Top 10 Most Expensive Pieces of Art Sold in 2016
No. 10 – Kerry James Marshall- Plunge (1992) – $2.1 million
Plunge by Kerry James Marshall kicks off the list. This acrylic and paper collage on canvas is symbolic of the slave trade era. It garnered just north of $2 million at Christie’s.
No. 9 – Frida Kahlo – Two Nudes In A Forest (1939) – $8 million
This piece has seen a huge increase in value over the past two decades as twentieth century female artists have grown in popularity. While it once sold for $150,000 in 1989, this painting just fetched $8 million in 2016.
No. 8 – Richard Prince – Runaway Nurse (2006) – $9.7 million
This painting sold for just $6.8 million five years ago, but it has increased in value by nearly $3 million over that time period. Purchased for $9.7 million in 2016 by Yusaku Maezawa, this contemporary piece from 2006 is part of Richard Prince’s “Nurse” series and has earned a lot of attention from both those in and outside of the art world.
No. 7 – Sam Francis – Summer #1 (1957) – $10.4 million
Sam Francis has seen several of his pieces increase in value in the last few years, including this postwar/contemporary piece from 1957.
No. 6 – Agnes Martin – Orange Grove (1965) – $10.7 million
Perhaps the buyer of this painting loves oranges. It was expected to garner about $6-$8 million at auction but ended up fetching close to $11 million.
No. 5 – Claude Monet – Le bassin aux nympheas (1919) – $27 million
While most of Monet’s pieces are actually housed in museums, this one went on the block this year and fetched $27 million at auction.
No. 4 – Mark Rothko – No. 17 (1957) – $32.6 million
Coming in at number four is this symbolic postwar piece by Mark Rothko, which sold for more than $32 million at Christie’s earlier this year.
No. 3 – Jean-Michel Basquiat – Untitled (1982) – $57.2 million
This contemporary piece from 1982 is one of the top attractions in the neo- expressionist art genre, and it continues to increase in value. Twelve years ago it sold for just $4.5 million. But just like Runaway Nurse, it was purchased by Yusaku Maezawa for more than $57 million.
No. 2 – Peter Paul Rubens – Lot and His Daughters (1613-14) – $58 million
This is the second most expensive Rubens painting ever, trailing only his “Master of the Innocents.” This is an extremely old painting as well as extremely valuable.
No. 1 – Pablo Picasso – Femme Assise (1909) – $63.4 million
Picasso is not for everyone, but there’s no doubt his paintings have fetched some of the highest amounts of money in the world, including in 2016, which saw his Femme Assise sale for just over $63 million. Much of the value comes from this painting being credited with introducing a new form of art. And of course, it’s a Picasso.
You also might like the article Art as an Investment
Follow GROCO on Facebook
IRS Clarifies Home Sales Rules
Did you know the IRS Clarifies home sales rules? For many of us, the equity that we have built up in our homes represents a comfortable nest egg for the future. At retirement, many people sell the family primary residence defined and move to a smaller, less expensive home. The freed-up money, thereafter invested, may…
Request Telephone Tax Refund By Amending Your Return
Request Telephone Tax Refund By Amending Your Return Maybe you filed your federal tax return, received a refund and even spent the last penny before realizing that you missed out on a one time opportunity to request the Telephone Excise Tax Refund! Luckily, some opportunities do call twice. You can still request the telephone tax…
Tax Saving Strategies For Business Owners
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Tax Saving Strategies For Business Owners 1. Did you know you can use your previously funded IRA to fund the current year’s deductible contributions? Well, you can. If you don’t have enough cash to make a deductible contribution to your IRA by April 15th, here is how you can still take the tax deduction.…
Credit Default Swaps – Impose A Tax On Bogus Insurance
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Credit Default Swaps – Impose A Tax On Bogus Insurance By Ron Cohen, CPA, MST Partner Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP Proposal to amend the U.S. Internal Revenue Code: Any Seller, Buyer or Insured Party who enters into a Credit Default Swap (“CDS”) contract insuring U.S. source risks will be subject to an excise…