9. Rhein II, Sold for $4.3 millions
Called “Rhein II” and taken by Andreas Gursky, the picture above is the world’s most expensive photograph. Sold in 2011 at Christie’s for $4.3 million, Rhein II broke the previous record for the price of a photograph, which was set by Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled #96″ at $3.89 million. The auction doesn’t explain why such a seemingly simple, somewhat boring picture would be sold for such a high price, but hey, art is art.
10. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I
This 1907 painting by Gustav Klimt was one of two portraits he made with Adele Bloch Bauer as the subject. Considered one of his greatest masterpieces, this painting was sold to Ronald Lauder for $135 million in an auction held in New York City in June 2006, making it the most expensive painting in the world for a period of four months. Currently, it holds an adjusted value of $155.8 million.
