The most ridiculous and expensive paintings in the world. The most absurd paintings sold for millions of dollars

– VAndrey

The ten painting samples given below are - vivid examples how you can earn fabulous money for any outright scribble (drawn by a five-year-old child or bought at a flea market, for example), by coming up with a loud name for it, composing incredible story creation and exhibiting at one of the most famous auctions world:

1. “Concept of Space, Waiting” by Lucio Fontana – $1.5 million

“The Concept of Space, Waiting” by artist Lucio Fontana was auctioned in London for one and a half million dollars. This piece is a single color canvas with longitudinal slits. The million dollar question: will the value of this painting increase if a couple more holes are made in it?

2. “Blood Red Mirror” by Gerhard Richter – $1.1 million

"Mirror" was sold for 1.1 million. Realizing the value of Gerhard Richter's other works, it is difficult to understand the value of this one. It's just red paint applied with a slight gradient on the mirror, right? Perhaps the collector who bought this piece simply wanted to see himself in the mirror in a non-standard color.

3. “The Green Blob” by Ellsworth Kelly – $1.6 million

This painting was sold for $1.6 million. As far as we know, most of Ellsworth Kelly's works received special large sums It’s not possible to help out, but this painting is an exception. Yes, despite the fact that it is just a canvas with a deformed circle in the middle, a connoisseur was found and paid for it as much as a small Thai island costs.

4. “Untitled” (1961) by Mark Rothko – $28 million

This work by Mark Rothko sold at auction for more than $28 million. “Terrible” would probably be an exaggeration, but “boring” is probably the most accurate description of this picture. What would you say if your child, after studying for a year at art school, would you bring such a masterpiece home? Well, for example: a) they were proud and would hang it on the wall or c) they would say: “Very good... but next time try to draw something more recognizable.”

5. “Untitled” by Blinky Palermo – $1.7 million

This work sold at auction for $1.7 million. “Untitled,” like the rest of Palermo’s work, is a combination of multi-colored stripes. One art critic described this work of art as follows: “Palermo's canvases give the viewer little, if anything at all, only slight changes in tone are visible, there are no painterly strokes. Instead, they present the viewer with pure, undiluted color.” Bravo! It’s simply amazing that someone was able to describe such a work with few elements and even find positive aspects in it!

6. “Painting (Dog),” Joan Miro – $2.2 million

This work by Joan Miro was sold at auction for $2.2 million. Among Miro's other wonderful works, this seems to us an anomaly. It is difficult to understand why the collector bought this painting - maybe he just wanted to own part of the great master’s legacy?

7. "White Fire I"", Barnett Newman - $3.8 million

Barnett Newman's White Fire I was purchased for $3.8 million. “The name “White Fire” is a mystical term originating from the Torah. As such, it is certainly imbued with the deep spiritual feeling that Newman was trying to convey to the audience of his film." Really? Are two lines on a blank canvas directly related to the Torah?

8. “Untitled,” Cy Twombly – $2.3 million

This Cy Twombly painting sold for $2.3 million at Christie's. This work was done with colored pencils on paper, that is, in approximately the same way, and with the same materials used in kindergarten trying to print the first letters. When you look at it sideways, it looks like a five-year-old practicing the letter “e,” doesn’t it?

9. “Cowboy,” Ellsworth Kelly – $1.7 million

Ellsworth Kelly's cowboy sold at auction for $1.7 million. Kelly studied painting at the Museum for over four years fine arts in Boston and Paris before developing his own style. He decided to create a style that consists primarily of blocks on canvas. A beginner might think this is a bad choice: what's special about polyhedra on paper? However, from an economic point of view, Kelly hit the nail on the head. What about aesthetics? Hardly.

10. “The Blue Fool,” Christopher Wool – $5 million

And finally, the painting with the symbolic title “The Blue Fool” is the most worthy conclusion to this article. It was sold at auction for over $5 million. It's hard not to think that Christopher, who specializes in putting words on canvas, had a good laugh when this painting sold. Convincing someone to buy a painting with the eloquent blue words “Fool” on it is just... bravo, Christopher!

10.06.13 technovoin

Welcome to the pages of Art Veranda! With today’s post I want to surprise our readers, because we will talk about the most expensive paintings, but expensive not in the sense of their significance, but in terms of cost (full stop). This is the case when conventional units make paintings “golden”. In general, this absurdity in art or the art of the absurd, which has no common roots with avant-garde direction 50-60s XX century.

