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Artworks can be some of the most prized possessions for collectors. Paintings are huge valuable pieces that sell for a high price at auctions. While many want to buy beautiful artwork, there are a limited number of paintings available and made every year. Famous artists like Picasso and Monet are not alive. Hence their pieces are more valuable. When it comes to living artists, paintings require a lot of dedicated hours and effort, which is why they only produce a limited number of paintings. This makes their work unique, and everybody wants to get their hands on them. Art professionals like dealers and gallerists promote their work and determine the quality of the painting. When painters get their art recognized, they hit the jackpot.
While prices can vary with every art piece, the best painters in the world have sold their paintings for millions of dollars. From abstract pieces to futuristic designs, let’s take a look at the richest painters in the world.
Gerhard Richter
Inspired by Picasso and Jean Arp’s work, Gerhard Richter’s imagination is wild. His paintings are depicted in abstracts and photorealism in a contemporary style. He is famously known for his textured multi-colored abstract styling of painting. In 2020, Richter became the most expensive artist from the West to sell at an Asian auction when his 1987 piece called Abstraktes Bild was sold for $27.6 million. Richter has a net worth of $40 million.
Bridget Riley
Bridget Riley can make paintings talk. Her famous op-art pieces have sold for millions of dollars everywhere. She draws repetitive clean lines that pop out of the canvas and go back inside. The recent addition to her $85 million net worth was when her 1966 Untilted work was sold at a Christie’s auction for $5.7 million, as noted by Alux. Two of her other pieces also earned her more than $5 million at the auction.
Takashi Murakami
Takashi Murakami has been in the spotlight for a while. Known to showcase the Japanese culture, Murakami coined the term Super Flat. This term describes the artist’s traditions and the Japanese culture and society post World War. His $92 million net worth is not only because of his famous paintings. Murakami is known to collaborate with Louis Vuitton, and he even designed the cover for a Kanye West album.
David Choe
One of the youngest artists on the list, David Choe, is a 45-year old Korean descendent graphic novelist known for his American murals and raw street paintings. He coined the term Dirty Style as his paintings depict degradation and desire. In 2007 when Facebook gained momentum, Mark Zuckerberg invited the artist to paint murals at the headquarters. As mentioned by Picky Top, Choe asked for $60,000 in stock, and the deal was a smart investment as the painter now has a net worth of $200 million.
Jasper Johns
Next up is the oldest artist on the list, Jasper Johns. At the age of 91, he has many awards and a successful career behind him. One of his best-known paintings is the 1983 Flag, which has the American flag painted on a canvas. In 2014, the Sotheby’s auction sold the piece for a whopping $87 million. Along with an estimated net worth of $300 million, Johns had also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and National Medal of Artists.
Jeff Koons
Koons has a big name in the world of art with a net worth of $500 million. Koons started his career as a struggling painter but found his momentum by working hard. According to The Explorian, his most famous painting was the Balloon Dog (Orange), which sold at an auction for $58.4 million. In 2019, Koons sold his piece called Rabbit for an astonishing $91 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
Damien Hirst
A member of the Young British Artists since the late 90s, Damien Hirst’s career has always soared upwards. His artworks are a take on the iconic pop references, which has made him an artist elite within the industry. His installation arts convey imagery and death, and no artist can make formaldehyde animals as appalling and appealing as Hirst. His net worth is an estimated $1 billion, and his most famous painting was Lullaby Spring which sold for $19.2 million.
Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha has sold more than 50 paintings for over a million dollars and earned a $1.2 billion net worth. He is considered a Pop Artist since his paintings are inspired by today’s society and mass culture. Ruscha calls his works visual constructions since he uses graphics to explore the depth of his paintings. His most expensive work was sold in 2019 at a Christie’s auction for $52.48 million called Text Paintings, as noted by Artsper.
John Currin
A combination of sexual and social scenes, John Currin’s satirical take on society is widely appreciated worldwide. His Renaissance-style paintings make him stand out from the other artists. His famous artworks are Hot Pants, Honeymoon Nude, and Nude On The Table. His unique painting technique has amassed him over $1.43 billion.
After looking at the staggering figures painters make, nobody can state that artists die penniless and alone. These artists stand out from the crowd with their experimental approach and unique technique that have amassed them multi-million and billion-dollar fortunes. It is a clear depiction of how painters let their talent do the talking.
Sources: Alux, Picky Top, The Explorian, Artsper