Photographers can amaze us with their ability to uniquely reflect the world around us and get a look at it from a different angle. Other times they depict images so disgusting or banal that it’s impossible to understand why so many consider their photographs masterpieces. The art market is inscrutable, especially when it comes to photography. The following 10 photos, ranked by worth, sold for millions of dollars at auctions over the past few years.
10. Billy the Kid, photographer unknown (1880). Sold for $US2.3 million.
9. Untitled #153, by Cindy Sherman (1985). Sold for $US2.7 million.
8. The Pond/Moonlight, by Edward Steichen (1904). Sold for $US2.9 million.
7. Los Angeles, by Andreas Gursky (1998). Sold for $US2.9 million.
6. 99 Cent II, Diptychon, by Andreas Gursky (2001). Sold for $US3.3 million.
5. Untitled (Cowboy), by Richard Prince (2001-02). Sold for $US3.4 million.
4. Dead Troops Talk, by Jeff Wall (1992). Sold for $US3.7 million.
3. For Her Majesty, by Gilbert & George (1973). Sold for $US3.7 million.
2. Untitled #96, by Cindy Sherman (1981). Sold for $US3.9 million.
1. Rhein II, by Andreas Gursky (1999). Sold for $US4.3 million.
This post originally appeared on Free York.