The examples of painting presented below are exceptional examples of how you can get fabulous money for outright scribbling.

1. "Blood Red Mirror". Artist - . Price - $1.1 million.

I would like to note that Gerhard Richter - great master and his works are in many ways priceless. But I don’t quite understand how valuable this creation is? Because what you see is just red paint that Richter applied to the mirror, adding a little gradient. Apparently, the collector who selected the “Blood Red Mirror” for $1.1 million thinks differently.

2. "Space Concept, Waiting". Artist - . Price - $1.5 million.


Here is a one-color canvas with longitudinal slits on it, which went under the hammer at a London auction for $1.5 million. Not bad, right? This is nothing, more interesting things to come.

3. "Green Blob". Artist - . Price - $1.6 million.


Ellsworth Kelly is one of those artists who do not reap large sums of money for their work. So “The Green Blob” is more an exception to the rule than a given. The canvas, in the middle of which a deformed circle is depicted, found its connoisseur for $1.6 million.

4. "Untitled". Artist - . Price - $1.7 million.


Here is a combination of two multi-colored stripes in Palermo style. There’s probably nothing more to say about this work, and besides, it doesn’t even have a name. Or is it the same name?

5. "Cowboy". Artist - . Price - $1.7 million.


The American artist studied “sharp edge painting” for more than 4 years, developing his own unique style. Ellsworth Kelly - specialist in the field of geometric planes delimited by sharp color contrasts. It is said that his work paved the way for . “Cowboy” found his home at a cost of $1.7 million.

6. "Painting (Dog)". Artist - . Price - $2.2 million.


This work, in comparison with other works of Joan Miró, seems an anomaly. Perhaps, when buying a painting, the collector was guided by the desire to own a piece of the great master’s heritage? Result - $2.2 million.

7. "Untitled". Artist - . Price - $2.3 million.


Work done on the principle of children's scribbles. Colored - these are the two instruments that were valued at $2.3 million at Christie's auction. I forgot to think about diligence, originality and at least some understanding of art. Maybe the artist has nothing to do with it, maybe it's a 5-year-old small child practiced writing the letter “e”? Well, if that’s the case, then Cy Twombly gave someone a good laugh.

8. "White Fire I". Artist - . Price - $3.8 million.


“White Fire I” is the case when mystical terminology, rooted in the Torah, “sells”! Selling text? No other way. But, excuse me, what relation can two lines on the canvas have to the Torah? So I think that there is none.

9. "Fool". Artist - . Price - 5 million dollars.


"Blue Fool" is power, it is art! Judge for yourself how hard it took to convince some collector to purchase this “masterpiece”, to buy a painting with an eloquent blue inscription - “Fool”... Christopher, bravo! You deserve a standing ovation!

10. "Untitled". Artist - . Price - $28 million.


The picture that broke all records in the art of the absurd absurd art, regarding price/quality. It could have been placed at the very beginning of the post, hung in the header of the site, BUT, in essence, “Untitled” would not have made it PROUD. This creation was sold at auction for $28 million (not taking into account any thousands of dollars on top). That's where the pride is, that's where the millions are. But to be honest, it’s boring, ridiculous and... not to swear, very expensive.

That's how things are, gentlemen. Do you have a desire to get rich? Instructions: a) buy a painting at a flea market from those that are cheaper; b) “foist” on her a big name; c) take the time to create an incredible creation story; d) put it up at one of the most famous auctions in the world. What if you go down in history, the press embraces you, people start talking about you, they write a script and, finally, make a film?!

Art knows no boundaries, especially if we're talking about about the paintings. Some artists create magnificent paintings, which, unfortunately, are recognized only after their death, and some remain lost in time. Paintings are a kind of mirror into the consciousness, sensations and worldview of the artist. But not all paintings can be understood the first time, and sometimes even if you look at the picture a hundred times, you will still see only scribbles before your eyes. Some see art in this, while others simply twist their finger at their temple. But, despite this, such “masterpieces” are sold for incredible amounts of money.

Famous Italian painter Lucio Fontana and his “Spatial Concept. Expectation"


Thanks to these cut lines in the painting, Fontana became famous all over the world. This work the art was sold for one and a half million dollars at one auction. The canvas is made in the style of spacialism. This direction in art combines painting and sculpture, thereby supposedly unifying space, time, sound, movement and color. Some see in this picture a kind of curtain that is about to open in front of the viewer, but while it is closed, everyone is waiting for something.

