 Edward Steichen The Pond—Moonlight (1904) $2,928,000 February 2006 Sotheby's New York[20][21]
20 Andreas Gursky Los Angeles (1998) $2,900,000 February 27, 2008 Sotheby's London[22]
21 Cindy Sherman Untitled #96 (1981) $2,882,500 May 8, 2012 Christie's New York[23]
22 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2000) $2,840,000 May 16, 2007 Christie's New York[24]
23 Cindy Sherman Untitled #153 (1985) $2,770,500 November 8, 2010 Phillips de Pury & Co. New York[25]
24 Andreas Gursky Chicago Board of Trade (1997) $2,507,755 June 23, 2013 Sotheby's London[26]
25 Andreas Gursky 99 Cent II Diptychon (2001) $2,480,000 November 16, 2006 Phillips de Pury & Co. New York[27]
26 Andreas Gursky Paris, Montparnasse (1993) $2,416,475 October 17, 2013 Sotheby's London[28]
27 unknown Billy the Kid (1879–80) tintype portrait $2,300,000 June 2011 Brian Lebel's Old West Show & Auction[29]
28 Andreas Gursky 99 Cent (1999) $2,256,000 May 6, 2006 Sotheby's New York[30]
29 Andreas Gursky 99 Cent II Diptychon (2001) $2,250,000 May 2006 Sotheby's London[31]
30 Cindy Sherman Untitled Film Still #48 (1979) $2,225,000 November 11, 2014 Sotheby's New York[32]

Disputed claim

  1. In December 2014, Peter Lik reportedly sold a photograph titled Phantom to an anonymous bidder for $6.5 million, making it potentially the third highest price paid for a photograph.[33][34][35] Lik's claim has been greeted with much scepticism. Claims of the sale have never been proven, and the buyer has not come forward,[36] though a lawyer claiming to represent the buyer claims that the deal was real.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ Man Ray’s Famed Photograph of Kiki de Montparnasse Sells for Record $12.4 M.
  2. ^ Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s art collection smashes record with $1.6 billion auction.
  3. ^ The Most Expensive Photo in the World. theatlanticwire.com (2011-11-09). Retrieved on 2011-11-10.
  4. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Spiritual America". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  5. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #93". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "Twin Flames #49. Alyson & Courtney Aliano". Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  7. ^ Kolbrener, Charlie. "Justin Aversano and Twin Flames #49 Make History with 871 ETH Sale". One37PM. VaynerStudios, LLC. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Christie's London: Gilbert & George, To Her Majesty". 21 October 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  9. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  10. ^ [1] Archived 2012-05-14 at the Wayback Machine. theglobeandmail.com (2012-05-08). Retrieved on 2012-05-09.
  11. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  13. ^ The First $3M Photograph. Web.archive.org (2007-03-18). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
  14. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade III". Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  15. ^ "Christie's Paris: Man Ray, Noire et Blanche". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  16. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  17. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  18. ^ "The Most Expensive Photos Sold at Auctions: Part I". 13 August 2018 – via oldlouis.com.
  19. ^ Photograph sale breaks world record. Web.archive.org (2009-02-26). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
  20. ^ "The Most Expensive Photos Sold at Auctions: Part II". 18 August 2018 – via oldlouis.com.
  21. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Los Angeles". Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  22. ^ "Christie's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #96". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  23. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  24. ^ "Phillips: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #153". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  25. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  26. ^ "Phillips: Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon". Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  27. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Paris, Montparnasse". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  28. ^ Pescovitz, David. "Billy The Kid photo sells for $2.3 million". Boing Boing (Happy Mutants LLC). Retrieved 2011-06-28.
  29. ^ "Sotheby's Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II". Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  30. ^ "Sotheby's Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon". Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  31. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #48". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  32. ^ "Peter Lik: Who is the record-breaking photographer behind the $7.8m Phantom?". ABC News. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  33. ^ "This is Officially the Most Expensive Photo Ever". Time Magazine. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  34. ^ Sender, Hanna (10 December 2014). "Peter Lik Sells Most Expensive Photo of All Time; Similar Images Available Online for Free". International Business Times. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  35. ^ Taylor, Andrew (12 December 2014), "Buyer beware: Treat Peter Lik photo sale with scepticism", Canberra Times
  36. ^ "Why the New York Times took Australian millionaire photographer Peter Lik to task". Financial Review. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.