Art collectors have deep pockets. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our list of art pieces that fetched some serious dollars.
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00:00 Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're counting down our list of art pieces that fetched some
00:11 serious dollars.
00:21 Note all figures are in US dollars and adjusted for inflation.
00:25 10. The Standard Bearer - Rembrandt, 1636
00:38 Rembrandt's The Standard Bearer is an impressive piece today, and has been regarded as such
00:43 for much of its history.
00:45 The self-portrait depicts the artist as a member of the Netherlands military, evoking
00:50 the independence effort against Spain in the Eighty Years' War.
00:54 The oil painting captures the subject in a lifelike appraisal that's approached from
00:58 an almost straight-on view, giving The Standard Bearer an intimate feeling.
01:03 At one time, the piece was owned by King George IV of England.
01:07 A private sale from the Rothschild family to the Netherlands saw The Standard Bearer
01:12 bring in a cool €175 million in the early 2020s.
01:20 9. La Femme d'Alger - Version 0 - Pablo Picasso, 1955
01:38 The art of Pablo Picasso has influenced generations of future artists in terms of style and approach.
01:45 His series of 15 drawings and paintings titled "La Femme d'Alger" or "Women of Algiers" has
01:51 also proved to be financially lucrative.
01:54 In 2015, the final painting in the series, Version 0, was sold for $179.4 million in
02:12 total to the ex-Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabbar Al Thani.
02:17 The transaction took place at Christie's Auction House in New York, setting a record at the
02:21 time for the most expensive piece to ever be sold at auction at that location.
02:35 8. Pendant Portraits of Martin Schulmanz and Objyn Kopit - Rembrandt, 1634
02:46 We can probably call this one of the most expensive wedding visual packages of all time.
02:59 This pair of portraits was commissioned to celebrate the title subject's wedding.
03:04 Although painted separately by Rembrandt, the works have always been kept and displayed
03:08 together, adding another romantic layer to the historic pieces.
03:27 Pendant Portraits of Martin Schulmanz and Objyn Kopit is another example of famous works
03:32 of art that were owned by the Rothschilds.
03:35 The Louvre Museum and the Rijksmuseum split the €160 million bill to buy the portraits
03:41 in a sale finalized in 2016.
03:44 The two museums agreed to keep the pair together and trade off where they would be on display.
03:52 7.
03:56 Number 6. Violet, Green and Red - Mark Rothko, 1951
04:01 Abstract painter Mark Rothko was known for capturing engaging combinations of color.
04:06 For Rothko, color can be used as a vehicle to convey the simplest and most powerful of
04:11 human emotions.
04:21 In 1951, painting Number 6, Violet, Green and Red, is a compelling example of this sentiment.
04:28 The high price tag for the piece is partially due to its involvement in the Bouvier affair
04:33 of the mid-2010s.
04:42 A disingenuous art dealer and shipper by the name of Yves Bouvier was alleged to have defrauded
04:47 clients by selling pieces, including Number 6, Violet, Green and Red, at inflated prices.
04:53 Bouvier sold the Rothko to Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybalovlev for €140 million, almost
05:01 double what the dealer originally paid.
05:15 6.
05:16 Number 6.
05:17 Water Serpents II - Gustav Klimt - Dmitry Rybalovlev, 1915
05:19 This provocative oil painting has a dramatic history, including a period of time when it
05:24 was seized by Nazis during World War II.
05:28 The Bouvier affair also led to a staggering sales figure when it was sold to Russian oligarch
05:33 Dmitry Rybalovlev in 2013.
05:36 The businessman purchased the Gustav Klimt painting for approximately $183.3 million.
05:43 Art dealer Bouvier did not reveal to Rybalovlev that he was actually the seller, having recently
05:48 bought the piece and tacking around an extra $70 million onto the price tag.
06:03 Rybalovlev sold Water Serpents II a couple of years later, albeit at a loss to his original
06:08 investment.
06:09 5.
06:10 Number 5.
06:11 Number 17A.
06:12 Jackson Pollock - 1948 Depending on who you ask, the art of Jackson
06:17 Pollock is either the stuff of inspired, spontaneous brilliance, or completely random splatter
06:22 paint.
06:34 A recognisable figure in the world of abstract expressionism, Pollock used his signature
06:38 drip technique in many paintings he produced in the late 1940s.
06:43 Number 17A is a chaotic blend of lines and colors that was featured in a Life magazine
06:48 profile of Pollock in 1949.
06:57 Fast forward to the year 2015, and Number 17A would be purchased by hedge fund manager
07:02 Kenneth C. Griffin for $200 million.
07:06 That's not too shabby for some random splatter paint.
07:16 Number 4.
07:17 When Will You Marry?
07:18 Paul Gugin - 1892 There's a lot to unpack when it comes to
07:26 the historical subtext of Paul Gugin's When Will You Marry?
07:30 The painting was created after a trip to Tahiti by the French artist didn't exactly go as
07:35 planned.
07:45 Gugin was hoping to capture what he deemed to be "primitive Tahitian life."
07:50 However, he found that the island's indigenous culture was different from his imagination,
07:54 due to colonization.
07:55 "The western clothes of the Tahitian girl in this 1891 portrait give an indication of
08:01 this, as do Gugin's many paintings of Christianity, as practiced by the native population."
08:08 When Will You Marry? was more of a fantasy than a realistic portrait of Tahitian life,
08:13 and also wasn't considered a grand success upon completion.
08:17 Its value had changed by the mid-2010s, though, when it was sold to Sheikha al-Mayasa bint
08:22 Hamad al-Thani of Qatar for almost $210 million.
08:28 3.
08:29 The Card Players - Paul Cézanne - 1892-93 This series of five paintings was completed
08:36 as the French post-impressionist approached the end of his career.
08:49 Cézanne used farm workers as models for the series, refining the works over several years.
08:55 He maintained the subject's concentration on the game of cards throughout each piece
08:59 while playing with complexity, space, and symmetry.
09:05 Qatar's royal family purchased one piece from the series in 2011, paying a record-setting
09:22 price at the time.
09:23 Facilitated by the notable art collector George M. Birkos, The Card Players reportedly sold
09:29 for around $250 million, although rumors swirled that they had paid even more.
09:39 2.
09:43 Interchange - Willem de Kooning - 1955 The Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning
09:48 received $4,000 for the oil painting Interchange in 1955.
09:59 The piece displays several points of transition from the abstract expressionist, including
10:04 his choice of subject and technique.
10:07 Although it fetched a fair chunk of change for the time, that sum is paltry compared
10:11 to what it would cost Kenneth C. Griffin to acquire the piece in 2015.
10:19 The hedge fund manager shelled out $300 million to the David Geffen Foundation for the art.
10:26 Plus, Geffen had originally gotten Interchange at a loss to its previous seller, thanks partially
10:32 to a recession in the 1990s.
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10:54 1.
10:55 Salvatore Mondi - Leonardo da Vinci - 1499-1510 This captivating image of Jesus Christ is
11:07 attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, although scholars debate its origins and long history.
11:12 In the 21st century, the piece went on a globe-hopping tour, shown in cities in Asia, Europe, and
11:18 the US, before being put up for auction at Christie's New York in 2017.
11:31 The mystery around the painting did not stop it from selling for a record-setting $450.3
11:38 million to Prince Bade bin Abdullah Al Saud, a Saudi Arabian government figure.
11:44 In the cell, Salvatore Mondi was moved around several times and placed in storage.
11:49 Then, plans were made to exhibit it in a newly constructed museum in 2024.
12:00 Which price tag shocked you the most?
12:03 Let us know in the comments!
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