Art ScannerHow much are famous paintings worth?
Most famous paintings have no price: they are in museums and are not for sale. What you can know is what a work, or the same artist's best work, actually sold for. Here are 22 of the best-known paintings with that number.
The paintings
The Starry NightVincent van GoghVan Gogh's record: $117M
Mona LisaLeonardo da VinciInsured value: $100M
The ScreamEdvard MunchMunch's record: $120M
Girl with a Pearl EarringJohannes VermeerVermeer's record: $30.1M
The KissGustav KlimtKlimt's record: $236M
The Night WatchRembrandt van RijnRembrandt's record: $199M
The Birth of VenusSandro BotticelliBotticelli's record: $92.2M
The Last SupperLeonardo da VinciLeonardo's record: $450M
Impression, SunriseClaude MonetMonet's record: $111M
Luncheon of the Boating PartyPierre-Auguste RenoirRenoir's record: $78.1M
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?Paul GauguinGauguin's record: $106M
Wheatfield with CrowsVincent van GoghVan Gogh's record: $117M
Café Terrace at NightVincent van GoghVan Gogh's record: $117M
The MilkmaidJohannes VermeerVermeer's record: $30.1M
Starry Night Over the RhôneVincent van GoghVan Gogh's record: $117M
IrisesVincent van GoghSold for: $53.9M
Portrait of Dr. GachetVincent van GoghSold for: $82.5M
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer IGustav KlimtSold for: $135M
The Great Wave off KanagawaKatsushika HokusaiOne impression sold for: $2.79M
The Little Fourteen-Year-Old DancerEdgar DegasOne cast sold for: $41.6M
The Blue BoyThomas GainsboroughSold for: $728K
Massacre of the InnocentsPeter Paul RubensSold for: $76.7M
Each artist's highest documented sale
Nominal US dollars as reported at the time of sale, buyer's premium included where the source includes it. Tap an artist for their famous works and prices.
Works with their own price record
| Work | Price | Where and when | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci | Insured value: $100 million | Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1962 | Musée du Louvre, Paris |
| Irises Vincent van Gogh | Sold for: $53.9 million | Sotheby's New York, 1987 | J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles |
| Portrait of Dr. Gachet Vincent van Gogh | Sold for: $82.5 million | Christie's New York, 1990 | — |
| Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I Gustav Klimt | Sold for: $135 million | Private sale, 2006 | Neue Galerie, New York |
| The Great Wave off Kanagawa Katsushika Hokusai | One impression sold for: $2.79 million | Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025 | — |
| The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer Edgar Degas | One cast sold for: $41.6 million | Christie's New York, 2022 | — |
| The Blue Boy Thomas Gainsborough | Sold for: $728,000 | Private sale, 1921 | The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California |
| Massacre of the Innocents Peter Paul Rubens | Sold for: $76.7 million | Sotheby's London, 2002 | Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto |
Point your phone at one
Art Scanner names a famous painting from a photo and shows its price tag: the work's own sale, or the artist's record, with the museum that holds it.
Questions
How much are famous paintings worth?
Most have no price: 19 of the 22 paintings here are held by museums, and works in public collections are not sold. The best guide is what the same artist's work has sold for, from $3.48 million (John Everett Millais) to $450.3 million (Leonardo da Vinci).
What is the most expensive painting ever sold?
Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci: $450.3 million at Christie's New York in 2017.
Is the Mona Lisa for sale?
No. It is held by the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Its best-known figure is an insurance valuation of $100 million in 1962.
Can I find out what my own painting is worth?
Art Scanner identifies famous works and shows their sale records. For a painting you made, it suggests a starting price from a photo and its size; for a home or thrift-shop find with no known artist, treat any number as a rough range, not an appraisal.
