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
Believe it or Not, So Far the IRS Is Refunding More Money This Year
It’s a rarity that anyone ever has anything good to say about the IRS; just as it’s a rarity that the federal tax agency has good news for taxpayers. However, according to recent reports, the IRS does have some very good news to share in regards to tax returns so far in 2015. While earlier…
IRS Guilty of Questionable Hiring and Rehiring Practices
How confident are you that the IRS is going to handle your tax return properly? Even if you’ve already filed, this latest news could affect you. According to new reports, the IRS apparently used some questionable hiring practices as it prepared to begin reviewing the roughly 150 million individual tax returns it expected to receive…
Tax Season Got You Down? Blame Obamacare
What do you hate the most about taxes? Is it the simple fact that you have to file them? Is it the fear of being chosen for an audit? Is it all the confusing changes on tax laws and policies that drive you nuts? There are a lot of reasons people hate dealing with taxes,…
Have a Tax Issue With the IRS? You Could Always Take Them to Court
What would you do if the IRS makes a decision you don’t agree with? For example, let’s say you file a tax return and send it in expecting to receive a refund of $1,500. However, a few weeks later, instead of receiving your refund, you get a letter in the mail informing you that you…