22November 2023

The World's Most Expensive Art - Where Leonardo meets Picasso

Ian Swankie

In the last few years, the top end of the art market has flourished, and collectors have been prepared to pay astonishing amounts to own a modern masterpiece.  Seeing works that have sold for over a $100million is an excuse to examine some beautiful art, including Picasso, Cezanne, Leonardo, Reubens, Klimt, Bacon and Pollock.  Such works would not achieve such sky-high prices if they were not superbly executed, but why do buyers and collectors do it and are they worth hundreds of millions of pounds?

Ian Swankie

A native Londoner, Ian is a guide and a lecturer with a special interest in art and architecture. Ian is an accredited lecturer for The Arts Society, a fully qualified City of London tour guide, a City of Westminster guide and a green badge holder from the Institute of Tourist Guiding. He is an official guide at Tate Modern and Tate Britain, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Guildhall Art Gallery and is also a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars.