Rhine II by Andreas Gursky, the world's most expensive photograph.
There was a new world record for a photograph at auction on November 10 when Andreas Gursky’s image of the River Rhine sold for $4.3 million at Christie’s in New York. The German born photographer, whose works hang in major museums, said that Rhine II is his favorite picture; “It says a lot using the most minimal means”. The huge three meter wide glass mounted work was described by Christie’s as: “a dramatic and profound reflection on human existence and our relationship to nature on the cusp of the 21st century”.
The previous record for a photograph was set when Cindy Sherman’s Untitled #97 was sold, also by Christie’s New York, in May for $3.89 million. Gursky, who was born in 1955, is particularly well known for his enormous landscape and architectural photography.