Jackson Pollock's Most Expensive Painting: Number One (Royal Red and Blue)
Jackson Pollock's most expensive painting is "Number One (Royal Red and Blue)," which sold for 46.3 million USD at Sotheby's in New York in November 2016. The sale set a new auction record for the artist and placed the work among the top-tier postwar canvases ever traded publicly. The buyer was a major American collector, and the transaction was handled by Sotheby's New York, with the sale details confirmed by the auction house and later reported by Forbes and Artnet record sale details.
"Number One (Royal Red and Blue)" is a large-scale drip painting from 1950, part of Pollock's classic poured canvases that transformed abstract expressionism. The work features layered pools of red, blue, and silver enamel over a raw linen surface, with dense skeins of pigment forming rhythmic horizontal bands. Its market value reflects both its iconic visual presence and its importance in Pollock's late 1940s to early 1950s breakthrough period Artnet coverage.
Record Price Context and Market Impact
The 46.3 million USD hammer price for "Number One (Royal Red and Blue)" placed it among the most valuable American paintings ever sold at auction. Adjusted for inflation and later market movements, the work remains a benchmark for Pollock's market and for postwar art as a whole. The sale demonstrated strong demand from institutional and private buyers for blue-chip 20th-century canvases Artprice market data.
Following the 2016 sale, Pollock's market continued to attract high-profile collectors and museums, with other major works regularly appearing in evening sales at Christie's and Sotheby's. The record for the artist has shaped valuations across postwar and contemporary art, influencing consignment strategies and museum acquisition budgets Christie's Pollock sales.
Painting Description, Provenance, and Display
"Number One (Royal Red and Blue)" measures approximately 172.7 by 294.6 centimeters and is executed in enamel, aluminum paint, and oil on canvas. The composition emphasizes horizontal flow, with saturated red and blue pools interrupted by thin silver and white drips that create a sense of continuous movement across the linen support.
Provenance and Exhibition History
The painting was originally acquired by the Sidney Janis Gallery in New York, which represented Pollock during his lifetime, and later entered a private American collection before the 2016 sale. It has been exhibited in major surveys of abstract expressionism, reinforcing its canonical status in the history of American art MoMA Pollock overview.
Current Ownership and Market Status
As of the most recent public data, the buyer of "Number One (Royal Red and Blue)" remains a private collector, with the work not currently on permanent public display. The transaction underscored the role of top-tier auction houses in