Most Expensive Photographs ever sold
by theartwolf.com
After the lists featuring the most expensive paintings and the list of most expensive sculptures, now it is time for another Art discipline: Photography. Here is the list of the most expensive photographs ever sold. For the sake of brevity, only works with an inflation-adjusted price of more than $3 million are listed.
| Author | Work | Date | Original Price | Adjusted Price** | Description | Image | Date of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Steichen | The pond – moonlight | 1904 | $2,928,000 | $4,095,500 | Sotheby’s New York , February 2006 The 41 x 50.8 cm . photograph, which somehow resembles Ralph Albert Blakelock’s nightscapes, was previously in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, owner of another of the three copies of the work |  | 2006 |
| Andreas Gursky | 99 Cent II Diptychon | 2001 | $3,346,456 | $4,570,500 | Sotheby’s London , February 2007 The sale of this colorful work was a milestone in the Art market, as it was not only the most expensive photography ever sold, but also almost triplicated the auction record for a contemporary photography. Image © Andreas Gursky |  | 2007 |
| Richard Prince | Untitled (cowboy) | 2000 | $3,525,000 | $4,078,500 | Christie’s New York, May 2016 One more example from the “cowboys” series by Prince | 2016 | |
| Richard Prince | Untitled (cowboy) | 2001-2002 | $3,401,000 | $4,410,000 | Sotheby’s New York, May 2007 One more example from the “cowboys” series by Prince Image © Richard Prince |  | 2007 |
| Jeff Wall | Dead Troops Talk | 1992 | $3,666,500 | $4,434,500 | Christie’s New York, May 2012 This work is number one from an edition of two plus one artist’s proof. Image © Jeff Wall |  | 2012 |
| Richard Prince | Untitled (cowboy) | 1998 | $3,749,000 | $4,380,000 | Christie’s New York, May 2014 The series of “cowboys” are arguably the most famous works by one of the masters of the contemporary photography. | 2014 | |
| Gilbert & George | To Her Majesty | 1973 | $3,750,000 | $4,763,000 | Christie’s London, June 2008 (GBP 1,889,250) A work composed of thirty-seven parts commemorating evenings of drunkenness undertaken by the artists Image © Gilbert & George via Christie's |  | 2008 |
| Cindy Sherman | Untitled #93 | 1981 | $3,861,500 | $4,511,500 | Sotheby’s New York, May 2014 And another excellent example from Sherman’s famous “Centerfolds” series. Image © Cindy Sherman |  | 2014 |
| Cindy Sherman | Untitled #96 | 1981 | $3,890,500 | $4,785,500 | Christie’s New York, May 2011 An excellent example from Sherman’s famous “Centerfolds” series. Image © Cindy Sherman |  | 2011 |
| Richard Prince | Spiritual America | 1983 | $3,973,000 | $4,641,800 | Christie’s New York , May 2014 This nude image of a prepubescent Brooke Shields is a serious contender for the “most controversial photo ever” title. | 2014 | |
| Edward Steichen | The Flatiron | 1904 | $11,840,000 | $11,840,000 | Christie’s New York , November 2022 This example of "The Flatiron," one of Steichen's most iconic images, was part of Paul Allen's collection, and far surpassed its presale estimate of $2 million to $3 million |  | 2022 |
| Man Ray | Le Violon d'Ingres | 1924 | $12,412,500 | $12,412,500 | Christie’s New York , May 2022 One of the most iconic images of Surrealism, this particular copy of "Le Violon d'Ingres" is considered an "original photographic copy", having been made at virtually the same time as its corresponding negative. |  | 2022 |
| Andreas Gursky | Rhein II | 1999 | $4,338,500 | $5,330,000 | Christie’s New York , November 2011 Described by Christie’s as “a breathtaking masterpiece of scale and wonderment”, the work is part of an edition of six photographs. Image © Andreas Gursky |  | 2011 |
UNCONFIRMED. Peter Lik: “Phantom”
$6,500,000
Private sale, 2014
Australian landscape photographer Peter Lik claimed to have sold his work “Phantom” for $6.5 million in 2014. The claim, however, has not been confirmed.
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