<P> This is a list of the highest known prices paid for paintings . The earliest sale listed (Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh) is from 1987, and more than tripled the previous record price, set only two years before, introducing a new era in the history of high sums of money paid for paintings . The sale was also significant in that for the first time a "modern" painting (in this case from 1888) became the record holder, as opposed to the old master paintings which had always previously held it . The current record price is approximately $450 million paid for Leonardo Da Vinci's Salvator Mundi in November 2017 . </P> <P> The world's most famous paintings, especially old master works done before 1803, are generally owned or held at museums, for viewing by patrons . The museums very rarely sell them, and as such, they are quite literally priceless . Guinness World Records lists the Mona Lisa as having the highest insurance value for a painting in history . On permanent display at The Louvre museum in Paris, the Mona Lisa was assessed at US $100 million on December 14, 1962 . Taking inflation into account, the 1962 value would be around US $620 million in 2016 . </P>

What is the most expensive piece of artwork in the world