The most expensive Picasso ever sold at auction is “Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O)”, which fetched $179.4 million at Christie’s New York on May 11, 2015, and still holds the record as of October 2026. Picasso also has the world’s largest group of nine-figure sales. This list ranks the ten highest verified prices paid for Picasso paintings, including one famous private sale.
| Rank | Painting | Price (USD) | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O), 1955 | $179.4 million | May 2015 | Christie’s New York |
| 2 | Le Rêve, 1932 | $155 million | March 2013 | Private sale |
| 3 | Femme à la montre, 1932 | $139.3 million | November 2023 | Sotheby’s New York |
| 4 | Fillette à la corbeille fleurie, 1905 | $115 million | May 2018 | Christie’s New York |
| 5 | Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, 1932 | $106.5 million | May 2010 | Christie’s New York |
| 6 | Garçon à la pipe, 1905 | $104.2 million | May 2004 | Sotheby’s New York |
| 7 | Femme assise près d’une fenêtre, 1932 | $103.4 million | May 2021 | Christie’s New York |
| 8 | Dora Maar au Chat, 1941 | $95.2 million | May 2006 | Sotheby’s New York |
| 9 | Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée, 1937 | $69.2 million | February 2018 | Sotheby’s London |
| 10 | La Gommeuse, 1901 | $67.45 million | November 2015 | Sotheby’s New York |
1. Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O): $179.4 million
Picasso painted 15 versions of “Les Femmes d’Alger” in 1954 and 1955, after Delacroix’s 1834 painting of women in an Algiers harem. Version O is the last of the series. It had sold for $31.9 million in 1997. In May 2015 it set a world auction record at Christie’s New York.
How we valued it: the hammer price plus buyer’s premium of $179.4 million.
2. Le Rêve: $155 million
“Le Rêve” shows Picasso’s lover Marie-Thérèse Walter asleep in a chair, painted in 1932. Christie’s sold it in 1997 and casino developer Steve Wynn bought it in 2001 for an estimated $60 million. In March 2013 hedge-fund manager Steven Cohen paid $155 million in a private sale, a disclosed price.
How we valued it: the reported private sale price. It is not an auction result, so it is the only non-auction price on this list.
3. Femme à la montre: $139.3 million
The 1932 portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter was sold from the estate of art collector Emily Fisher Landau in November 2023 at Sotheby’s New York. It is the second-highest Picasso price at auction.
How we valued it: the final price with fees, about $139.3 million.
4. Fillette à la corbeille fleurie: $115 million
This Rose Period painting of a nude girl holding a flower basket, from 1905, was part of the David and Peggy Rockefeller collection sold at Christie’s in May 2018.
How we valued it: the final price with fees, about $115 million.
5. Nude, Green Leaves and Bust: $106.5 million
The 1932 painting of Marie-Thérèse Walter reclining beside a bust was sold from the Frances Lasker Brody estate at Christie’s New York in May 2010.
How we valued it: the final price with fees.
6. Garçon à la pipe: $104.2 million
The 1905 Rose Period portrait of a boy in a garland of flowers was sold by the Whitney family at Sotheby’s New York in May 2004. The Whitney family had bought it for $30,000 in 1950.
How we valued it: the final price with fees, about $104.2 million.
7. Femme assise près d’une fenêtre: $103.4 million
Another 1932 portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter, sold at Christie’s New York in May 2021 against a pre-sale estimate of about $55 million. It had sold for about $45 million in London eight years earlier.
How we valued it: the final price with fees.
8. Dora Maar au Chat: $95.2 million
Painted in 1941, this portrait of Dora Maar seated with a cat sold at Sotheby’s New York in May 2006, from the Gidwitz family.
How we valued it: the final price with fees.
9. Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée: $69.2 million
A 1937 portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter, sold at Sotheby’s London in February 2018 for 49.8 million pounds, or about $69.2 million at the time.
How we valued it: the pound price converted at the exchange rate of the sale date.
10. La Gommeuse: $67.45 million
This 1901 painting of a Parisian cabaret singer, from Picasso’s early period, sold at Sotheby’s New York in November 2015 from the collection of William Koch.
How we valued it: the final price with fees.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
We found no new overall Picasso record in 2025 or 2026. The most notable sale we could verify was a painting believed to depict Dora Maar, which fetched 27 million euros at Drouot in Paris on October 24, 2025, or about 32 million euros with fees. In 2026 a 1963 Picasso, “Le peintre et son modèle dans un paysage”, reportedly sold for $35 million in a private gallery sale at Art Basel.
What drives these prices
- Muses. Six of the top ten show Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar or similar subjects.
- Periods. 1932 and the Rose Period dominate, because they are the most sought-after.
- Provenance. Estate and collector sales, such as Rockefeller and Fisher Landau, bring in bidders.
- Scarcity. Most big Picassos already hang in museums.
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FAQ
What is the most expensive Picasso painting ever sold?
“Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O)”, sold for $179.4 million at Christie’s New York in May 2015.
What is the most expensive Picasso sold at auction in the last three years?
“Femme à la montre”, sold for $139.3 million at Sotheby’s New York in November 2023.
How many Picasso paintings have sold for over $100 million?
Seven on this list: six at auction (ranks 1 and 3 to 7) plus “Le Rêve” in a private sale.
Is there a Picasso record in 2025 or 2026?
We found no new overall record. A Dora Maar painting sold for 27 million euros in Paris in October 2025.
Why are Picasso paintings of Marie-Thérèse Walter so valuable?
The 1932 portraits are among his most admired works, and few remain in private hands.
How we put this list together
We ranked paintings by verified sale price, using auction results and disclosed private sales compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate and change over time.
Last updated: October 2026.
