The ten most costly Van Gogh work – The Artwork Newspaper

Van Gogh’s footage solely sometimes come onto the market and, not surprisingly, they fetch large sums. The odd one is bought privately by way of a supplier, often very discreetly—however in a typical 12 months lower than a handful are publicly auctioned. Right here we file the ten most costly Van Gogh work which have bought at public sale, all at over $50m.

10. Panorama below Stormy Sky, $54m, 2015

Panorama below Stormy Sky was painted in Arles after Van Gogh had mutilated his ear and just some weeks earlier than his departure for the asylum. The meadow is filled with springtime flowers with a strolling couple on the left facet of the sector, set below a dramatic sky. The image fetched $54m in 2015.

9. Irises, $54m, 1987

Irises (Could 1889), which was in all probability the primary portray executed by Van Gogh on the asylum, has had an unusually chequered latest historical past. In 1987 it bought at Sotheby’s for $54m ($160m in at this time’s cash), going to the Australian businessman Alan Bond. He confronted monetary issues and was unable to pay, so possession remained with the public sale home.

In 1990 Sotheby’s then bought Irises to the J. Paul Getty Museum in California in a non-public deal. Though the worth paid by the museum has by no means been disclosed, it was in all probability across the public sale sum. It’s now among the many highlights of the Getty’s assortment.

8. Poppies and Daisies, $62m, 2014

Poppies and Daisies is a dramatic and vibrant nonetheless life, accomplished just some weeks earlier than the artist’s suicide in Auvers-sur-Oise. It bought for $62m, going to the Chinese language leisure firm proprietor Wang Zhongjun.

Wang can also be an newbie artist who enjoys portray flower nonetheless lifes. After the public sale he commented that the ultimate sum was “barely decrease than I anticipated”. Wang’s buy is one other indication of how the Van Gogh market has shifted dramatically prior to now few years—from North America and Europe to East Asia (China, Hong Kong and South Korea). It’s believed that possession might now reside with different Chinese language consumers.

7. Parisian Novels, $63m, 2025

Parisian Novels (November-December 1887) depicts primarily yellow-covered books unfold on a desk. All the opposite work on this high ten are from Van Gogh’s extra valued years in Provence and Auvers-sur-Oise, however this work represents a file worth for one in every of his barely earlier footage executed in Paris. The nonetheless life was bought from the gathering of Chicago-based collectors Cindy and Jay Pritzker. It has additionally apparently gone to a Chinese language purchaser.

6. The Avenue of Les Alyscamps, $66m, 2015

The Avenue of Les Alyscamps was painted in Arles, just a few days after the arrival of Van Gogh’s good friend Paul Gauguin, who additionally painted the scene shut by. In 2003 the Van Gogh panorama had bought at Christie’s for $12m, however when it returned to public sale in 2015 an nameless purchaser paid $66m—greater than 5 occasions as a lot. It, too, is believed to have gone to a Chinese language collector.

5. Wood Cabins among the many Olive Timber and Cypresses, $71m, 2021

Wood Cabins among the many Olive Timber and Cypresses went for $71m in 2021. A hanging and little recognized panorama portray, it was executed within the countryside exterior the asylum. It went to Hugo Nathan, of the London artwork advisors Beaumont Nathan, for an unnamed personal shopper.

4. Self-portrait and not using a Beard, $72m, 1998

Self-portrait and not using a Beard soared to $72m (in at this time’s cash $150m) when it was auctioned again in 1998. Van Gogh’s self-portraits are extremely prized and solely two others stay in personal arms. This one was notably private for Vincent, since he painted it within the asylum as a present to his mom for her seventieth birthday. It’s believed to be hidden away in a really personal European assortment.

3. Labourer in a Area, $81m, 2017

Labourer in a Area bought for $81m in 2017. Additionally painted within the asylum, it was impressed by the view from Van Gogh’s bed room. A ploughman is at work, set beneath one of many artist’s highly effective suns. Like most Van Goghs that come onto the market, this too bought to an nameless purchaser.

2. Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet, $83m, 1990

Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet held the file as the costliest Van Gogh for over 30 years. As way back as 1990 it fetched $83m at Christie’s, then the very best public sale worth for a piece by any artist. With inflation, this may be equal to $210m at this time. In actual phrases, this implies it stays the costliest Van Gogh.

So why did it make the file worth? It’s undoubtedly amongst Van Gogh’s most interesting portraits. Dr Gachet was a key determine in Vincent’s life, caring for him after the artist shot himself in Auvers-sur-Oise, so the identification of the sitter provides drastically to its curiosity.

