Today, we take a look at The Flatiron by Edward Steichen. The picture was made in 1904. The Flatiron building was completed in 1902 and it had a peculiar allure for the Photo-Secessionist group. Steichen took his picture the year after Alfred Stieglitz photographed the building.
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Steichen’s photograph has the distinction of being the second most expensive photograph ever sold. It was assessed at two or three million and it was sold by Christie’s for $11,800,000 in November 2022.
I would rather have a print of a really famous work of art than the actual piece. How’s that for a pedestrian take? I do love original artwork and I own a few pieces. But it’s not priceless yet.. Owning a famous piece of art isn’t appealing.
Let’s say you bought the Mona Lisa— maybe the most famous painting in the world. Even though you bought it and you have the option to put it in a room and never look at it or let anyone else look at it, you still have a responsibility to the world to care for it and be a good custodian of it. Beautiful art and architecture can be bought and owned but all humanity has a stake in it.
If you purchased the Mona Lisa, you would have to control the lighting, temperature, and humidity; to have a sprinkler system in case of fire; to install a an alarm to protect it from thieves, et cetera. If you just purchase a framed print of the Mona Lisa, you don’t owe it to humanity to control the humidity in your house.
I can understand why someone might want to own a famous painting. I don’t understand why anyone would spend nearly $12 million to own a famous photograph . I like The Flatiron a lot but even if I had and could easily spare $12 million, I wouldn’t buy it because I wouldn’t want to be responsible for it. It’s too small to display prominently on a wall 18 13/16 x 15 1/8 in. (47.8 x 38.4 cm) It would probably live in a desk drawer.
old spirituals 
As the old cliché goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” That is why a finger paint on a refrigerator done by a child is valued by one individual and not another. The same holds true of all forms of art. You mention The Mona Lisa so I think I should provide a source of information on that famous piece of art.
Art Historian Waldemar Januszczak’s videos on YouTube are enjoyable because of the educational value they provide and Januszczak’s entertaining presentation of the subject matter. Januszczak is an Englishman of Polish ancestry. One of his early videos delves into The Mona Lisa and its creator, Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is particularly interesting to hear Januszczak’s perspective on Leonardo da Vinci, the man. The video is titled: Why Is The Mona Lisa The World’s Most Famous Painting? (Waldemar Januszczak). The video is about 26 minutes. (For some reason I am not able to create a link to the video.)
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Sounds interesting! I’ll check it out!
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11.8 mill for a picture!
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That $11.8 million price is a nothing compared to the most expensive painting auctioned off in 2017. It was Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” painted in the 15th century, which sold for approximately $450.3 million at Christie’s in November of that year. The bidding for this painting was highly competitive, thus resulting in the record-breaking price.
Salvator Mundi is Latin for “Savior of the World.” The painting’s current owner is Muhammad bin Salman, the ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, an early 20th century painting, sold for $236.4 million at Sotheby’s in November 2025. Picasso’s Women of Algiers and Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn both shattered records when they were sold.
Art sellers will admit that the sale of art has been depressed until recently. I view investing in art as no different than investing in the stock market. Values go up and down, especially on art by less notable artists. Someone who collects art usually has an emotional attachment and/or favors a particular genre of art or artist . . . . and, of course, has the money to buy it.
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Art historians discovered a Leonardo da Vinci picture recently that had been painted over, if you can believe it. It was a remarkable thing seeing how they restored it! Some of the art is probably worth the price but it’s out of reach for most people, unless you happen to rule the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Exactly!
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If I remember correctly, the Flatiron is currently unoccupied. It’s quite an interesting building and sits adjacent to Madison Park near Madison Square Gardens. I saw the building on a sunny day in 2012 from the park. Such a unique building.
I believe the desire to have something that no one else owns in the whole world is the driving force behind those that spend millions for a photograph or painting. Greed? Think of all the people that could be helped or the research funded to find a cure.
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Yes! That’s exactly it. Or if they really loved art, someone who had that much money could use it to sponsor artists who could equal or surpass the old masters. Or to sponsor competitions to bring the most brilliant minds on earth together to solve the problems we wrestle with. A billion dollar prize to the person or persons who identifies a sustainable solution to gang violence.
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