What is the no. 1 expensive painting?

Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi holds the record as the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, fetching $450,312,500 at Christie's New York on 15 November 2017.

Painted around 1500, the work depicts Christ as "Savior of the World" and spent centuries in obscurity before its dramatic rediscovery and attribution to da Vinci. The final hammer price, including buyer's premium, set a record not just for paintings but for any work of art sold at public auction.

One common point of confusion is the Mona Lisa, which some sources describe as the world's most valuable painting based on insurance estimates approaching $1 billion. That figure, however, reflects a notional valuation for a work the Louvre has never placed on the market. In terms of an actual price paid, Salvator Mundi stands alone at the top.

Works of this caliber underscore why rigorous fine art appraisal matters. Whether you own a piece by an Old Master or a living contemporary artist, establishing a defensible, documented value is essential for insurance scheduling, estate settlement, and charitable donation purposes. Our appraisers prepare USPAP-compliant reports built to withstand scrutiny in exactly those contexts. To get started, Request an Appraisal.