by The post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh work influenced 20th-century art. But he struggled with mental illness and was virtually unknown during his lifetime and almost always without money.
The irony is that now, after his death, collectors are paying millions for his paintings. Van Gogh’s artworks are making a good impression on investors and are now regarded as good investments. To give you an idea of the worth and investment value of some of his works, we’ll look at some of the most expensive Van Gogh works.
Where were the Works Auctioned, and who were the Buyers?
The most famous Vincent van Gogh artwork we’ll discuss in this article were mostly painted by Van Gogh in the last two years or so of his life. It was the time he was working in Provence and the village of Auvers-sur-Oise. Except for “Sunflowers,” the paintings on the list of Vincent van Gogh painting names discussed here were auctioned in New York. So the demand for his work was initially from America and not Europe.
Interestingly, the market for his works has shifted in the last few years from North America to East Asia, especially China, Hong Kong, and Korea.
Paintings Auctioned in the 1990s
The famous Van Gogh paintings list of works auctioned in the 1990s includes the following:
Van Gogh’s “Irises” was probably the first Vincent Van Gogh artwork done by him at the asylum. It has an interesting selling history. It was auctioned in 1987 at Sotheby’s for $54 million to an Australian businessman, Alan Bond.
However, Bond had financial problems and couldn’t pay the auctioneers. The ownership remained with the auctioneers, and in 1990 Sotheby’s sold the painting to a museum in California. The price paid by the museum is unknown, but it was probably in the $50 million bracket.
“Sunflowers” sold for £24m ($40m) at Christie’s, London, in 1987 to the Tokyo-based Yasuda insurance company. This painting is one of seven still lifes of sunflowers on the Van Gogh paintings list, which he painted in Arles. This is his own copy of the original version, which is now in London’s National Gallery.
“Sunflowers” has proved that Van Gogh’s paintings are excellent investments. It is believed that if “Sunflowers” comes to an auction again, it will sell for several hundred million dollars.
Van Gogh’s artwork “Portrait of Dr. Paul Gachet” holds the title of the most expensive Van Gogh artwork sold at an auction, despite being auctioned back in 1990. The artwork fetched an impressive sum of $83 million at Christie’s auction, which was then the highest amount ever paid for any artwork at an auction. It was a time when Japanese collectors were buying works of Impressionism, and Post-Impressionismartists, including Van Gogh’s works. $83 million would, with inflation, now be equivalent to about $180 million.
Saito said that he wanted the painting to be cremated with his body, but fortunately for art lovers, this did not happen when he died in 1996. Instead, the work was sold to an Austrian investment manager, Wolfgang Flöttl. The portrait changed hands again and was bought by a secretive European billionaire for an unknown amount.
Self-portrait without a Beard
This self-portrait was sold at Christie’s in New York for $72 million in 1998 to an anonymous buyer. Later, the Courtyard Gallery unsuccessfully tried to borrow it for an exhibition. The work had special value for Vincent van Gogh because he painted it as a gift for his mother for her 70th birthday.
Paintings Auctioned in the 2000s
In 2014, Sotheby’s in New York auctioned off “Poppies and Daisies” by Van Gogh for a sum of $62 million. The buyer of the painting was Wang Zhongjun, an owner of a Chinese entertainment company.
It is a dramatic and colorful still life and was completed a few weeks before Van Gogh’s death. Wang’s purchase indicates how the Van Gogh market has shifted from North America and Europe to East Asia.
In 2015, “Landscape under Stormy Sky” by Van Gogh was sold for $54 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. This landscape was painted after Van Gogh had mutilated his ear. The meadow is blooming with springtime flowers, with a couple strolling along on the left.
This painting was auctioned in 2015 for $66 million at Sotheby’s, New York. Van Gogh also painted this work while he was in the Arles asylum. Originally the painting sold for $12 million in 2003, but when it was auctioned again in 2015, it was bought by an anonymous buyer for $66m.
This 1889 painting was sold to an anonymous buyer for $81 million at Christie’s in New York in 2017. The artwork was created when Van Gogh stayed in the asylum outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The view from his window inspired the composition. It depicts a plowman at work.
Wooden Cabins among the Olive Trees and Cypresses
Van Gogh’s “Wooden Cabins among the Olive Trees and Cypresses” was sold for $71m at Christie’s, New York, in 2021 to an anonymous buyer. This transaction is one of the most recent Van Gogh sales.
The painting is a beautiful but little-known landscape painting. Van Gogh created it in the countryside outside the asylum.
Many of Vincent van Gogh’s drawings and paintings are nowadays seen as good investments. The prices given in this article indicate the monetary value of his work and what impression his paintings are making on investors.
