Extravagant Artwork Auctions

At McTear's, we auction many fabulous and extravagant pieces of art which are valued by our experts. Our bidders really have an eye and appreciation for beautiful, interesting and inspirational artwork, but how much would you pay for some of the world's most sought-after artwork?

Have a look at some of the below artwork by famous artists, which have had their hammers crashing down at humongous sums of money - perhaps some of the masterpieces you own will be the same in a few years!


Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur, Pablo Picasso

Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur translates to 'Nude, Green Leaves and Bust' by the well known Impressionist artist, Pablo Picasso. It was painted in just one day in March 1932. By 2010, this painting was auctioned for $106, 500,00. Wow, not bad for a day's work!


Portrait of Dr. Gachet, Vincent van Gogh

This painting is by the very well known Dutch Impressionist artist, Van Gogh. He painted two similar versions of this portrait, one of which can be viewed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the other which was purchased by Ryoei Saito, a business man from Japain for just $82.5 million... JUST?!


Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer, Gustav Klimt

The above is a 'Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer', painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907. By 2006, the painting was selling in auction for $135,000,000, to the cosmetics heir Ronald S. Lauder.
Interestingly, this sale came after a court order placed by the Austrian government, to return it to the artist's heir after many years disputing that the painting had been stolen by Nazi's in World War II - Quite some attention and adventure for one painting!


The Scream, Edvard Munch

One of four that exist, this most vibrant version of the original iconic image created by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch sold at auction in May 2012 for almost $120,000,000.

The 19th century image, portraying what the artist called "the great scream in nature" soon became the subject of countless parodies throughout the 20th century and, today, remains on a par with Da Vinci's Mona Lisa as one of the most recognised images in the world.

Keep up to date with the pieces of our more affordable artwork up for auction on our website, and also see our Facebook and Twitter to ensure you hear everything first... or even have some artwork you own valued by us to see what you could get at auction.

Eh... So What IS Contemporary Art?

This is a question that isn't asked often enough. This is something that we all assume everyone knows, and should know by telepathic means because you wouldn't want to ask a "silly" question at an art function.

The answer can be complicated with tangents into understanding the study of many “isms” in six decades of art. But the simple answer is... Contemporary just means "art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetimes". This means it is contemporary to us, today!

So, what is the difference in contemporary art and modern art?

Modern art is art created in and around 1860 to around 1970. This is when artists such as 'The Impressionists', including Vincent Van Gogh, began to challenge the traditional academic view of art and started to look at the world differently.


Vincent van Gogh, Country road in Provence by Night, 1889

And Post-modern art?

Contemporary art includes, and develops from Post-modern art, which is itself a successor of Modern art. It is within our lifetime, particularly the last twenty years. Contemporary artists use a variety of materials and techniques and technologies such as computers to produce their work.

To explore further... The term of contemporary art does not necessarily commit to a particular style, however contemporary artists can express themselves and respond to social issues in a way that previous artists couldn't. Often today's artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing, and multifaceted. They can work in various mediums and often reflect on modern-day society.

When engaging with contemporary art, onlookers should set aside questions like, "Is a work of art good?" or "Is the work aesthetically pleasing?" Instead, they should consider if it is "challenging" or "interesting." Contemporary artists may question traditional views of art definitions, what art is, and how art is made, while creating a dialogue with, and in fact sometimes rejecting previous the styles and movements.

Here are some of our upcoming contemporary art works- notice the varying styles.

Lot 1837: Laetitia Guildbaud, Guiness Babe, acrylic on canvas, estimated at £300 - £500.



Lot 1837

Lot 2022: Paul Bloomer, Bigton Sunset, oil on canvas, estimated at £300 - £500.


Lot 2022

Lot 1851: James Fullarton, The War Memorial, Saltcoats, acrylic on board. Estimated at £200 - £500.


Lot 1851

Come along and view our Scottish Contemporary Art Auction on Sunday 4th August at 2pm, to form your own impressions on contemporary art- especially now that you are an expert- or just come along to get your hands on a nice new picture that would look great your wall!