Art & Design,Visual ArtNOV 14, 2025

40 Famous Paintings That Changed Art Forever And Cost A Fortune Doing It

From the Mona Lisa to the American Gothic, these famous paintings don’t just grace museum walls; they offer a glimpse into the past and define entire generations. Although most of these masterpieces are centuries old, they continue to fascinate art buffs and collectors alike, with each piece telling a captivating story. Whether they’re on display for the whole world to see or hidden behind closed doors, these paintings prove that art has the power to create and sometimes, even change history. In this collection, we’ve gathered 40 of the world’s most famous and expensive paintings, along with the legendary artists behind them.

# The Starry Night (1889): Vincent Van Gogh

This abstract landscape painting, inspired by the view from a bedroom window at the Monastery of Saint Paul de Mausole, is one of Vincent van Gogh's most celebrated pieces. Valued at over $100 million, this prized work of art has been housed safely at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, since 1941.

Vincent van Gogh, Britannica

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# The Great Wave Off Kanagawa (1831): Katsushika Hokusai

Unlike the other pieces on this list, Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is a woodblock print with multiple copies worldwide. In a record sale in March 2023, a rare impression from the early 1900s sold at an auction for $2.75 million, making it the most expensive version of the print in the last three decades.

Katsushika Hokusai, Ronin Gallery

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# Bal Du Moulin De La Galette (Smaller Version, 1876): Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Recognized as one of the world’s most famous and renowned Impressionist pieces, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s 1876 Bal du Moulin de la Galette sold for a massive $78 million in 1990. Today, this would be equivalent to a staggering $193 million, making it one of the most expensive paintings at the time. Interestingly, it was later resold to an undisclosed buyer.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Wikipedia

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# Irises (1889): Vincent Van Gogh

Irises was part of a series of hundreds of artworks Vincent van Gogh produced during his stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in the year before his untimely passing. When the painting was sold at auction in 1987, it fetched a remarkable $53.9 million (around $150 million today). Currently owned by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Irises is off the market and considered priceless.

Vincent van Gogh, Wikipedia

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# The Storm On The Sea Of Galilee (1633): Rembrandt Van Rijn

Known as the Dutch Golden Age’s most important painter, Rembrandt Van Rijn painted this rare and valuable history painting when he was just 29 years old. Valued at over $100 million, the famous artwork was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990 and sadly never recovered.

Rembrandt, Wikipedia

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# Girl With A Pearl Earring (1665): Johannes Vermeer

This painting by Dutch Golden Age artist Johannes Vermeer is so iconic that it has often been referred to as the "Mona Lisa of the North". Purchased by an anonymous bidder in 1994 at over $30 million (about $65.7 million in 2025), the famous tronie was one of the most expensive artworks sold at the time. Today, it’s on display at the Mauritshuis and insured for a jaw-dropping $195.7 million.

Johannes Vermeer , Wikipedia

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# The Kiss (1908): Gustav Klimt

While The Kiss, painted in 1908, isn’t one of Gustav Klimt’s most expensive masterpieces, it certainly is his most famous. Not only was the artwork positively received after its exhibition, but it was also purchased by the Austrian government, while still unfinished, for 25000 crowns (over $200,000 today). As it turns out, the enthusiastic reception of The Kiss also marked a significant turning point in Klimt’s career.

Gustav Klimt, BBC

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# Haystacks (1890): Claude Monet

This impressionist artwork was part of a 25-work series painted by Claude Monet between 1890 and 1891. Considered Monet’s most notable works, several pieces have sold for large sums of money, with this specific one breaking the auction record when it was purchased for $110 million in 2019. At the time, it became the first impressionist painting to sell for over $100 million.

Claude Monet, NY Times

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# The Standard Bearer (1636): Rembrandt

Created when he was just 30 years old, Rembrandt’s striking self-portrait is considered one of his most significant pieces. In 2021, with the help of the Dutch state and Vereniging Rembrandt, the Rijksmuseum secured the masterpiece for a staggering $198 million (around $229 million today).

