 A 1999 photograph of the Rhine river by German artist Andreas Gursky has sold for $4.3 million in New York City, setting a record for any photograph sold at auction. This 1999 photograph provided by Chrisitie's shows the Rhine river by German artist Andreas Gursky. Cindy Sherman, who previously held the title for her well-known work 'Untitled #96' (1981), which in May broke the previous record at $3.9 million.
– Have you ever gazed upon a river and thought, “This would make a lovely photograph that someone would pay millions of dollars for”? No? Well, that’s why you’re not Andreas Gursky. A chromogenic color print of the Gursky photo below, entitled Rhein II, sold for a whopping $4.3 million at Christie’s in New York this week, the AP reports, making it the most expensive photo ever sold at auction. With the sale, Gursky reclaims the most-expensive crown from Cindy Sherman, whose Untitled #96 sold for $3.9 million in May, the Huffington Post reports. Before that, the most expensive sale was Gursky’s 99 Cent II Diptychon for almost $3.4 million. Of course, everyone’s a critic; Gizmodo snickers at Rhein II, saying it’s “as bland as it is expensive.” But HuffPo disagrees, declaring, “This photo is meant to be stared at.”