The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh's iconic 1889 masterpiece, is owned by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, where it has been a part of their permanent collection since 1941, acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest.
Today, some of the world's most revered artworks are in the public domain, freely available for copying and distribution for monetary gain. For example, Vincent Van Gogh, born March 30, 1853, in Zundert, Netherlands, painted The Starry Night in June 1889. The artist died on July 29th, 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
While that museum holds the largest collection of Van Gogh's works - over 200 paintings and 400 drawings - Starry Night has been owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1941.
For example, one of the most famous Van Gogh paintings, Starry Night, or Pablo Picasso's highly sought Les Demoiselles d'Avignon could easily sell for between $500 million and $1 billion each.
His medical biographers agree that his adulthood included periods of hypersexuality, hyposexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality.
Although Vincent fell in love several times, he only ever lived with one woman. Sien Hoornik, whom he met in The Hague, was working as a prostitute when Van Gogh approached her to model for his drawings. They quickly developed a relationship.
Vincent van Gogh died from a gunshot wound to the chest on July 29, 1890, after shooting himself in a wheatfield near Auvers-sur-Oise two days prior, with his brother Theo by his side; while widely accepted as suicide linked to severe depression and loneliness, some theories suggest it might have been an accident or even murder, though the suicide narrative remains dominant, as noted by sources like the Van Gogh Museum and Tate.
The record payment for a work is approximately US $450.3 million (which includes commission) for the work Salvator Mundi ( c. 1500) generally considered to be by Leonardo da Vinci, though this is disputed.
The Mona Lisa is owned by the French state, considered a national treasure, and housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris. King Francis I of France acquired the painting from Leonardo da Vinci after the artist's death in 1519, and it has remained part of French royal and then national collections ever since, making it inalienable public property.
So, how much is the Mona Lisa worth? While the price tag associated with it is hard to calculate, considering it is deemed priceless; the estimated cost for the Mona Lisa price is approximately $860 Million.
While not traditionally "scary," Van Gogh's "Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette" (1886) is often cited as his creepiest or most unsettling work, featuring a smoking skull that's both humorous and morbid, a commentary on his academy studies and health. Other candidates for unsettling include the tormented figures in At Eternity's Gate (1890) or the chaotic energy of some night scenes, but the skeleton painting remains a standout for its stark, dark subject matter.
His last words: " The Sadness will last forever." We love you, Vincent Willem van Gogh.
The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is widely considered the world's #1 most famous painting, renowned for its enigmatic smile, mysterious subject, and artistic mastery (sfumato), drawing massive crowds to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, and making it the most recognized artwork globally.
Van Gogh considered The Starry Night to be a failure. The stars were too big. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) painted The Starry Night from an asylum in Saint-Rémy, during the daytime, from memory, one year before he took his own life.
The $450 million painting, Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, was bought in 2017 by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though the purchase was made through an intermediary, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, acting as a proxy for the Kingdom. It became the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, intended for the Louvre Abu Dhabi but its current location remains unknown, according to reports.
Most scholars believe that da Vinci was a homosexual due to his penchant for surrounding himself with young men, though some believe he was bisexual. Sigmund Freud even published an essay in 1910 that came to the conclusion that he was gay, but sublimated all his sexual urges into art and research.
Painting is the art of applying paint, pigment, or color to a surface (like canvas, wood, or paper) to create images, express ideas, or decorate, using tools like brushes to form shapes, lines, and textures that convey emotion, narrative, or abstraction, and the term also refers to the final artwork itself. It can be purely artistic expression, capturing feelings, or serve a practical purpose like protecting a wall.
Leonardo da Vinci's work on the Mona Lisa spanned about 15 years, reflecting his meticulous approach to art. He continued to refine and experiment with the painting until his death in 1519, believing it was still a work in progress.
Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci – $450 Million
Acquired by an anonymous buyer, later revealed to be acting on behalf of Saudi Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud. The masterpiece now falls under the stewardship of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture.
Generally, larger works command higher prices due to the increased material costs, the effort involved, and the visual impact they have in a space. For instance, Jackson Pollock's “Number 17A” was sold for $200 million partly due to its expansive size, which is emblematic of his iconic drip paintings.
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci | $1 billion
The Mona Lisa remains the most coveted piece for Western art. The Renaissance masterpiece isn't up for sale and experts have valued the painting at more than 1 billion dollars, taking into account the unrivalled importance in both historical and cultural context.
Bipolar disorder
It has been suggested that Van Gogh was not just bipolar, but that the crises in his last two years were brought about by the additional effect of thujone poisoning from his consumption of absinthe.
'Sadness will last forever': Living with the Van Gogh legacy. As he lay on his death bed, having apparently shot himself, Vincent Van Gogh is said to have uttered the final words, "The sadness will last forever".
Just before Christmas 1888 they had a blazing row. During an attack Vincent van Gogh cut off his left ear in utter confusion. He wrapped the ear in a piece of paper and presented it to a prostitute at a local brothel. The next morning police found Vincent at home and took him to hospital.