Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings in the World

1. Nafea Faa Ipoipo? – Paul Gauguin

Nafea Faa Ipoipo?, also known as When Will You Marry? - a unique oil painting by the French artist Paul Gauguin in 1892, portrays two Tahitian girls in traditional attire against a backdrop of hills, vibrant yet subtly melancholic. Although its exact value remains undisclosed, a Qatari collector was compelled to spend a staggering 300 million USD to acquire this extraordinary piece, making Nafea Faa Ipoipo? the current most expensive painting in the world.

The estimated value of Nafea Faa Ipoipo?: 300 million USD (~6.5 trillion VND).

2. No.6 (Violet, Green and Red) – Mark Rothko

The estimated value of the painting No.6 (Violet, Green, and Red) is approximately: $186 million (~4.04 trillion VND).

The Card Players is an oil painting crafted by the French artist Paul Cézanne in the 1890s. Depicting card players, this series employs a dark color palette as its primary hue. Art critics have hailed The Card Players as foundational to Cézanne's artistry during the 1890s, paving the way for his most iconic works in the realm of painting. The painting was acquired by a royal family in Qatar – a nation renowned for its collection of prestigious artworks.

The estimated value of The Card Players is approximately: $274 million (~6 trillion VND).

No.5, 1948 is a masterpiece created in the drip painting style by Jackson Pollock, where paint is dripped onto the canvas placed vertically using a bucket. During its creation, Pollock utilized compressed fiberboard and synthetic resin paints to complete his renowned No.5, 1948. The expert blend of yellow, brown, grey, and white tones led many to perceive the painting as a genuine bird's nest. The painting adds an air of mystery as the buyer, who spent hundreds of millions USD, remains discreetly undisclosed.

No.5, 1948 is valued at: $165.4 million (~3.6 trillion VND).

Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O) stands out as the most iconic painting among Picasso's works from 1954 and 1955 – the renowned Spanish painter and sculptor. Drawing inspiration from the masterpiece 'The Women of Algiers in their Apartment' by French master Eugène Delacroix, Picasso created a series of paintings depicting nude and semi-nude female figures. The later pieces showcase a more refined and less polished aesthetic, with Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O) being acclaimed as the masterpiece of the collection.

Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O) is valued at: $179.4 million (~3.9 trillion VND).

Le Rêve claims the second spot among the top 10 most expensive paintings in the world by the renowned artist Picasso. This oil painting, with dimensions of 130 x 97cm, was created in 1932. Inspired by Picasso's 24-year-old lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, the vibrant color palette used in Le Rêve vividly portrays the vitality of the young woman. The painting suffered damage at the hands of Steve Wynn, its owner, during an incident of macular degeneration. Fortunately, in 2013, the painting was fully restored.

Le Rêve is valued at: $158.5 million (~3.45 trillion VND).

Willem De Kooning, an abstract expressionist painter, created a series of six paintings featuring a woman as the primary subject from 1951-1953. Once part of Tehran Museum's contemporary art collection, Woman III couldn't be exhibited after the 1979 revolution due to the strict art regulations imposed by the government.

Woman III is valued at: $162.4 million (~3.53 trillion VND).

Van Gogh portrayed the doctor Gachet, who cared for him during his final years. Ryoei Saito acquired this painting in 1990, expressing his wish to be cremated alongside it upon his death. However, Saito passed away drowning in debt, and the painting went missing. It changed hands several times before last appearing in the possession of Wolfgang Flöttl.

The Portrait of Doctor Gachet is valued at: $152 million (~3.3 trillion VND).

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is a painting commissioned by the wealthy businessman Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, who also served as its patron. Gustav Klimt fulfilled Bloch's request to paint the portrait of his wife, Mrs. Adele Bloch-Bauer. She became the first and last woman whom Gustav Klimt painted throughout his lifetime. The painting was seized during World War II and was only returned to Adele Bloch-Bauer's granddaughter, Maria Altmann, in 2006.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is valued at: $158.4 million (~3.44 trillion VND).

The artist behind this famous triptych is Francis Bacon – a talented English painter. He created these paintings when he wanted to depict the portrait of his friend and renowned artist, Lucian Freud. Though initially valued at around $80 million before auction, this triptych received overwhelming praise and awe, finally selling for an astonishing $142 million to Elaine Wynn in 2014.

Three Studies of Lucian Freud is currently valued at: $145 million (~3.15 trillion VND).