This is a list of the highest known prices paid for sculptures.
Most valuable sculptures Alberto Giacometti's L'Homme au doigt was auctioned for $141.3 million at Christie's in May 2015, the highest price for any sculpture at auction. Giacometti's L'Homme qui marche I had previously achieved the highest price of any sculpture when it was auctioned by Sotheby's in February 2010. Selling for US$104.3 million, it ranks amongst the most valuable works of art.Giacometti Sculpture 'L'Homme qui marche I' Fetches $104.3 Million, World Record: Sotheby's (PHOTO). The Huffington Post. 5 April 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011.
In 2005, Constantin Brâncuși's Bird in Space broke records when it sold for US$27.5 million. The previous world record was another work by Brâncuși called Danaide, which was sold for US$18.1 million in May 2002.Sculpture breaks auction record. BBC News. 5 May 2005. Accessed 20 October 2011. On 18 May 2026 Brâncuși’s Danaïde became the second‑most-expensive sculpture ever, fetching US$107.6 million at Christie’s New York. The 2005 record stood for two years until a highly regarded work of antiquity surpassed the price. Artemis and the Stag, found in the 1920s at a Roman construction site, fetched $28.6 million in June 2007.West, Nina P. Artemis At The Top. Artfact.com, Forbes. 19 June 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011. The record would only stand for a few months, with a work by Pablo Picasso, Tete de femme (Dora Maar), surpassing it by half a million US dollars in November 2007.Crow, Kelly. Sotheby's "Aggressive" Sale Falls Flat. The Wall Street Journal. 8 November 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
In December 2007, the sale of the Guennol Lioness, a statue from around 3000 BC, nearly doubled the previous record price when it sold for $57.2 million. It is the fifth-most valuable sculpture to date (2018) and the most valuable piece from antiquity.Lion sculpture gets record price. BBC News. 6 December 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
Damien Hirst has claimed that his sculpture For the Love of God, which consists of a platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, was sold for £50 million (around US$75 million) in August 2007. The truth of this private sale, which was to an unknown consortium, has been called into question. If the sale did take place, For the Love of God would become the second-most expensive sculpture ever sold and would have fetched the highest price for a sculpture by a living artist.Connet, David. The mystery of the £50m skull: Is Hirst's record sale all it seems?. The Independent. 2 September 2007. Accessed 21 October 2011.
2010 was a good year for record-breaking sculpture prices but it did not continue into 2011. Jeff Koons' porcelain Pink Panther was estimated to fetch a value of up to $30 million, but only achieved just over half that.2011 Auction Round-Up: Who's on Top and Who Flopped (PHOTOS, VIDEO). The Huffington Post. 13 August 2011. Accessed 5 November 2011.
Louise Bourgeois holds the record ($32.1 million in 2019) for Spider, the highest price paid for an attributable sculpture by a woman (since the sculptor of Guennol Lioness is unknown).
A Sasanian relief illegally hacked out of living rock in Iran was intended to be sold in a British auction site with an estimated price of $37m, but it was accidentally discovered by security forces.
Auction details All the most expensive sculptures have been sold by one of two auction houses: Sotheby's and Christie's. Sotheby's has hosted the auctions of the two works that reached the highest price, one in London and the other in New York. Only three of the top ten have auctioned outside of New York; one in London and two in Paris.
The top ten highest value sculptures were made by seven different people, two of whom are unknown and will never be identified. An Alberto Giacometti sculpture is the most valuable modern work, and he has three more entries in the top ten. Four Constantin Brâncuși sculptures are featured on the list,Fernández, G. Most Expensive Sculptures Ever Sold. theartwolf.com. November 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011. and Jeff Koons' work appears three times. Although Pablo Picasso only appears once he appears numerous times in the list of most expensive paintings.
Several buyers have chosen to remain anonymous, while others publicly celebrate their purchases.
Most expensive sculpture by a female artist Louise Bourgeois' 1996 Spider is the most expensive sculpture by a woman artist, selling for $32.1 million in 2019.
List of highest prices paid The highest prices paid for sculptures :Most Expensive Sculpture In The World . Art-Katalog.com. Accessed 4 November 2011. Adjusted price (in millions US) Original price (in millions US)Sculpture ImageArtist Year Date of sale Seller Buyer Auction house Refs$$141.3L'Homme au doigt1947Sheldon SolowPrivate collectionChristie's, New York$107.6$107.6Danaide191318 May 2026Estate of S. I. NewhousePrivate collectionChristie's, New York$$104.3L'Homme qui marche I1961CommerzbankSotheby's, London$$101.0Chariot1950Sotheby's, New York$$91.1RabbitMost expensive sculpture by a living artist 1986Estate of S. I. NewhouseSteven A. Cohen (via Robert Mnuchin)Christie's, New York $$71La jeune fille sophistiquée (Portrait de Nancy Cunard)1928-1932Elizabeth StaffordPrivate collectionChristie's, New York$$70.7Tête 1911-1912Sotheby's, New York$$59.5Tête1910–1912Private collectionChristie's, ParisReyburn, Scott. "Modigliani Sculpture Fetches 43.2 Million Euros, French Record". Bloomberg. 14 June 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011."Gallery Talk: Amedeo Modigliani's Tête". Christie's. 7 June 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011.$$58.4Balloon Dog (Orange)1994–2000Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, New YorkAbramovitch, Seth. "Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog Sculpture Sells for Record-Breaking $58.4 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. 12 November 2013. Accessed 12 November 2013.$$57.3La muse endormie1913Jacques UlmannPrivate collectionChristie's, New York$$57.2Guennol Lioness Unknown c.3000 BCPrivate collectionSotheby's, New York$$53.3Grande tête mince1955Private collectionChristie's, New YorkGrande tête mince. Christie's. Accessed 20 October 2011.$$50.0Grand tête mince (Grand tête de Diego)1955Private collectionBill AcquavellaSotheby's, New YorkCrow, Kelly. Sotheby's Strong Sale Anchored by $50 Million Giacometti Bronze. The Wall Street Journal. 7 November 2013. Accessed 7 November 2013.Impressionist and Modern Art Sale's Triumphant Results. Sotheby's. 6 November 2012. Accessed 7 November 2013.$$48.8Nu de dos, 4 état (Back IV)1958Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, New YorkIn the Saleroom: Henri Matisse's Nu de dos, 4 état (Back IV). Christie's. 4 November 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011.$$37.6Madame LR (Portrait de Mme LR)1914–17Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre BergéPrivate collectionChristie's, ParisMadame L.R. (Portrait de Mme L.R.). Christie's. Accessed 20 October 2011.$$33.8Jim Beam J.b. Turner Train1986Christie's, New York$$33.7Tulips1995-2004Christie's, New York$$32.1SpiderLouise Bourgeois1996Christie's, New York$$31Winged GeniusUnknownc. 883 - 859 B.C.Virginia Theological SeminaryPrivate collectionChristie's, New York$$30.1Reclining Figure: Festival1951Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, London$$29.1Tete de femme (Dora Maar)1941Private collectionSotheby's, New York$$28.6Artemis and the Stag Unknown c.100 BC – 100 ADAlbright-Knox Art GalleryPrivate collectionSotheby's, New York$$28.2Popeye2009 - 2011Sotheby's, New York$$27.5Bird in Space1922–1923Private collectionPrivate collectionChristie's, New York$$27.5Grande Femme Debout II1961Christie's, New York
See also List of most expensive paintings List of most expensive photographs List of most expensive artworks by living artists List of most expensive books and manuscripts List of most expensive non-fungible tokens
Notes
References