Rembrandt, Wikipedia

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# A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte (1884): Georges Seurat

With an estimated value of over $650 million, A Sunday Afternoon On The Island of La Grande Jatte is Georges Seurat’s largest and best-known painting. This pioneering neo-impressionist artwork has been part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago since 1924, when it was acquired for $24,000 (around $440,000 today).

Georges Seurat, Reproduction Gallery

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# Vase With Fifteen Sunflowers (1888): Vincent Van Gogh

It may come as a surprise that Vincent van Gogh didn’t have much of a reputation for most of his career. It wasn’t until after his passing that his artworks became priceless masterpieces, ranking among the most expensive paintings ever sold. One such piece is the famous Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers, which sold for a staggering $39.7 million (around $110 million today).

Vincent van Gogh, Wikipedia

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# The Hay Wain (1821): John Constable

Described as "the most celebrated and certainly quintessentially English landscape painting", the value of The Hay Wain is enormous. Currently housed at the National Gallery in London, the artwork’s price isn’t common knowledge, but judging from the millions of dollars related works have sold for, it’s safe to assume that this masterpiece is worth a great deal.

John Constable, BBC

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# The Last Supper (1495–1498): Leonardo Da Vinci

The original Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is arguably the most famous painting in the world, and unlike most artworks, the fresco can’t be bought or sold. As part of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in Milan, this Renaissance masterpiece is not only extremely valuable but also incredibly fragile, which is why access to it is restricted.

Leonardo da Vinci, Britannica

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# Mona Lisa (1500s): Leonardo Da Vinci

It’s hard to imagine a list of famous artworks without thinking of the Mona Lisa, one of the world’s most valuable pieces of art. Safely housed at the Louvre since 1797, the destination painting currently holds the Guinness World Record for the highest insurance valuation in history, amounting to over $1 billion.

Leonardo da Vinci, wikipedia

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# Las Meninas (1656): Diego Velázquez

Like many historically and culturally significant pieces of art around the world, the original Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez is considered a priceless national treasure in Spain. Housed in the Museo del Prado, this artwork has long been recognized as one of the most significant paintings in the history of Western art. While no market price is available for the masterpiece, it probably won’t be wrong to assume it’s worth millions of dollars based on the success of Velázquez’s other works.

Diego Velazquez, Wikipedia

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# The Fighting Temeraire (1838): J. M. W. Turner

Despite receiving several offers to purchase The Fighting Temeraire, J. M. W. Turner declined to sell his artwork, choosing to gift it to the National Gallery instead. While the painting doesn’t have a price tag, another Turner masterpiece sold for $47.4 million in 2014, giving us a clear indication of how valuable his paintings are.

J. M. W. Turner, Wikipedia

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# Impression, Sunrise (1872): Claude Monet

This painting literally pioneered the Impressionist movement. Currently part of the collection at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, Impression, Sunrise isn’t on the market and is considered priceless. With an estimated value of around $250-350 million, it comes as no surprise that the artwork remains the most valuable and significant example of Impressionism.

Claude Monet, Art In Context

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# Arnolfini Portrait (1434): Jan Van Eyck

This masterpiece by Jan van Eyck is celebrated for its impeccable detail and symbolism. The one-of-a-kind Northern Renaissance artwork is considered one of the most groundbreaking paintings in Western art history and is deemed priceless on the current art market. Surprisingly, the piece was purchased by the National Gallery in London for just £600 in 1842 (around $115,000 today).

Jan van Eyck, National Gallery

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# The Ambassadors (1533): Hans Holbein The Younger

This 16th-century painting is not only famous for its mystery but also for Hans Holbein the Younger’s impressive skill in composing images and creating a variety of textures with oil paint. Because of its cultural and historical significance, the masterpiece was sold to the National Gallery in London for a staggering 55,000 pounds in 1890, which is equivalent to millions of dollars today.

Hans Holbein The Younger, Wikipedia

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# The Potato Eaters (1885): Vincent Van Gogh

The Potato Eaters is one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous works, largely due to his portrayal of the harsh reality and dignity of rural life. While the original painting is safely housed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and considered priceless, another version of it sold for over $5 million at auction in 2016.

Vincent van Gogh, van Gogh Museum

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