What pieces of modern art have sold for small fortunes? Contemporary art gets a bit of a bad rap. While we are long past the days of the old masters, there is still wonderful stuff being produced. The ten pieces that comprise this list have certainly convinced people to spend huge sums of money.
Flag by Jasper Johns
I’ve often heard it said that out of Jasper Johns’ oeuvre, it is his flag paintings that are his most famous. I’m more familiar with his other studies, thanks to the collection at my local art museum. That said Flag is one of those pieces of modern art that fetched a tidy sum. Flag went to a private auction for $110 million in 2010.
Untitled by Jean-Michel Basquiat
Basquiat made a massive impression on modern art in a short period. One of the last proteges of the pop artist, Andy Warhol, Basquiat tragically died at the young age of 27. His work Untitled is one of the most expensive pieces of modern art to sell in recent memory. You can have the most famous of his paintings for a staggering $110.5 million.
Woman III by Willem de Kooning
Kooning was one of the last impressionist masters, passing away in 1997. For a time, he was one of the world’s most expensive living artists. With paintings like Woman III, it isn’t hard to see why. This piece sold for $137.5 million, making it one of the most expensive pieces of modern art ever. However, interestingly, this isn’t even Kooning’s most expensive work on this list.
No. 5 by Jackson Pollock
Pollock’s output makes for some of the most divisive pieces of modern art in recent memory. However, having seen one of his pieces in person, photos don’t do them justice. No. 5 sold for $140 million, making it one of the most expensive examples of his action paintings. For a brief period, it was the most expensive piece of art on the planet.
Three Studies of Lucian Freud by Francis Bacon
This is one of the more unusual pieces of modern art to be found. Francis Bacon is regarded as a master of modern art, and this triptych depicts another master, his friend Lucian Freud. In 2013 the paintings sold for $142.4 million, becoming one of the most expensive pieces of art in history.
Masterpiece by Roy Lichtenstein
Lichtenstein is one of the artists who exemplifies the style and trappings of pop art like no other. Masterpiece is decidedly tongue-in-cheek, resembling a four-color comic panel rather than a massive canvas of impressionistic work. At $165 million, the cheeky message on the canvas certainly came true for one of the most expensive pieces of modern art to be sold.
Les Femmes d’Alger (Version 0) by Pablo Picasso
Picasso is one of the most important artists to grace the planet, despite not fitting into the niche of modern art. That said one of his pieces of modern art is among the most expensive to ever be sold. Les Femmes d’Alger (Version 0) is Picasso during his cubist period and sold for a cool $179.4 million at a Christie’s auction.
No. 6 (Violet, Green, and Red) by Mark Rothko
Rothko is best known for his field paintings, great canvases that work as an exploration of color and texture. No. 6 (Violet, Green, and Red) is one of the more infamous pieces of modern art to be sold for a huge sum. It was part of something called The Bouvier Affair, but the total cost after the fact was $186 million.
Number 17A by Jackson Pollock
At $200 million, Number 17A is one of the most expensive pieces of modern art in existence. Previously featured in Life Magazine, it perhaps is the most famous of Jackson Pollock’s action paintings. Curiously, it was originally mocked upon its unveiling, before becoming one of the most coveted pieces of art in the world.
Interchange by Willem de Kooning
Closing out our list is another entry by Willem de Kooning. Interchange is a stunning work of impressionism, which certainly accounts for its $300 million price tag. While it is one of the most expensive pieces of modern art in recent history, it surely won’t be the last. Works by contemporary masters are only going to go up in value with time.
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