List of most expensive photographs explained

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	data-sort-type="currency"	Price	data-sort-type="text"	Date	Seller/Auction
1		Le Violon d'Ingres (1924)	align=right	$12,400,000		Christie's New York^[1]
2		The Flatiron (1904)	align=right	$11,800,000		Christie's New York^[2]
3	Andreas Gursky	Rhein II (1999)	align=right	$4,338,500		Christie's New York^[3]
4		Spiritual America (1981)	align=right	$3,973,000		Christie's New York^[4]
5		Untitled #96 (1981)	align=right	$3,890,500		Christie's New York^[5]
6		Untitled #93 (1981)	align=right	$3,861,000		Sotheby's New York^[6]
7		Twin Flames #49 NFT (2021)	$3,781,159		Party Bid^[7] ^[8]
8		To Her Majesty (1973)	align=right	$3,765,276		Christie's London^[9]
9		Untitled (Cowboy) (1998)	align=right	$3,749,000		Christie's New York^[10]
10		Dead Troops Talk (A vision after an ambush of a Red Army patrol, near Moqor, Afghanistan, winter 1986) (1992)	align=right	$3,666,500		Christie's New York^[11]
11		Untitled (Cowboy) (2000)	align=right	$3,525,000		Christie's New York^[12]
12		Untitled (Cowboy) (2001-2002)	align=right	$3,401,000		Sotheby's New York^[13]
13		99 Cent II Diptychon (2001)	align=right	$3,346,456		Sotheby's London^[14]
14		Chicago Board of Trade III (1999-2009)	align=right	$3,298,755		Sotheby's London^[15]
15		Noire et Blanche (1926)	align=right	$3,131,533		Christie's Paris^[16]
16		Untitled (Cowboy) (2000)	align=right	$3,077,000		Sotheby's New York^[17]
17		Untitled (Cowboy) (1997)	align=right	$3,030,000		Christie's New York^[18]
18		Untitled Film Still #48 (1979)	align=right	$2,965,000		Christie's New York^[19]
19		The Pond—Moonlight (1904)	align=right	$2,928,000		Sotheby's New York^[20] ^[21]
20		Los Angeles (1998)	align=right	$2,900,000		Sotheby's London^[22]
21		Untitled #96 (1981)	align=right	$2,882,500		Christie's New York^[23]
22		Untitled (Cowboy) (2000)	align=right	$2,840,000		Christie's New York^[24]
23		Untitled #153 (1985)	align=right	$2,770,500		Phillips de Pury & Co. New York^[25]
24		Chicago Board of Trade (1997)	align=right	$2,507,755		Sotheby's London^[26]
25		99 Cent II Diptychon (2001)	align=right	$2,480,000		Phillips de Pury & Co. New York^[27]
26		Paris, Montparnasse (1993)	align=right	$2,416,475		Sotheby's London^[28]
27	unknown	Billy the Kid (1879–80) tintype portrait	align=right	$2,300,000		Brian Lebel's Old West Show & Auction^[29]
28		99 Cent (1999)	align=right	$2,256,000		Sotheby's New York^[30]
29		99 Cent II Diptychon (2001)	align=right	$2,250,000		Sotheby's London^[31]
30		Untitled Film Still #48 (1979)	align=right	$2,225,000		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, though a lawyer claiming to represent the buyer claims that the deal was real.^[36]

See also

• List of photographs considered the most important
• List of most expensive paintings
• List of most expensive sculptures
• List of most expensive artworks by living artists
• List of most expensive books and manuscripts
• List of most expensive non-fungible tokens

External links

• Artnet top ten most expensive photographs, April 2003
• The two most expensive Stieglitz photos, 2006, click thumbnails to enlarge

Notes and References

1. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/man-rays-famed-photograph-of-kiki-de-montparnasse-sells-for-record-12-4-m-1234628663/ Man Ray’s Famed Photograph of Kiki de Montparnasse Sells for Record $12.4 M
2. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/10/microsoft-co-founder-paul-allen-art-tops-1point5-billion-at-auction.html Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s art collection smashes record with $1.6 billion auction
3. http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2011/11/most-expensive-photo-world/44772/ The Most Expensive Photo in the World
4. Web site: Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Spiritual America. May 16, 2016.
5. http://www.popphoto.com/news/2011/05/cindy-sherman-print-sells-39-million-auction-highest-ever-photograp Cindy Sherman Print Sells For $3.9 Million At Auction, The Highest Ever For A Photograph
6. Web site: Sotheby's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #93. March 27, 2021.
7. Web site: Twin Flames #49. Alyson & Courtney Aliano. December 28, 2021.
8. Web site: Kolbrener . Charlie . Justin Aversano and Twin Flames #49 Make History with 871 ETH Sale . One37PM . VaynerStudios, LLC . 18 May 2024.
9. Web site: Christie's London: Gilbert & George, To Her Majesty . 21 October 2018 . January 11, 2022.
10. Web site: Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy). March 27, 2021.
11. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/rothko-painting-sets-record-canadian-jeff-walls-photo-a-big-hit/article2427208/
12. Web site: Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy). March 27, 2021.
13. Web site: Sotheby's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy). March 27, 2021.
14. https://web.archive.org/web/20070318090710/http://www.popphoto.com/photographynewswire/3911/the-first-3m-photograph.html The First $3M Photograph
15. Web site: Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade III. July 19, 2020.
16. Web site: Christie's Paris: Man Ray, Noire et Blanche. January 22, 2021.
17. Web site: Sotheby's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy). March 27, 2021.
18. Web site: Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy). September 22, 2022.
19. Web site: The Most Expensive Photos Sold at Auctions: Part I. 13 August 2018. oldlouis.com.
20. https://web.archive.org/web/20090226045111/http://edwardcartergalleries.com/archives/000101.php Photograph sale breaks world record
21. Web site: The Most Expensive Photos Sold at Auctions: Part II. 18 August 2018. oldlouis.com.
22. Web site: Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Los Angeles. July 25, 2020.
23. Web site: Christie's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #96. May 16, 2016.
24. Web site: Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy). April 6, 2021.
25. Web site: Phillips: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #153. May 16, 2016.
26. Web site: Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade. May 16, 2016.
27. Web site: Phillips: Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon. September 23, 2021.
28. Web site: Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Paris, Montparnasse. May 16, 2016.
29. Web site: Billy The Kid photo sells for $2.3 million . 2011-06-28 . Pescovitz . David . Boing Boing (Happy Mutants LLC).
30. Web site: Sotheby's Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II. January 10, 2022.
31. Web site: Sotheby's Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon. October 16, 2021.
32. Web site: Sotheby's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #48. May 16, 2016.
33. News: Peter Lik: Who is the record-breaking photographer behind the $7.8m Phantom?. 12 December 2014. ABC News. 11 December 2014.
34. News: This is Officially the Most Expensive Photo Ever. 6 January 2015. Time Magazine. 10 December 2014.
35. News: Sender. Hanna. Peter Lik Sells Most Expensive Photo of All Time; Similar Images Available Online for Free. 12 December 2014. International Business Times. 10 December 2014.
36. Web site: Why the New York Times took Australian millionaire photographer Peter Lik to task. 4 July 2016. Financial Review. 28 February 2015.