List of most expensive photographs

Last updated

Man Ray's Le Violon d'Ingres, 1924 Le Violon d'Ingres.png
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.

Contents

List

RankArtistWorkPriceDateSeller/Auction
1 Man Ray Le Violon d'Ingres (1924)$12,400,000May 14, 2022 Christie's New York [1]
2 Edward Steichen The Flatiron (1904)$11,800,000November 10, 2022Christie's New York [2]
3 Andreas Gursky Rhein II (1999)$4,338,500November 8, 2011Christie's New York [3]
4 Man Ray Noire et Blanche (1926)$4,020,000November 17, 2022Christie's New York [4]
5 Richard Prince Spiritual America (1983)$3,973,000May 12, 2014Christie's New York [5]
6 Cindy Sherman Untitled #96 (1981)$3,890,500May 11, 2011Christie's New York [6]
7 Cindy Sherman Untitled #93 (1981)$3,861,000May 14, 2014Sotheby's New York [7]
8 Gilbert & George To Her Majesty (1973)$3,765,276June 30, 2008Christie's London [8]
9 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (1998)$3,749,000May 12, 2014Christie's New York [9]
10 Jeff Wall Dead Troops Talk (A vision after an ambush of a Red Army patrol, near Moqor, Afghanistan, winter 1986) (1992)$3,666,500May 8, 2012Christie's New York [10]
11 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2000)$3,525,000May 10, 2016Christie's New York [11]
12 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2001-2002)$3,401,000November 14, 2007Sotheby's New York [12]
13 Andreas Gursky 99 Cent II Diptychon (2001)$3,346,456February 2007 Sotheby's London [13]


14 Andreas Gursky Chicago Board of Trade III (1999-2009)$3,298,755June 26, 2013Sotheby's London [14]
15 Cindy Sherman Untitled #93 (1981)$3,150,000November 9, 2021Christie’s New York [15]
16 Man Ray Noire et Blanche (1926)$3,131,533November 8, 2017Christie's Paris [16]
17 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2000)$3,077,000May 14, 2014Sotheby's New York [17]
18 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (1997)$3,030,000November 9, 2021Christie's New York [18]
19 Cindy Sherman Untitled Film Still #48 (1979)$2,965,000May 13, 2015Christie's New York [19]
20 Edward Steichen The Pond—Moonlight (1904)$2,928,000February 2006Sotheby's New York [20] [21]
21 Andreas Gursky Los Angeles (1998)$2,900,000February 27, 2008Sotheby's London [22]
22 Cindy Sherman Untitled #96 (1981)$2,882,500May 8, 2012Christie's New York [23]
23 Man Ray Noire et Blanche (1926)$2,878,148June 25, 2025Sotheby's London [24]
24 Richard Prince Untitled (Fashion) (1982)$2,853,000May 10, 2016Christie's New York [25]
25 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (2000)$2,840,000May 16, 2007Christie's New York [26]
26 Cindy Sherman Untitled #153 (1985)$2,770,500November 8, 2010 Phillips de Pury & Co. New York [27]
27 Richard Prince Untitled (Cowboy) (1997)$2,600,280October 9, 2024Christie's London [28]
28 Andreas Gursky Chicago Board of Trade (1997)$2,507,755June 23, 2013Sotheby's London [29]
29 Andreas Gursky 99 Cent II Diptychon (2001)$2,480,000November 16, 2006 Phillips de Pury & Co. New York [30]
30 Andreas Gursky Paris, Montparnasse (1993)$2,416,475October 17, 2013Sotheby's London [31]

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. [32] [33] [34] Lik's claim has been greeted with much scepticism. Claims of the sale have never been proven, and the buyer has not come forward, [35] though a lawyer claiming to represent the buyer claims that the deal was real. [36]

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 (November 9, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-11-10.
  4. ↑ "Christie's New York: Man Ray, Noire et Blanche" . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Spiritual America" . Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Sotheby's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #93" . Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Christie's London: Gilbert & George, To Her Majesty". October 21, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)" . Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  9. ↑ Archived May 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine . theglobeandmail.com (May 8, 2012). Retrieved on 2012-05-09.
  10. ↑ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)" . Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Sotheby's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)" . Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  12. ↑ The First $3M Photograph. Web.archive.org (March 18, 2007). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
  13. ↑ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade III" . Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Christie's New York: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #93". January 3, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  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". August 13, 2018 – via oldlouis.com.
  19. ↑ Photograph sale breaks world record. Web.archive.org (February 26, 2009). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
  20. ↑ "The Most Expensive Photos Sold at Auctions: Part II". August 18, 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. ↑ "Sotheby's London: Man Ray, Noire et Blanche" . Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Fashion)" . Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Christie's New York: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)" . Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Phillips: Cindy Sherman, Untitled #153" . Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Christie's London: Richard Prince, Untitled (Cowboy)" . Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Chicago Board of Trade" . Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Phillips: Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon" . Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Sotheby's London: Andreas Gursky, Paris, Montparnasse" . Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Peter Lik: Who is the record-breaking photographer behind the $7.8m Phantom?". ABC News. December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  32. ↑ "This is Officially the Most Expensive Photo Ever". Time Magazine. December 10, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  33. ↑ Sender, Hanna (December 10, 2014). "Peter Lik Sells Most Expensive Photo of All Time; Similar Images Available Online for Free". International Business Times. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  34. ↑ Taylor, Andrew (December 12, 2014), "Buyer beware: Treat Peter Lik photo sale with scepticism", Canberra Times
  35. ↑ "Why the New York Times took Australian millionaire photographer Peter Lik to task". Financial Review. February 28, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
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