The Most Expensive Photograph Ever Sold

Phantom by Peter Lik

This spooky image shot in an underground cavern in Arizona's Antelope Canyon by Australian, Peter Lik, was sold by the photographer for $6.5 million in December 2014 making it the most expensive photograph ever sold. 

Of "Phantom", Lik said: "The purpose of all my photos is to capture the power of nature and convey it in a way that inspires someone to feel passionate and connected to the image".

The anonymous investor is a long-term fan of Peter's and also added his "Illusion" ($2.4 million) and "Eternal Moods" ($1.1 million) to his Collection. 

Prior to that, the 'title' of most expensive photograph ever sold was 'Rhein II' by German photographer, Andreas Gursky taken in 1999 and sold in 2011 for $4.3 million to an anonymous collector. 

'Rhein II' was the largest of of six photos of the River Rhein and Gursky controversially digitally edited the image to remove details including a factory building & dog-walkers.

Gursky defended his editing, saying, "Paradoxically, this view of the Rhine cannot be obtained in situ, a fictitious construction was required to provide an accurate image of a modern river."

Rhein II by Andreas Gursky, 1999