Top 10 Most Expensive Pieces of Art Sold in 2016

art

 

What makes a piece of art truly great? For some it’s the artist and for others it’s the piece itself. Still, for others it’s a combination of the two. It is difficult to put a finger on what makes something truly artistic, as well as determining a piece of art’s true value. After all, beauty and value are very subjective in the art world. However, the following paintings have definitely found beauty (and value) in the eyes of their beholders.

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

Posted in

State of Real Estate in The SF Bay Area: A Moment with Nancie Allen, Broker at Masterkey Real Estate Advantage

Transcript of Nancie Allen interview, “State of Real Estate in The SF Bay Area”: Alan Olsen: Can you walk us though your career path?   Nancie Allen: I’m a born and bred Fremont resident. I moved here when I was 2 and I went to the public schools here. I still live about a mile…

Miko Matsumura

Where the Future of Cryptocurrency is Headed? Miko Matsumura, Co-founder of Evercoin

Transcript: Alan Olsen: So Miko you are a cereal entrepreneur founder of crypto currency company; you have done a lot in your life but for the listeners, can you bring us a history of your timeline of what brought you up to where you are to day and what brought you to the crypto currency…

Vic Merjanian

The Next Gen 911 | Vic A. Merjanian

Interview Transcript of: The Next Gen 911 | Vic A. Merjanian Alan Olsen: Can you share a little about your background with us?   Vic A. Merjanian: Many years ago I was at UCSD as an undergrad and I found myself in situations with friends with family and we needed help. But there wasn’t really an…

The Biggest Side Job Mistake

Everyone Wants To Make More Money Who doesn’t want more money? For many that means picking up a side job to earn a little more cash. There are literally hundreds of side jobs out there and while most are only good for a few extra dollars, some can bring in enough to be a significant…