Many art collectors are willing to spend hefty prices in the name of good art. Every year, auction houses and private galleries witness record-breaking sales for works from old artists. Let’s take a look at some of the most expensive paintings ever sold in art history. 

Mona Lisa 

• Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
• Value: $970 Million
• Owner: Louvre in Paris

Mona Lisa takes the top spot as the world's costliest painting. This masterpiece is an impeccable symbol of French heritage. The painting presents a woman in a half-body portrait. 

Salvator Mundi 

• Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
• Value: $450.3 Million
• Owner: Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud

This masterpiece vanished from sight for two centuries before reemerging in 2005 at an obscure art auction in New Orleans for a mere $1,175. However, its return culminated in a momentous sale at Christie's New York in 2017, fetching an astonishing $450.3 million. 

Interchange 

• Artist: Willem de Kooning
• Value: $300 Million
• Owner: Kenneth C. Griffin

This painting comes from the time of Abstract Expressionism, courtesy of New York's Willem de Kooning. As of now, it is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago and it continues to captivate art enthusiasts, offering a rare glimpse into de Kooning's skills. 

The Card Players 

• Artist: Paul Cézanne
• Value: $250 Million
• Owner: State of Qatar

Deemed as the 'father of modern art’, Paul Cézanne often emerges a star at high-priced auctions. This painting fetched a substantial $250 million acquisition by the Royal Family of Qatar in 2011. There are four distinct versions of this masterpiece. Out of this, three are now at the halls of major public museum collections.

Nafea Faa Ipoipo

• Artist: Paul Gauguin
• Value: $210 Million
• Owner: State of Qatar

Paul Gauguin's ‘Nafea Faa Ipoipo?’ translates to ‘When Will You Marry?’. This masterpiece emerged as a Post-Impressionist gem in 1892. After Switzerland, it found a new home in February 2015, with Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani acquiring it for nearly $210 million.