Art is more than a way to convey ideas and the beauty of the world. For many, it’s a financial investment. The right work of art can appreciate over time and, when sold, yield millions (upon millions) of dollars in profit. A painting’s sold price at auction can also clue us into trends and other market factors that are elevating the price of artwork. Here, we take a look at the most valuable paintings as of 2025.
The most expensive paintings aren’t necessarily sold at auction. Many are sold during private sales, which shields information about who the buyer is and the exact price paid. Still, the sale prices eventually come to light, whether through a press release or because of a lawsuit.
Scroll down to see what work makes the top of the most expensive art list.
Wondering what the most valuable paintings are? Here's the top five as of 2025.
5. Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?) by Paul Gauguin | $210 million
In 2014, the nation of Qatar bought Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?) by Paul Gauguin. The piece was one of Gauguin’s first after visiting Tahiti in 1891. It was first reported that the painting was sold for $300 million, surpassing the Cézanne bought a few years earlier. However, a legal dispute later revealed that the painting sold for $210 million.
4. The Card Players by Paul Cézanne | $250 million
Before purchasing Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?), Qatar bought Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players for $250 million in 2011. At the time, it more than doubled the current auction record for a single work of art. Featuring two peasants involved in a card game, the final sale price was viewed as astronomical. But, it seems there was some reasoning behind the big bid; The Card Players is one of a series of five, and by obtaining one of the pieces, Qatar put itself in the ranks of the other owners—the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Courtauld in London, and the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.
3. Interchange by Willem de Kooning | $300 million
Abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning painted Interchange in 1955, and in 2016, it sold for $300 million in a private sale. Hedge fund investor Kenneth Griffin bought it from DreamWorks studio co-founder David Geffen. The painting is now on loan to the Norton in West Palm Beach, Florida.
2. Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci | $450.3 million
The auction for Salvator Mundi happened in 2017 and set a new record for the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. Created around 1500, the piece is a rediscovered masterwork by Leonardo da Vinci. It was first bought in 2006 on a hunch that the famed Renaissance painter was the author. After years of restoration and scholarly speculation, it's generally accepted as such, although there is no conclusive way to determine it. This, however, didn’t stop bidders from engaging in a 19-minute bidding war in 2017 that went well beyond the starting bid of $100 million. Before this Christie’s New York auction, no artwork had sold for more than $200 million.
1. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci | Up to $1 Billion
First things first: the Mona Lisa isn’t going up for auction. It will remain at Paris’ Louvre for the foreseeable future. But that doesn’t mean experts can’t speculate on its value, thus setting a ceiling for other works. This icon of the Renaissance is valued at up to $1 billion because of its historical and cultural significance. It’s easy to see why; an estimated 10 million people a year flock to the masterpiece painting, making it the most visited painting in the world.
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