As we move deeper into 2025, the art world continues to see jaw-dropping sales that reflect both the enduring appeal of historical masters and the growing market for contemporary talent. From record-breaking Impressionist paintings to standout works by living artists, collectors are making bold moves. Here’s a look at the most expensive artworks sold at auction in 2025 so far.
1. Claude Monet – Haystacks
Sold for: $110.7 million
Auction House: Sotheby’s New York
In one of the biggest art sales of the year, Monet’s iconic Haystacks series made headlines once again. This particular version sold for an astounding $110.7 million, reaffirming Monet’s position as a titan of the Impressionist era and showcasing continued collector enthusiasm for blue-chip works.
2. Christine Ay Tjoe – Lights for the Layer (2011)
Sold for: $2.1 million
Auction House: Sotheby’s Singapore
Contemporary Indonesian artist Christine Ay Tjoe broke records with her expressive painting Lights for the Layer, which fetched $2.1 million in January. Her rise signals growing global interest in Southeast Asian contemporary art and in female artists with bold, emotional styles.
3. Martin Johnson Heade – Hummingbirds and Gold and Purple Orchids (ca. 1875)
Sold for: $2.1 million
Auction House: Sotheby’s New York
This lush 19th-century painting combined exotic flora and fauna in Heade’s signature romantic realism. Its sale at $2.1 million points to the continued strength of the market for classic American works and naturalist themes.
4. Thomas Cole – Mount Chocorua, New Hampshire (1827)
Sold for: $1.6 million
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School, saw a strong showing this year with this serene New England landscape. Selling for $1.6 million, it marks one of the artist’s highest prices at auction, reflecting renewed appreciation for early American landscape painting.
5. Pablo Picasso – Buste de femme d’après Cranach le Jeune (1958)
Sold for: $1 million
Auction House: Matsart Auctioneers, Jerusalem
Even in a quieter year for Picasso, his works continue to perform. This 1958 painting, inspired by Cranach the Younger, brought in $1 million—underscoring the artist’s continued relevance and the global demand for his prolific body of work.
So far, 2025 has been a dynamic year for the art market, with strong sales spanning centuries, styles, and continents. While blue-chip names like Monet and Picasso continue to dominate, rising stars like Christine Ay Tjoe are carving their place among the elite. With more auctions and exhibitions to come, the art world’s financial pulse shows no signs of slowing.