The most expensive photos ever
In This Article, We Introduce Some Of The Most Expensive Works Of Photography Ever Recorded.
The popularity of photography, as one of the newest forms of art, is constantly increasing in the art market. This is evidenced by the sale of the most expensive photographic work for $838,000 in 1999, $922,488 in sales over the past four years, and two years later when the first photo sold for $1,248,000.
Andreas Gorski, whose works have been sold as the most expensive photographs in auctions, has been the most successful photographer in this field by selling nine prints for more than one million dollars. After him, Cindy Sherman has been the most successful female photographer in these auctions, selling seven works for more than one million dollars.
Photo of “Tobolsk Kremlin” (Kremlin Castle in Tobolsk – Russia) with digital print by Dmitry Medvedev in 2009, the newest picture of this list, and “113 Athenes, Temple de Jupiter” with daguerreotype print by Joseph Philibert Gerald Perengi in 1842. These photos were recorded at an interval of 167 years. It is the oldest recorded photo.
Some photographs, such as Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled Film Still 48” and “Untitled 96” and Richard Prince’s “Untitled (cowboy”), various prints of which have sold in different years and at other auction houses, have been sold several times in The list can be seen.
One of the most recent additions to the shortlist is “Orphaned Cheetah Cubs, Mweiga, near Nyeri, Kenya, March 1968” by Peter Baird, auctioned October 10, 2017, at Christie’s in New York City in the “Estate Photographs of the Museum of Modern Art” auction.
“sold. This sale did not break the record of 20 expensive photos, But it was among the most expensive photos sold this year. As a print of Edward Weston’s photography was registered at New York Christie’s in April of last year, other prints such as “Freischwimmer 84” by Wolfgang Tillmans ($800,000, Phillips London), “May Day IV” by Andreas Gorski (€758,750, Christie’s, London) and “Red Morning” by gilbert and George (€848,750, Christie’s London) makes this year’s final list.
But in the year this article was written, two special sales took place, both of which belonged to artist photographer Man Ray; not only the works of this artist entered this list for the first time, both sales were included in the list of 20 expensive works. “Portrait of a tearful woman” by Man Ray, sold for $2.1 million at Christie’s in New York in May 2015, was his first work to enter the list of 20 most expensive pictures.
This was a record for the artist, broken six months later with the sale of his “Noire et Blanche” for 2.6 million euros at Christie’s in Paris. It was the 14th most expensive work sold at auction up to that time and the most expensive photograph sold that year.
The vast majority of these photos were created with analog cameras, which shows that film photography is far more valuable than digital photography. As more and more of these works of art are sold, the topic of the most expensive photos sold is starting to falter.
However, the updated list (this update is at the time of writing) of the 20 most expensive works sold at the auction house (in ascending order) is as follows:
20. Cindy Sherman – Untitled 92 1981
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Christie’s New York in November 2013 for $2,045,000.
19. Man Ray – Portrait of a Tearful Woman 1936
Gelatin silver hand print. It was sold at Christie’s New York in May 2017 for $2,167,500.
18. Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still 48
Chromogenic color print. Sold at Sotheby’s in November 2014 for $2,225,000.
17. Anonymous – “Billy the Kid” (Fort Sumner, New Mexico) 1879
Tintype. It sold for $2,300,000 at Brian Lebel’s Old West Show auction in June 2011
16. Andreas Gorski – Paris, Montparnasse 1993
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Sotheby’s in London in October 2013 for $2,416,475.
15. Andreas Gursky – Chicago Board of Trade 1997
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Sotheby’s in London in June 2013 for 2,507,755.
14. Man Ray – Noire et Blanche, 1926
Silver print. It was sold at Christie’s Paris in November 2017 for €2,688,750.
13. Cindy Sherman – Untitled 153 1985
Chromogenic color printing. In November 2010, it was sold at Phillips New York for $2,770,500.
12. Cindy Sherman – Untitled 96 1981
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Christie’s New York in May 2012 for $2,882,500.
11. Andreas Gorski – Los Angeles 1998
Chromogenic color printing. In February 2008, it was sold at Sotheby’s in London for $2,900,000.
10. Edward Steichen – The Pond – Moonlight 1904
Gum print on platinum. It was sold at Sotheby’s in New York in February 2006 for $2,928,000.
9. Cindy Sherman – Untitled Film Still 48
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Christie’s New York in May 2015 for $2,965,000.
8. Richard Prince – cowboy
Octacolor printing. It was sold at Sotheby’s New York in May 2014 for $3,077,000.
7. Andreas Gorski – Chicago Board of Trade 1997
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Sotheby’s in London in June 2013 for $3,298,755.
6. Andreas Gorski – ninety nine Cent II Diptychon 2001
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Sotheby’s in London in February 2007 for $3,346,456.
5. Jeff Wahl – Dead Troops Talk 1992
Transparency in the lightbox. It was sold at Christie’s New York in May 2012 for $3,666,500.
4. Gilbert and George – To Her Majesty 1973
Gelatin silver print. It was sold at Christie’s London in June 2008 for $3,765,276.
3. Cindy Sherman – Untitled 96 1981
Chromogenic color printing. It was sold at Christie’s New York in May 2011 for $3,890,500.
1. Andreas Gorski – Rhein II 1999