Famous Catalan sculptor, artist and graphic artist Joan Miró and his world famous painting “Dog”


Joan Miró's paintings are specific and not everyone will like them. Basically, the artist worked in the direction of abstract art, but despite this, surrealism was also close to him. His paintings resemble children's drawings, figures that only vaguely resemble some understandable images. Joan Miró's painting "Dog" was sold at one auction for $2.2 million.

Gerhard Richter


Gerhard Richter is a world famous artist. Despite his venerable age and a stroke, the man actively continues to delight with his works, like famous museums, and collectors. The famous artist publishes about two hundred paintings per year. It is worth noting that Richter is one of the most dear artists in the world, and the above photograph of the painting is far from the most expensive copy. The abstract painting cost one collector six million dollars, but for the artist’s most expensive painting he had to pay no less, but as much as 46.3 million dollars.

Cy Twombly


If you look closely at all the paintings by the famous 20th century artist Cy Twomblin, you can say with confidence that they are all made in the style of abstractionism. This work of art was sold at one of the auctions for nine million dollars.

Christopher Wool and his famous "Apocalypse Now"

Christopher Wool became famous only in 2013 after his painting entitled “Apocalypse Now” was sold for twenty-six and a half million dollars. After this successful transaction, prices for his paintings increased sharply, and at the moment he is one of the highest paid artists in New York. His paintings adorn exhibitions and are also actively purchased by various collectors and admirers of this artist.

Robert Ryman and his famous painting called "The Bridge"


This picture famous artist Roberta Ryman simply captivated everyone at auction in 2015. $20.6 million was paid for the painting. Most artists classify Robert Ryman as a minimalist, but, as the man himself says, he is more of a “realist” in his works. He is not at all interested in all this pompous illusion that some of his colleagues create in their paintings. Robert likes to show the real side of certain things.

Jasper Johns and his famous painting "The Flag"


At the 2014 auction, thirty-six million dollars were paid for a painting by the living artist Jasper Johns, which automatically placed him in the category of the highest paid artists of our time. Flags of steel central figure in Jasper's work immediately after he returned from the army.

10. “Blood Red Mirror” by Gerhard Richter- sold for $1,314,500

Gerhard Richter (born February 9, 1932, Dresden) is the most famous modern German artists, his work is called the most controversial and controversial, and his paintings are the most expensive among the works of living artists. So, one of them was recently sold at Sotheby’s for $20.8 million! A painting from our list was sold in November 2008 at the same New York auction for 1.3 million. Blood Red Mirror is a mirror with blood red colors.

9. “The Concept of Space, Waiting” by Lucio Fontana- sold for $1.5 million

Lucio Fontana is an Italian painter, sculptor, and abstract artist. He laid the foundation at one time for the fashionable trend of “cut” paintings. This work by Fontana, sold in 2010 for $1.5 million, is truly cut up.

8. "Green White" Ellsworth Kelly- sold for $1,650,500

Ellsworth Kelly is a contemporary American artist and sculptor. He is a major representative of the "Hard-edge painting" movement - painting that contains figures (often, but not necessarily, geometric) with sharp, clear contours. The painting "Green White" was sold in November 2008 for $1,650,500.

7. “Untitled” by Blinky Palermo

Blinky Palermo is a German abstract artist. His painting "Untitled" was sold for 1.7 million at auction. “Untitled”, in fact, like the rest of Palermo’s works, is a layering of one color on top of another.

6. "Cowboy" by Elsworth Kelly- sold for $1.7 million

The film “Cowboy” brought Kelly, already familiar to us, $1.7 million.

5. Peinture (Le Chien), Joan Miró- sold for $2,210,500

Joan Miró is a famous Catalan (Spanish) abstract artist. The artist's works mostly look like rambling children's drawings and contain figures that vaguely resemble real objects. His painting "Dog" was sold at Christie's in New York for $2,210,500.

4. “Untitled,” Cy Twombly- sold for $2.3 million.

Cy Twombly is an American abstract painter and sculptor. The originality of Twombly’s manner lies in the chaotic application of inscriptions, lines and scratches to the canvas. His painting “Untitled,” bought for $2.3 million, might look more like the work of a 5-year-old child practicing writing the letter “e.”

3. White Fire I, Barnett Newman- sold for $3,859,500 dollars

Barnett Newman is an American artist, a prominent representative of abstract expressionism. White Window I sold on November 13, 2002 for $3,859,500.

