Surf Wiki
Save to docs
arts

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

List of most expensive sculptures

None

Summary

None

This is a list of the highest known prices paid for sculptures.

Most valuable sculptures

Alberto Giacometti's L'Homme au doigt was auctioned for $141.3 million at Christie's in May 2015, the highest price for any sculpture at auction. Giacometti's L'Homme qui marche I had previously achieved the highest price of any sculpture when it was auctioned by Sotheby's in February 2010. Selling for US$104.3 million, it ranks amongst the most valuable works of art.

In 2005, Constantin Brâncuși's Bird in Space broke records when it sold for $27.5 million. The previous world record was another work by Brâncuși called Danaide, which was sold for $18.1 million in May 2002. The 2005 record stood for two years until a highly regarded work of antiquity surpassed the price. Artemis and the Stag, found in the 1920s at a Roman construction site, fetched $28.6 million in June 2007. The record would only stand for a few months, with a work by Pablo Picasso, Tete de femme (Dora Maar), surpassing it by half a million US dollars in November 2007.

In December 2007, the sale of the Guennol Lioness, a statue from around 3000 BC, nearly doubled the previous record price when it sold for $57.2 million. It is the fifth-most valuable sculpture to date (2018) and the most valuable piece from antiquity.

Damien Hirst has claimed that his sculpture For the Love of God, which consists of a platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, was sold for £50 million (around US$75 million) in August 2007. The truth of this private sale, which was to an unknown consortium, has been called into question. If the sale did take place, For the Love of God would become the second-most expensive sculpture ever sold and would have fetched the highest price for a sculpture by a living artist.

2010 was a good year for record-breaking sculpture prices but it did not continue into 2011. Jeff Koons' porcelain Pink Panther was estimated to fetch a value of up to $30 million, but only achieved just over half that.

Louise Bourgeois holds the record ($32.1 million in 2019) for Spider, the highest price paid for an attributable sculpture by a woman (since the sculptor of Guennol Lioness is unknown).

A Sasanian relief illegally hacked out of living rock in Iran was intended to be sold in a British auction site with an estimated price of $37m, but it was accidentially discovered by security forces.

Auction details

All the most expensive sculptures have been sold by one of two auction houses: Sotheby's and Christie's. Sotheby's has hosted the auctions of the two works that reached the highest price, one in London and the other in New York. Only three of the top ten have auctioned outside of New York; one in London and two in Paris.

The top ten highest value sculptures were made by seven different people, two of whom are unknown and will never be identified. An Alberto Giacometti sculpture is the most valuable modern work, and he has three more entries in the top ten. Four Constantin Brâncuși sculptures are featured on the list, and Jeff Koons' work appears three times. Although Pablo Picasso only appears once he appears numerous times in the list of most expensive paintings.

Several buyers have chosen to remain anonymous, while others publicly celebrate their purchases.

Most expensive sculpture by a female artist

Louise Bourgeois' 1996 Spider is the most expensive sculpture by a woman artist, selling for $32.1 million in 2019.

List of highest prices paid

The highest prices paid for sculptures :

Adjusted price (in millions US)Original price (in millions US)SculptureImageArtistYearDate of saleSellerBuyerAuction houseRefs$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$141.3L'Homme au doigt1947Sheldon SolowPrivate collectionChristie's, New York
$104.3L'Homme qui marche I1961CommerzbankSotheby's, London
$101.0Chariot1950Sotheby's, New York
$91.1RabbitMost expensive sculpture by a living artist1986Estate of S. I. NewhouseSteven A. Cohen (via Robert Mnuchin)Christie's, New York
$71La jeune fille sophistiquée (Portrait de Nancy Cunard)1928-1932Elizabeth StaffordPrivateChristie's, New York
$70.7Tête1911-1912Sotheby's, New York
$59.5Tête1910–1912Private collectionChristie's, ParisBloomberg]]''. 14 June 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011.
$58.4Balloon Dog (Orange)1994–2000Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, New York
$57.3La muse endormie1913Jacques UlmannPrivateChristie's, New York
$57.2Guennol LionessUnknownc.3000 BCPrivate collectionSotheby's, New York
$53.3Grande tête mince1955Private collectionChristie's, New York
$50.0Grand tête mince (Grand tête de Diego)1955Private collectionBill AcquavellaSotheby's, New York
$48.8Nu de dos, 4 état (Back IV)1958Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, New York
$37.6Madame LR (Portrait de Mme LR)1914–17Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre BergéPrivate collectionChristie's, Paris
$33.8Jim Beam J.b. Turner Train1986Christie's, New York
$33.7Tulips1995-2004Christie's, New York
$32.1Spider[[File:MAM - Aranha - Louise Bourgeois - Parque do Ibirapuera - panoramio.jpgframeless150x150px]]Louise Bourgeois1996
$31Winged GeniusUnknownc. 883 - 859 B.C.Virginia Theological SeminaryPrivate collectionChristie's, New York
$30.1Reclining Figure: Festival[[File:Henry Moore, Reclining Figure (6874668218).jpgframeless150x150px]]1951Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, London
$29.1Tete de femme (Dora Maar)1941Private collectionSotheby's, New York
$28.6Artemis and the Stag[[File:Artemis Met Museum.jpg100px]]Unknownc.100 BC – 100 ADAlbright-Knox Art GalleryPrivate collectionSotheby's, New York
$28.2Popeye2009 - 2011Sotheby's, New York
$27.5Bird in Space1922–1923Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, New York
$27.5Grande Femme Debout II1961Christie's, New York

