What we can learn from The World's Most Expensive Paintings

While I toss and turn one night struggling how to put my tired self to sleep, I gave in and turned on my laptop and start stalk-searching Facebook and Twitter accounts (and yes, that includes my ex's accounts no matter how much I hate some of them, LOL) viewing photos, videos and any good read articles they shared. And as I finished watching a YouTube video, a suggested video suddenly interest me. And even more when a question was popped into my mind: What would you buy if you had one hundred million dollars? 

Would it be a huge apartment in Upper East Side Manhattan with great views?

a collection of cars like Maybach Landaulet?

a month vacation in Paris, shop at Boulevard Haussmann and Palais Royale?

...and dine at Drouant?

Or spend it all into a single painting? 

Relative to my visit at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and a few artist I know like our very own national artist Vicente S. Manansala, I was glued to finish the almost 59-minute BBC documentary video: The World's Most Expensive Paintings

Art critic Alastair Sooke tracks down the ten most expensive paintings sold at auctions. He investigates the stories behind the astronomic prices art can reach and gaining access to the glittering world of the super-rich - a world of secrecy and rivalry, passion, and power.

10) White Center ((Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose) by Mark Rothko 

$72,840,000

9) Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens 

$76,529,058

8) Au Moulin de la Galette by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir 

$78,100,000

7) Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet 

$80,379,591

6) Portrait of Dr Gachet Van Gogh by Vincent van Gogh

$82,500,000 

5) Triptych by Francis Bacon 

$86,281,000

4) Adele Bloch-Bauer II by Gustav Klimt 

$87,936,000

3) Dora Maar au chat by Pablo Picasso

$95,216,000

2) Garçon à la pipe (Boy with a Pipe) by Pablo Picasso 

$104,168,000

1) Nude, Green Leaves & Bust by Pablo Picasso 

$106,482,500

Highlights in the documentary also include a visit to the art-crammed home of millionaire author Lord Archer; a rare interview with the man at the heart of the sale of the most expensive old master of all time; privileged access to auctioneers Christie's; and a glimpse of the world of the Russian oligarchs.


What I've learned:

• - When it comes to art, value isn't only linked to quality. 
• - The name of the former owner (of the painting) is as important as its artists. 
• - It's rare for quality paintings to reach an auction.
• - Overnight, a painting can be viewed in a completely different way.
• - The value of a painting at an auction is not necessarily the value of a painting, its the value of two people biding against each other because they really want the painting. 
• - If you get into this mad world (of Art), it's like drugs. You have to have another one. 
• - The market can be influenced by simply... love for the painting.
• - Most Russian art collectors are very private, which may not give us an idea of buying art for status symbol, but maybe for social validation among their circle.  
• - The canvas is exactly the same, but the way it is perceived is magically transformed its attribution to a superstar artist. 
• - One day, a painting can be overlooked. But the next day, it's suddenly one of the most expensive master ever sold. 
•  - If fashion has Louis Vuitton, Picasso is the luxury brand for painting collectors.
• - Sadly, it seems unfair that some of the world's greatest works of art can only be seen depends upon the whims of the super-rich.  

These revelatory journeys allow Sooke to present an eye-opening view of the super wealthy people, and their motivations as collectors of the world's great art treasures.

We're lucky that this was uploaded on YouTube and no need to find on torrents. :)
Now watch the 59-minute BBC documentary and find out the stories behind the most expensive paintings in the world.