2. Blue Fool, Christopher Wool- sold for $5 million

The painting “The Blue Fool” by contemporary American artist Christopher Wool was purchased in May 2010 at Christie's auction in New York for $5,010,500.

1. “Untitled” (1961) by Mark Rothko- sold for $28 million

The painting by Rothko, a leading representative of abstract expressionism and one of the creators of color field painting, was sold in 2010 in New York at Sotheby's for a crazy $28,000,000.

The most expensive paintings in the world, as a rule, are stored in galleries and museums in Europe and the USA. These paintings are so valuable that art lovers are willing to spend millions of dollars to purchase them. Most often, the value of a painting depends on its age and the artist who painted it. Some paintings look quite ordinary at first glance, but are worth millions simply because they were painted so globally famous artists like Vincent Van Gogh or Pablo Picasso. Below is a list of the twenty-five most ridiculously expensive pieces of art and paintings in history:

25. Acrobat and Young Harlequin

This painting by Pablo Picasso was originally estimated at $38.5 million and sold for $69.4 million. This painting, painted in 1905, was first exhibited in Action: Cahsiers Individualistes De Philosophie at Princeton University in 1923 and was sold by Roger Janssen's heir to Miitsukoshi in 1988. At the moment, the picture is in America and is in the public domain.

24. “Agile Rabbit” (Au Lapin Agile)

The Agile Rabbit was painted in 1904 by Pablo Picasso and sold in 1989 by Joan Whitney Payson's daughter to Walter H Annenberg for $70 million. The auction took place on November 27, 1989 at Sotheby's, New York.

23. Diana and Actaeon


This painting by Titian, an Italian Renaissance artist, was painted between 1556 and 1559. She is considered one of his greatest masterpieces. The painting depicts the moment when the goddess Diana met Actaeon. In 2009, the Duke of Sutherland donated this painting to the National Galleries of Scotland & National Gallery in London. The painting is valued at $70.6 million.

22. Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)

This painting, painted by Andy Warhol in 1963, was sold on May 16, 2007 to Philip Niarchos. Green Car Crash, better known as Green Burning Car I, was originally priced at $71.7 million but sold for $73.7 million. The auction took place at Christie's, New York.

21. “Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers”

The painting “Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers” ​​depicts a bouquet of sunflowers placed in a vase. This picture Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh was painted in 1888 and is the second painting of sunflowers by this artist. It was sold by Chester Beatty's sister-in-law Yasuo Goto in 1987 for $74.5 million, nearly double its original price of $39 million.

20. “White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose)”

This painting, painted by Mark Rothko and originally valued at $72.8 million, was sold by David Rockefeller in 2007 to the Qatari royal family, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa At-Thani. for $74.9 million. This abstract painting was completed in 1950 and is considered part of the artist's legendary, protean painting style.

19. Curtain, Jug and Fruitbowl


This painting, painted by Paul Cezanne in 1894, was auctioned on May 10, 1999 at Sotheby's, New York. Although most people know it as "Curtain, Jug and Fruit Bowl", the original title of the painting is "Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier". The painting was sold by the Whitney family to an unknown buyer for an adjusted price of $77.4 million.

18. Water Lily Pond


The painting “Pond with Water Lilies” (Le Bassin aux Nympheas) was painted in 1919 French artist-impressionist Claude Monet, but it was put up for auction only on June 4, 2008. This oil on canvas painting was sold at Sotheby's in New York to J Irrwin and Xenia S Miller for $79.7 million.

17. “Self Portrait of Picasso”

Picasso's Self-Portrait (Yo, Picasso) was sold for $47.9 million on May 9, 1989 by Wendell Cherry to Stavros Niachros at Sotheby's in New York. This painting was painted in 1901 and depicts the artist himself. It was considered the second most popular painting on the day it was auctioned. Her adjusted net worth is currently $90.5 million.

16. “Wheatfield with Cypresses”


This painting, part of a series of paintings called "Wheatfield", was painted by Van Gogh in 1889 at the Saint Paul De Mausole mental hospital in Arles, France (where Van Gogh was temporarily incarcerated as a patient). In 1993, the painting was sold by Emil Georg Bührle's son to Walter Annenberg for $84.1 million.

15. False Start

"False Start" is a painting by Jasper Johns that was offered at private auction by Richard Gray on October 12, 2006. It was written in 1959 and sold by David Geffen to Kenneth Griffin for $84.6 million, which was $4.6 million more than the original price of $80 million.

