The Three Most Expensive Sculptures

Sculptures may not get as much publicity when it comes to fetching high prices at auctions as paintings do, but publicity is rarely a variable in the minds of collectors. They are ready to pay good money to obtain invaluable pieces of art and for good reason. Sculptures are tangible and as 3D models can bring a lot more to the table compared to other art forms.

What’s more, the craftsmanship and the effort involved in creating an extraordinary sculpture can often dwarf the skill needed to produce other forms of art and that should definitely be taken into consideration when estimating a sculpture’s worth.

Tête ($59.5m)

Tête is a limestone sculpture which was created by the famed Italian sculptor and painter Amedeo Modigliani in 1910-12. It is 65 cm tall and it shows an elongated head which is inspired by both African and European influences.

When it was brought to a 2010 auction in France it was estimated that it would sell for somewhere between $4 and $6 million. However, what started as a maximum $10 million piece of art ended with a price tag just shy of the $60 million mark. This meant that Tête became the most expensive work of art sold in France and the third most expensive sculpture worldwide.

L’homme Qui Marche I ($104.3m)

L’homme qui marche I or The Walking Man is one of Alberto Giacometti’s most famous pieces of work. It was created in 1961 for a public project organized by the Chase Manhattan Plaza and the idea was to plant bronze figures outside and around the building. However, after encountering several problems related to the creation of the sculpture, Giacometti decided to abandon the Chase Manhattan Plaza commission.

This was not the end of the story for The Walking Man however, as the sculpture was cast in bronze the following year and was put on display at the Venice Biennale. Giacometti’s work became the world’s most expensive sculpture in a 2010 auction when it fetched no less than $104 million.

L’homme Au Doigt ($141.3m)

L’homme au doigt or The Pointing Man, created in 1947, is the second entry of Giacometti on this list as it is the most expensive sculpture to have ever been sold at an auction. It took over from The Walking Man as the most expensive sculpture in the world at a 2015 auction when it sold for over $141 million.

The Pointing Man is cast in bronze and is considered as Giacometti’s most evocative sculpture. It was created in six casts with only the auctioned piece being hand-painted by Giacometti.