The most expensive photograph ever sold is Man Ray’s “Le Violon d’Ingres” (1924), which fetched $12.4 million at Christie’s New York on 14 May 2022. Edward Steichen’s “The Flatiron” followed six months later at $11.8 million, and nothing else has passed $5 million. This list ranks the ten highest auction prices paid for a single photograph, as of October 2026, with prices including the buyer’s premium.
| Rank | Photograph | Price (USD) | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man Ray, “Le Violon d’Ingres” (1924) | $12,400,000 | May 2022 | Christie’s New York |
| 2 | Edward Steichen, “The Flatiron” (1904) | $11,800,000 | November 2022 | Christie’s New York |
| 3 | Andreas Gursky, “Rhein II” (1999) | $4,338,500 | November 2011 | Christie’s New York |
| 4 | Man Ray, “Noire et Blanche” (1926) | $4,020,000 | November 2022 | Christie’s New York |
| 5 | Cindy Sherman, “Untitled #96” (1981) | $3,890,500 | May 2011 | Christie’s New York |
| 6 | Cindy Sherman, “Untitled #93” (1981) | $3,861,000 | May 2014 | Sotheby’s New York |
| 7 | Gilbert and George, “To Her Majesty” (1973) | $3,765,276 | June 2008 | Christie’s London |
| 8 | Prince, Cowboy print (1998) | $3,749,000 | May 2014 | Christie’s New York |
| 9 | Jeff Wall, “Dead Troops Talk” (1992) | $3,666,500 | May 2012 | Christie’s New York |
| 10 | Prince, Cowboy print (2000) | $3,525,000 | May 2016 | Christie’s New York |
1. “Le Violon d’Ingres”: $12.4 million
Man Ray’s 1924 image of a nude back, with violin f-holes painted onto it, is a joke about the painter Ingres. In May 2022 an original print set the record for any photograph at $12.4 million. It broke a mark that had stood since 2011 by almost three times. The number is the Christie’s result including fees.
2. “The Flatiron”: $11.8 million
Steichen’s 1904 view of New York’s Flatiron Building in the rain made $11.8 million at Christie’s on 10 November 2022, the second-highest price for a photograph. Together with Man Ray, it shows a pre-war print can outrun contemporary art. Price as reported for the sale.
3. “Rhein II”: $4.3 million
Gursky’s large image of the Rhine as a few strips of grass, water and sky was the record holder for eleven years. A German collector bought it from the Cologne gallery Monika Spruth and consigned it to Christie’s New York in November 2011, where it made $4,338,500 against an estimate of $2.5 to $3.5 million. The buyer was never named.
4. “Noire et Blanche”: $4.0 million
A model’s face beside an African mask, shot by Man Ray in 1926. A print made $4,020,000 at Christie’s in November 2022. Other prints have sold for $3.13 million at Christie’s Paris in November 2017, and for about $2.88 million at Sotheby’s in June 2025, which shows how much the print and its provenance matter.
5. Cindy Sherman, “Untitled #96”: $3.9 million
The 1981 centrefold-format image of a girl on the floor sold for $3,890,500 at Christie’s in May 2011. A second print sold for $2.88 million in May 2012. We cite the Christie’s result with fees.
6. Cindy Sherman, “Untitled #93”: $3.9 million
Another 1981 centrefold print, sold at Sotheby’s New York in May 2014 for $3,861,000. A different print sold for $3.15 million in November 2021 at Christie’s. Sherman has several works in the high end of this market.
7. Gilbert and George, “To Her Majesty”: $3.8 million
The 1973 work is a photographic piece, not a single exposure, and it sold at Christie’s London on 30 June 2008 for $3,765,276. It is the oldest sale on the list.
8. Prince, the 1998 Cowboy: $3.7 million
Prince re-photographed a cigarette advertisement and sold the result as his own picture. This print made $3,749,000 at Christie’s in May 2014. Prince’s Cowboys dominate the lower half of the top 30.
9. Jeff Wall, “Dead Troops Talk”: $3.7 million
A staged scene of Red Army soldiers after an ambush sold in May 2012 for $3,666,500 at Christie’s New York.
10. Prince, the 2000 Cowboy: $3.5 million
A second Cowboy print sold for $3,525,000 at Christie’s New York in May 2016.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
No photograph has challenged the 2022 records. The strongest 2025 results were a Man Ray “Noire et Blanche” at about $2.88 million at Sotheby’s in June 2025 and William Eggleston’s “Los Alamos” portfolio at $1.875 million at Phillips New York in March 2025. We found no result in 2026 that reaches this top ten.
What drives these prices
- Vintage prints. Early prints made by the photographer’s own hand outsell later editions.
- Edition size. A print from an edition of five sells better than one from an edition of 50.
- Art-world status. Conceptual and staged work by Sherman, Prince and Gursky has shaped the market for 20 years.
- Two records, six months apart. Both 2022 records came from Christie’s New York, and both are pre-war prints.
The habits that let people afford this
Short audio lessons on money, mindset and discipline, in the Alux app.
Get the Alux app →FAQ
What is the most expensive photograph ever sold?
Man Ray’s “Le Violon d’Ingres,” at $12.4 million at Christie’s New York in May 2022.
What was the record before 2022?
Andreas Gursky’s “Rhein II” at $4.3 million in November 2011.
What is the most expensive photograph of the 2020s?
The two 2022 Christie’s sales, “Le Violon d’Ingres” and “The Flatiron,” lead the decade.
What was the most expensive photograph sold in 2025?
A Man Ray “Noire et Blanche” print at about $2.88 million at Sotheby’s in June 2025.
Why do some photographs sell for millions?
Mostly because of early printing, small editions and artist reputation, not because of the image alone.
How we put this list together
We ranked photographs by auction price including fees, using auction house results compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate and change as new sales happen.
Keep reading
Last updated: October 2026.
