![]() ![]() And all except Sunflowers were sold in New York, an indication that the main demand has until recently come from America, rather than Europe.Ī newcomer may soon push its way into the top ten. It is these late works that fetch the mega sums. Interestingly, all of the works covered in our survey were painted in the last two years or so of Van Gogh’s life, when he was working in Provence or the village of Auvers-sur-Oise. These include Portrait of Joseph Roulin (January 1889), acquired by New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1989 a version of Wheatfield with Cypresses (June 1889), acquired in 1993 by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Girl against a Background of Wheat (June 1890), bought by casino boss Steve Wynn in 1999 and now owned by hedge fund manager Steven Cohen. Several Van Goghs have been sold privately for prices in the same range as those that went to auction. Two other Van Goghs have since matched the Sunflowers 1987 price, also fetching $40m: L’Arlésienne, Madame Ginoux (February 1890) sold on and Trees in the Garden of the Asylum (October 1889) on (both at Christie’s, New York). If it ever came onto the market again, it would be worth several hundred million dollars. Sunflowers has proved to be an astonishing investment. The firm was later taken over by the company Sompo and the Van Gogh is now the star attraction at the Sompo Museum of Art. The buyer was the Tokyo-based Yasuda insurance company. It was also the first time the record price had been paid for a Modern picture, rather than an Old Master. When it came up at Christie’s, the £24m ($40m) paid was three times more than any artwork had ever fetched at auction (with inflation it would now be equivalent to just over $100m). This one is his own copy of the original version with a yellow background that is now at London’s National Gallery. It is one of seven still lifes of sunflowers that Van Gogh painted in Arles. Just scraping into the top ten, Sunflowers sold in 1987, when the boom in art prices was just beginning. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (January 1889), sold for £24m ($40m) at Christie’s, London, 30 March 1987 After he faced financial problems the portrait changed hands again and is now owned by an extremely secretive European billionaire. Fortunately, this did not occur on his death in 1996, and instead the Van Gogh was sold privately to Wolfgang Flöttl, an Austrian investment manager. Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet was bought by the businessman Ryoei Saito, who later claimed that he wanted the painting to be cremated with his body. In 1990 it went to a Tokyo buyer-and at that time Japanese collectors were feverishly competing over the big names of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Dr Gachet was a key figure in Vincent’s life, caring for him after the artist shot himself in Auvers-sur-Oise, so the sitter adds greatly to the interest. So why did it make the record price? It is undoubtedly among Van Gogh’s finest portraits. With inflation, it would be equivalent to $180m today. At Christie’s it fetched $83m, then the highest auction price for a work by any artist. ![]() Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet still holds the record for the most expensive Van Gogh, although it sold as long ago as 1990. Van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet (June 1890), sold for $83m at Christie’s, New York, Courtesy of Städel Museum, Frankfurt
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