14. “Marriage of Pierrette”


Les Noces de Pierrette, best known as Pierrette's Wedding, was painted in 1905, during the artist's Blue Period. During this period, Picasso experienced poverty and depression following the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas in 1901. In 1907 it was acquired by an art dealer named Joseph Stansky, but between 1945 and 1962 it was in the possession of Picasso's son Paulo Picasso. It was sold by Fredrik Roos to Tomonori Tsurumaki for $84.8 million in 1989.

13. “Triptych, 1976” (Triptych, 1976)


The painting, entitled "Triptych", painted by Francis Bacon in 1976, was painted in oil and pastel on canvas and divided into three parts, each measuring 198 by 147 centimeters. It was sold at Sotheby's in London on May 14, 2008, where the Moueix Family sold the work of art to Roman Abramovich for $85.5 million.

12. “Portrait of Adele Block Bauer II”

This was the second portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer painted by Gustav Klimt ( Gustav Klimt) in 1912. Adele Bloch-Bauer was the wife of Ferdinand Block Bauer and his model. This painting was put up for auction in auction house Christie's and sold for almost $88 million.

11. “Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh”

Of the dozen self-portraits painted by Vincent van Gogh, this is the only one that has survived to this day. This self-portrait, painted in 1886, shows the artist's face exactly as Van Gogh saw it when looking into the mirror (which he used to paint his own face). The painting was sold for $93.5 million.

10. “Dora Maar with a cat” (Dora Maar with Cat)

"Dora Maar au Chat", also known as "Dora Maar with a Cat", was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1941. This painting shows the artist's mistress named Dora Maar, who is sitting in a chair with a kitten on her shoulder. The size of this painting is only 128.27 by 95.25 centimeters, however, it was sold in 2006 for $95,216,000.

9. Massacre of the Innocents


The painting "Massacre of the Innocents" was painted by Peter Paul Rubens and depicts the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem in the Book of Matthew of the Holy Bible. It was completed in 1611 and auctioned at Sotheby's in London on July 10, 2002, where an Austrian family sold it to Kenneth Thomson for $99.7 million.

8. “Irises”


This painting by Vincent van Gogh was painted in 1889 and sold to Alan Bond for $101.2 million by Joan Whitney Payson's son at Sotheby's in New York on November 11, 1987. Van Gogh painted this masterpiece while in a psychiatric hospital in France.

7. “Portrait of Joseph Roulin”

Another Van Gogh painting, Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin, was completed in 1889 and sold to the New York Museum contemporary art(Museum of Modern Art in New York) for more than $111 million (more than double its original price of $58 million).

6. Boy with a Pipe

Painted by Pablo Picasso in 1905, Garçon à la pipe or Boy with a Pipe was completed during Picasso's Rose Period while he was in Paris. The painting shows a Persian guy wearing a wreath of roses, holding a pipe in his hand. The painting was sold by the Greentree Foundation to the Whitney family in 2004 for $104 million. Her current net worth is estimated at $129 million.

5. “Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette”


The painting "Bal Du Moulin de Galette", better known as "The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette", was painted by French artist Pierre Auguste Renoir in 1876. The cost of the painting is estimated at $141.5 million. At the moment, this painting is kept in the Orsay Museum (Musee de Orsay), located in Paris. This famous impressionist painting by Betsey Whitney was sold by Ryoei Saito in 1990.

4. “Portrait of Dr. Gachet”

In the painting entitled "Portrait of Doctor Gachet", painted by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, depicting a doctor during last months Van Gogh's life. The masterpiece was completed in 1890 in Auvers and sold at auction for $82.5 million. The painting is currently worth $149.5 million.

3. “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”

This painting, painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907, was one of two portraits of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Considered one of his greatest masterpieces, the painting was sold to Ronald Lauder for $135 million at an auction held in New York in June 2006. For four months, this painting remained the most expensive in the world. It is currently valued at $155.8 million.

2. "Woman III"

Woman III was painted by abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning and was one of six paintings he completed between 1951 and 1953. For two decades, the painting was part of the collection of the Tehram Museum of Contemporary Art, but in 2006 it was sold to Steven Cohen for $137.5 million. Currently, its value is estimated at $159.8 million.

1. “No. 5, 1948”


This painting was painted by Jackson Pollock in 1948 and purchased by David Martinez from David Geffen for $140 million at auction in New York on November 2, 2006. At the moment, the cost of this painting is estimated at 162.7 million dollars.