1. Pablo Picasso, Garcon a la Pipe, $104m, May 2004
This painting of a young Parisian working boy crowned with a garland of roses, holding a pipe in his left hand, broke the $100m barrier when bought by an anonymous bidder at Sotheby's in New York.

Painted in 1905 when the artist was 24, it has been described as one of the most beautiful and important of the artist's Rose period.

However, Picasso's friend and biographer John Richardson reportedly said it was a "grotesque price" and the buyer should have spent it on "something much more worthwhile".

 

2. Pablo Picasso, Dora Maar With Cat, $95.2m, May 2006
Two years later, this portrait of Picasso's lover Dora Maar became the second most expensive painting ever sold at auction.

Like Garcon a la Pipe, it was sold to an anonymous buyer at Sotheby's in New York.

Maar's influence on the artist is thought to have resulted in the most daring portraits of his career.

3. Vincent van Gogh, Portrait of Dr Gachet, $82.5m, May 1990
Bought by Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito at Christie's in New York, this cost $30m more than anybody had paid for a painting at that time.

But Mr Saito threatened to have it cremated with him when he died to avoid a large inheritance tax.

He later said he was joking but did die six years later - and it was not clear whether the painting belonged to his heirs, his company or his creditors. Its whereabouts are still unknown.

Two days after purchasing the van Gogh, Mr Saito splashed out again by buying Renoir's Au Moulin de la Galette for $78m.

BRITAIN'S MOST EXPENSIVE

 

1. JMW Turner, Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio, $35.8m, April 2006
This view of Venice, painted in 1841, was bought by a private collector for $32m.

The final sum paid - the most ever paid for a Turner work - included an auction house commission of 12%.

2. John Constable, The Lock, $21.1m, November 1990
3. Joshua Reynolds, Omai, $14.7m, November 2001

Source: Artprice/BBC