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

[edit]

Rank  | Artist  | Work  | Price  | Date  | Seller/Auction

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|
|
|
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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

[edit]

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

[edit]

* 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

## References

[edit]

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. ^ Cindy Sherman Print Sells For $3.9 Million At Auction, The Highest Ever For A Photograph. Popphoto.com (2011-05-12). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
6. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #93". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
7. ^ "Twin Flames #49. Alyson & Courtney Aliano". Retrieved December 28, 2021.
8. ^ Kolbrener, Charlie. "Justin Aversano and Twin Flames #49 Make History with 871 ETH Sale". One37PM. VaynerStudios, LLC. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
9. ^ "Christie's London: Gilbert & George, To Her Majesty". 21 October 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
10. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
11. ^ [1] Archived 2012-05-14 at the Wayback Machine. theglobeandmail.com (2012-05-08). Retrieved on 2012-05-09.
12. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
13. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
14. ^ The First $3M Photograph. Web.archive.org (2007-03-18). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
15. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade III". Retrieved July 19, 2020.
16. ^ "Christie's Paris: Man Ray, Noire et Blanche". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
17. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
18. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved September 22, 2022.
19. ^ "The Most Expensive Photos Sold at Auctions: Part I". 13 August 2018 - via oldlouis.com.
20. ^ Photograph sale breaks world record. Web.archive.org (2009-02-26). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
21. ^ "The Most Expensive Photos Sold at Auctions: Part II". 18 August 2018 - via oldlouis.com.
22. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Los Angeles". Retrieved July 25, 2020.
23. ^ "Christie's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #96". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
24. ^ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)". Retrieved April 6, 2021.
25. ^ "Phillips: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #153". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
26. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
27. ^ "Phillips: Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon". Retrieved September 23, 2021.
28. ^ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Paris, Montparnasse". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
29. ^ Pescovitz, David. "Billy The Kid photo sells for $2.3 million". Boing Boing (Happy Mutants LLC). Retrieved 2011-06-28.
30. ^ "Sotheby's Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II". Retrieved January 10, 2022.
31. ^ "Sotheby's Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon". Retrieved October 16, 2021.
32. ^ "Sotheby's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #48". Retrieved May 16, 2016.
33. ^ "Peter Lik: Who is the record-breaking photographer behind the $7.8m Phantom?". ABC News. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
34. ^ "This is Officially the Most Expensive Photo Ever". Time Magazine. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
35. ^ 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.
36. ^ Taylor, Andrew (12 December 2014), "Buyer beware: Treat Peter Lik photo sale with scepticism", Canberra Times
37. ^ "Why the New York Times took Australian millionaire photographer Peter Lik to task". Financial Review. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.

## External links

[edit]

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

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