The most ridiculous and expensive art pieces ever sold—they cost millions of dollars

Art is open to various interpretations; a piece you find unattractive might still sell for millions.

This is because we are in an era of contemporary and postmodern art, where the more unconventional a piece is, the higher its value might be.

Here are the most ridiculous art pieces ever sold  

1. No. 5, 1948

This artwork is basically colourful lines scattered on a black canvas.

Jackson Pollock, an American painter best known for his contributions to the abstract expressionist movement, created No. 5 in 1948.

On May 22, 2006, it sold for $140 million, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a painting that wasn't beaten until April 2011.

2. Orange, Red, Yellow 

Three boxes coloured orange, red, and yellow were sold for millions.  Mark Rothko created this colour field artwork in 1961.

A record high price for post-war contemporary art at public auction, it sold for $86,882,500 at Christie's on May 8, 2012, from the estate of David Pincus.   

3. Black Fire I

This is just a painting of a black box and a white box.

On May 13, 2014, after a phone bidding war, Black Fire I sold for $84.2 million ($84,165,000) to a private collector at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

The price it was sold for surpassed the organising house's estimate of $50 million.  

4. Comedian

In 2019, a controversial banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $120,000. It was made by artist Maurizio Cattelan and titled "Comedian."

The person who bought it has proven to make a sound investment, reselling one of its three "editions" for $6.24 million in 2024.

5. My Bed

Tracy Emin spent four days in bed in 1998 due to a broken heart and depression.

She realised that the chaotic and filthy state of her bed was a metaphor for her emotional state.

It was a beautiful mess, preserving the feeling of the moment. Emin brought the bed and its surroundings to a gallery. In 2014, the unmade bed sold for $4,351,969 at an art auction in London.

Do you think any of these art pieces were worth it?