The most expensive painting in the world depends on whether the focus is on actual sale price or estimated value.
By actual sale price
The costliest painting ever sold in a public transaction is Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” which sold at auction in 2017 for about 450 million US dollars including fees. No later auction sale has been reported that exceeds this price, so it remains the highest confirmed sale price for a painting.
By estimated value
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” is widely regarded as the most valuable painting, with expert estimates often placing its theoretical value around 860 million to 1 billion US dollars or more. It has never been sold and is held by the Louvre Museum in Paris, so this value is an estimate rather than a market sale price.
Simple comparison
Aspect| Salvator Mundi 129| Mona Lisa 1579
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Artist| Leonardo da Vinci| Leonardo da Vinci
Status| Sold at auction| Not for sale (museum collection)
Amount / value| ~450 million USD sale price| Often estimated at 860M–1B+ USD
“Most expensive” as| Highest confirmed sale| Highest estimated value