In 1990 Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet went to a Tokyo purchaser—at a time when Japanese collectors have been feverishly competing over the massive names of Impressionism and Submit-Impressionism. It was purchased by the businessman Ryoei Saito, who later claimed that he wished the portray to be cremated along with his physique. Fortuitously, this didn’t happen on his dying in 1996, and as an alternative the Van Gogh was bought privately to Wolfgang Flöttl, an Austrian funding supervisor. After he confronted monetary issues the portrait modified arms once more and is now owned by an especially secretive European billionaire.

1. Orchard with Cypresses, $117m, 2022

In 2022 Orchard with Cypresses bought at Christie’s, New York for $117m, coming from the gathering of Microsoft co-founder, the late Paul Allen. It is likely one of the sequence of spring blossom work which Van Gogh made quickly after his arrival in Arles. It now stands as a file worth for a Van Gogh portray—till the following nice masterpiece comes alongside.

And never forgetting Sunflowers, $40m, 1987

Lacking from the highest ten is Sunflowers, which bought in 1987, when the growth in artwork costs was simply starting. It’s one in every of seven nonetheless lifes of sunflowers that Van Gogh painted in Arles. This one is his personal copy of the unique model with a yellow background which is now at London’s Nationwide Gallery.

When it got here up at Christie’s in 1987, the £24m ($40m) paid was thrice greater than any paintings had ever fetched at public sale ($120m in at this time’s cash). It was additionally the primary time the file worth for a murals had been for a Trendy image, moderately than an Previous Grasp. The client was the Tokyo-based Yasuda insurance coverage firm. The agency was later taken over by the Sompo firm and the Van Gogh is now the star attraction on the Sompo Museum of Artwork.

The Tokyo Sunflowers has proved to be an astonishing funding. If it ever got here onto the market once more, it might definitely go for a number of hundred million {dollars}.

Report costs

A lot of Van Goghs have been bought privately for costs in the identical vary as those who went to public sale. These embrace Portrait of Joseph Roulin (January 1889), acquired by New York’s Museum of Trendy Artwork in 1989; a model of Wheatfield with Cypresses (June 1889), acquired by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Artwork in 1993; and Woman towards a Background of Wheat (June 1890), purchased by on line casino boss Steve Wynn in 1999 and now owned by hedge fund supervisor Steven Cohen.

All the high ten have been bought in New York, a sign that the principle demand has shifted away from Europe. However occasions are altering, and the market is transferring once more.

In 2021, Sotheby’s bought Nonetheless life: Vase with Gladioli (August-September 1886) in Hong Kong. It went for the equal of US$9m, doubtless going to a Chinese language purchaser. Christie’s adopted go well with, promoting Moored Boats (July 1887) in Hong Kong in 2024, for the equal of US$32m. On 27 March 2026, it bought the early Dutch work A Woman in a Wooden (August 1883) there, the place it fetched the equal of US$4m. It now appears that half of all Van Gogh work bought find yourself with Asian collectors.

The very best costs are all for oil work, not for works on paper. In terms of watercolours, the costliest has been Wheatstacks (June 1888), which bought at Christie’s for $36m in 2021.

The most costly Van Gogh drawing is Sower in a Wheatfield with setting Solar (July 1888). It was bought at Sotheby’s for $11m in 2025.

Martin Bailey is a number one Van Gogh specialist and particular correspondent for The Artwork Newspaper. He has curated exhibitions on the Barbican Artwork Gallery, Compton Verney/Nationwide Gallery of Scotland and Tate Britain.

Martin has written plenty of bestselling books on Van Gogh’s years in France: The Sunflowers Are Mine: The Story of Van Gogh’s Masterpiece (Frances Lincoln 2013, UK and US), Studio of the South: Van Gogh in Provence (Frances Lincoln 2016, UK and US), Starry Evening: Van Gogh on the Asylum (White Lion Publishing 2018, UK and US) and Van Gogh’s Finale: Auvers and the Artist’s Rise to Fame (Frances Lincoln 2021, UK and US). The Sunflowers are Mine (2024, UK and US) and Van Gogh’s Finale (2024, UK and US) are additionally now obtainable in a extra compact paperback format.

His different latest books embrace Residing with Vincent van Gogh: The Properties & Landscapes that formed the Artist (White Lion Publishing 2019, UK and US), which supplies an outline of the artist’s life. The Illustrated Provence Letters of Van Gogh has been reissued (Batsford 2021, UK and US). My Pal Van Gogh/Emile Bernard supplies the primary English translation of Bernard’s writings on Van Gogh (David Zwirner Books 2023, UKand US).

To contact Martin Bailey, please e mail vangogh@theartnewspaper.com

Please word that he doesn’t undertake authentications.

Discover all of Martin’s adventures with Van Gogh right here