Notes

References

References

  1. Kazakina, Katya. (2015-05-12). "Giacometti Sculpture Sells for $141.3 Million at Christie's".
  2. [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/03/giacometti-sculpture-lhom_n_448243.html Giacometti Sculpture 'L'Homme qui marche I' Fetches $104.3 Million, World Record: Sotheby's (PHOTO)]. ''[[The Huffington Post]]''. 5 April 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  3. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4516303.stm Sculpture breaks auction record]. [[BBC News]]. 5 May 2005. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  4. West, Nina P. [https://www.forbes.com/2007/06/19/collecting-auction-art-forbeslife_cx_nw_0619pow.html Artemis At The Top]. Artfact.com, [[Forbes]]. 19 June 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  5. Crow, Kelly. [https://blogs.wsj.com/ontheblock/2007/11/08/sothebys-aggressive-sale-falls-flat/ Sotheby's "Aggressive" Sale Falls Flat]. ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''. 8 November 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  6. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7130337.stm Lion sculpture gets record price]. [[BBC News]]. 6 December 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  7. Connet, David. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-mystery-of-the-pound50m-skull-is-hirsts-record-sale-all-it-seems-401183.html The mystery of the £50m skull: Is Hirst's record sale all it seems?]. ''[[The Independent]]''. 2 September 2007. Accessed 21 October 2011.
  8. [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/13/2011-auction-round-up-who_n_924959.html 2011 Auction Round-Up: Who's on Top and Who Flopped (PHOTOS, VIDEO)]. ''[[The Huffington Post]]''. 13 August 2011. Accessed 5 November 2011.
  9. (2016-05-24). "The Most Expensive Female Artists 2016 - artnet News". artnet News.
  10. (1 April 2023). "Smuggled Iranian carving worth £30m seized at airport by UK border patrol". The Guardian.
  11. Fernández, G. [http://www.theartwolf.com/10_expensive_sculptures.htm Most Expensive Sculptures Ever Sold]. ''theartwolf.com''. November 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011.
  12. [http://www.art-katalog.com/english/77/30/1 Most Expensive Sculpture In The World] {{webarchive. link. (2012-04-24 . ''Art-Katalog.com''. Accessed 4 November 2011.)
  13. Miller, M. H.. (2015-04-15). "Giacometti's 'L'homme Au Doigt,' Coming to Auction for the First Time, Could Become Most Expensive Sculpture Ever".
  14. (5 November 2014). "The Not So Special Hundred-Million-Dollar Giacometti".
  15. (May 15, 2019). "Jeff Koons 'Rabbit' Sets Auction Record for Most Expensive Work by Living Artist". The New York Times.
  16. "Constantin Brancusi's ''La jeune fille sophistiquée (Portrait de Nancy Cunard)''".
  17. "Amedeo Modigliani - TÊTE".
  18. Reyburn, Scott. "[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-14/modigliani-sculpture-fetches-43-2-million-euros-french-record.html Modigliani Sculpture Fetches 43.2 Million Euros, French Record]". ''[[Bloomberg L.P.. Bloomberg]]''. 14 June 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011.
  19. "[http://www.christies.com/features/2010-june-amedeo-modigliani-tete-781-3.aspx Gallery Talk: Amedeo Modigliani's Tête]". [[Christie's]]. 7 June 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011.
  20. Abramovitch, Seth. "[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jeff-koons-balloon-dog-sculpture-655548 Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog Sculpture Sells for Record-Breaking $58.4 Million]". ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''. 12 November 2013. Accessed 12 November 2013.
  21. (16 May 2017). "Brancusi sells for a record $57.3 million as New York sales get off to 'fantastic start'".
  22. [http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5313326 Grande tête mince]. [[Christie's]]. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  23. Crow, Kelly. [https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303309504579182630692622884 Sotheby's Strong Sale Anchored by $50 Million Giacometti Bronze]. ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''. 7 November 2013. Accessed 7 November 2013.
  24. [http://www.sothebys.com/content/sothebys/en/news-video/blogs/all-blogs/impressions/2013/11/sothebys-impressionist-modern-art-auction-results.html Impressionist and Modern Art Sale's Triumphant Results]. [[Sotheby's]]. 6 November 2012. Accessed 7 November 2013.
  25. [http://www.christies.com/features/henri-matisse-back-1090-3.aspx In the Saleroom: Henri Matisse's Nu de dos, 4 état (Back IV)]. [[Christie's]]. 4 November 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  26. [http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5157360 Madame L.R. (Portrait de Mme L.R.)]. [[Christie's]]. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  27. "Jeff Koons (B. 1955), Jim Beam - J.B. Turner Train".
  28. "Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010)".
  29. (31 October 2018). "A 3,000-Year-Old Stone Relief Sold for $31 Million at Christie's, Setting a New Record for Assyrian Art".
  30. "Jeff Koons - POPEYE".
  31. "Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), Grande femme debout II".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

sculpture lists-of-most-expensive-things lists-of-visual-art-topics lists-of-sculptures
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about List of most expensive sculptures — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report