Art Market and its Ten of World's most expensive paintings

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer ($135,000,000)

The record-breaking sale of the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer for a whopping amount of $135 million was followed by a court order by the Austrian government to return the painting to Bloch-Bauer's heir, which was the culmination of years long dispute over the painting looted by Nazis during World War II.. Painted by the art nouveau master Gustav Klimt in 1907, the portrait was purchased in 2006 by cosmetics heir Ronald S. Lauder.

Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur ($106, 500,00)

Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur was another masterpiece from the brush of master painter Pablo Picasso. The painting, created in a single day in March 1932, set a world record auction price for a work of art at Christie's in May 2010.The painting, more than 5 feet by 4 feet, shows Picasso's mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter, both reclining and as a bust. It has been hailed by many as one of his greatest works

Garçon à la Pipe ($104,100,000)

Another marvel from Pablo Picasso: Garçon à la Pipe was created during the artist's famous Rose Period, during which he painted with a cheerful orange and pink palette. The oil-on-canvas painting, measuring 100 × 81.3 cm (slightly over 39×32 inches), depicts a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand.The record price auction at Sotheby's New York on May 4, 2004 was a bit of a surprise to art buyers, since it was painted in the style not usually associated with the pioneering Cubist artist.

Dora Maar with Cat ($95,200,000)

Picasso, yet again. A surprise was in store for lovers of the great painter when, in 2006, this painting near doubled its presale estimate and fetched a record $95.2 million at auction at Sotheby's.Painted in 1941, Picasso's controversial portrait (one of his last) is sometimes described as an unflattering depiction of his mistress, Dora Maar, who was an artist/photographer, with whom he had a relationship that lasted ten years during the 1930s and 40s

Portrait of Dr. Gachet ($82,500,000)

The 'Portrait of Dr. Gachet' by the Dutch Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh suddenly became world-famous when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid $82.5 million for it at an auction in Christie's, New York. Saito was so attached to the painting that he wanted it to be cremated with him when he died. Saito died in 1996 but the painting was saved

Le Bassin Aux Nympheas ($80,451,178)

.

 Painted by the Impressionist master Claude Monet in 1919, it sold at Christie's London auction house for 40.9 million pounds ($80.4 million) in June 2008, the highest price for a work of art sold by Christie's in Europe. The estimate was £18-24 million.

Bal Au Moulin de la Galette ($78,000,000)

 'Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre' was painted by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1876. On May 17, 1990, it was sold for $78 million at Sotheby's in New York City to Ryoei Saito, who bought it together with the Portrait of Dr Gachet.

Massacre of the Innocents ($76,700,000)

 This painting by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1611, is the only painting which was not painted in the 19th or 20th century. It was sold to Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet for $76.7 million at a 2002 Sotheby's auction making it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold.

Portrait de l'Artiste sans Barbe ($71,500,000)

 Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe ('Self-portrait without beard') is one of many self-portraits by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. He painted this one in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in September 1889. The painting is an oil painting on canvas and is 40 cm x 31 cm (16' x 13') and has a beautiful feel to it.

Portrait de l'Artiste sans Barbe ($71,500,000)

 This is an uncommon painting since his other self-portraits show him with a beard. The self-portrait became one of the most expensive paintings of all time when it was sold for $71.5 million in 1998 in New York.


The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India 2008, 09 Mumbai and India Art Summit 2008 New Delhi

Marni Kotak the woman who gave birth in an art gallery!!a look at some of our favorite controversial artworks of the last century

With so much argument over Marni Kotak the woman who gave birth in an art gallery last week, it seemed only right to put things in perspective with some of the most controversial art of the last century.


Today, many of us are desensitized to graphic imagery. But a few choice artists since the 1900s—call them visionaries, geniuses, perverts or psychos—managed to create something so intensely riveting that they still make cheeks red and stomachs queasy.

The following works contain their fair share of extremes. The holy trinity of sex, evildoers and excrement runs rampant throughout. But to truly make a controversial work of art, the grotesque has to be shown in a new light, in a way that can't be shaken off after you leave the museum. If the image leaves your stomach reeling, it should do the same thing to your mind.

Take a look at some of our favorite controversial artworks of the last century. What do you think: are they works of genius or pieces of crap? (Aside from the one that is, quite literally, pieces of crap.) Do you wish we'd included 'A Fire in My Belly' or one of Robert Mapplethorpe's photos? Should we have substituted Emin's 'My Bed' for 'Everyone I've Ever Slept With?' Leave a comment and let us know!

Chris Ofili, Virgin Mary

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani called Ofili's use of elephant dung in the depiction of a religious figure "sick."
Whether or not he meant 'in the good way' has never been determined.

Richard Serra, Tilted Arc

Serra's "Tilted Arc" caused such a ruckus that it was dismantled less than a decade after its construction. People called the work an eyesore and claimed it disrupted their walk across the plaza. This installation serves as proof that you don't have to incorporate a murderer or bodily fluids into your work to make people angry.

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain

Duchamp hung a toilet bowl in a museum and declared it art; it was bound to cause a stir. Many were inspired by Duchamp's serious play and challenge to the notions of value, others thought it kind of stunk.

Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living

Damien Hirst's tiger shark in a tank of formaldehyde was called a "cultural obscenity" by art critic Robert Hughes. The work was sold by Charles Saatchi in 2004 for $8 million, the second highest price paid for a work of art by a living artist. While some people thought the shark was a bit extreme, at least it didn't depict an international super-villain, like the next piece...

David Cerny, Shark

Cerny's work riffs on Hirst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living." Instead of a suspended tiger shark, Cerny used an underwear-clad model of Saddam Hussein, who supposedly fed his enemies to sharks. It was banned in a Belgian town by the mayor, who was scared that it would "shock people, including Muslims."

Tracey Emin, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995

Tracey Emin crafted a tent appliquéd with the 102 names of everyone she's ever slept with; it shocked the art world with it's intensely personal subject matter. There was a moment of extra outrage when someone spotted the name "grandma" but Emin quickly clarified that not all of the bed partners were sexual.

Marcus Harvey, Myra

The real Myra was one half of a couple which sexually assaulted, murdered, and buried five children in the sixties; Harvey's "Myra" is made out of children's handprints. Some viewers were so appalled they threw eggs and ink at it.

Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Picasso's "Demoiselles" are prostitutes, some of whom have tribal masks for faces. He referred to it as "The Bordello of Avignon," but the organizer of his exhibition felt that his title was too scandalous. The painting ultimately made a major impact on art of the period, as the shock gradually transformed to admiration.

Andres Serrano, Piss Christ

Andres Serrano took a plastic crucifix, submerged it in urine and took a picture. He was paid $15,000 for the work by the National Endowment for the Arts, and religious audiences denounced it for two decades before it was finally destroyed by angry viewers in 2011. Serrano was shocked, considering this piece is tame compared to his personal favorite 'Blood and Semen.'

Christo and Jean-Claude, Surrounded "Pink" Islands

This two week only installation involved over 7 miles of the titular pink fabric and was entirely financed by the artists. Many were enraged by the possible environmental threats of the piece. Others wished the islands hadn't had to be so...pink.
SOURCE
 
The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India 2008, 09 Mumbai and India Art Summit 2008 New Delhi