Friday 7 May, 2010

Art As Investment

Art, when it does come up for auction is very rare. And the most expensive ones are works of European masters because among other things, even the well-known auction houses are Eurocentric in their outlook and located in London or New York.
The ten pieces below are the top 10 most expensive works of art since 1990. There may be other works of art that might be better, but they may not have come up for public auction.
The only thing to keep in mind is that this is never going to pay you back quickly. Most of these paintings are over 100 years old.
They are arranged in descending order of big bucks paid out for them, with the Picasso below going for a world record of Rupees 475 crore. A few of these and we could wipe out hunger for ever.

1. Pablo Picasso - Nude, Green leaves and Bust, $106.4 million, sold in 2010


















2. Alberto Giacometti - Walking Man I, $104.3 million, sold in 2010


















3. Pablo Picasso - Boy with a Pipe, $104.2 million


















4. Pablo Picasso - Dora Maar with Cat, $95.2 million, sold in 2006


















5. Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, $87.9 million, sold in 2006


















6. Francis Bacon - Triptych, $86.2 million, sold in 2008









7. Vincent Van Gogh - Portrait of Dr. Gachet, $82.5 million, sold in 1990


















8. Auguste Renoir - Au Moulin de la Galette, $78.1 million, sold in 1990














9. Peter Paul Rubens - Massacre of the Innocents, $76.7 million, sold in 2002













10. Mark Rothko - White Center, $72.8 million, sold in 2007