FX.co ★ Christie's records: most expensive paintings, sold at auctions

The highest price in the history of all open auctions was paid for the painting "Les Femmes d'Alger" (Women of Algiers) by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. In 2015, this masterpiece went under the hammer at the Christie's auction for unprecedented $179,4 million.

One of the most expensive oils of the auction house Christie's is the canvas "Nu couché" (Reclining Nude) by the brush of the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. In 2015, this lot was bought for impressive $170,4 million. The painting became the second in the world among the most expensive paintings ever went under the hammer at the open auctions.

One of the most famous Gustav Klimt's paintings - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I - was sold for $135 million at the Christie's auction in 2006. Now, this sum is equal to $158,7 million.

The fourth place is occupied by the Van Gogh's painting "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" that was sold at the Christie's auction in 1990 for $82,5 million (now, it's equal to $149,7 million).

The triptych "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" by the brush of Francis Bacon was the most expensive canvas at the open auctions from 2013 to 2015 (when the painting Women of Algiers was sold). In 2013 the Bacon's work went under the hammer at the Christie's auction for $142,4 million.

The canvas "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" by Pablo Picasso was bought by anonymous for $106,5 million at the Christie's auction in 2010. At that time, this price was the highest in the history of open auctions.

The painting "Self-portrait without beard" by the brush of one of the most popular artist of the 19-20 centuries - Van Gogh - was sold at Christie's for $71,5 million in 1998 (now, it would be $104 million).

In the top-10 of the most expensive paintings sold at Christie's there is also another Gustav Klimt's canvas (it is noteworthy that there is again Adele Bloch-Bauer) - "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II". This painting was purchased in 2006 for $87,9 million, or $103,4 million in the current course.

The painting "Nurse" in the pop art style by Roy Lichtenstein takes the ninth place. In 2015, this lot went under the hammer at Christie's for $95,4 million.

The most expensive painting of the period of post-war art sold at Christie's auction was the canvas "Orange, red, yellow" by Mark Rothko. In 2012, one of the abstractionism admirers bought this painting for $86,9 million.