Infographic: The top auction sales of 2017

It's been a busy year for record-breaking auction sales, whether in U.S., UK or around the world. We know friends and fans of Muzeum love antiques and collectibles, so we wanted to create a handy infographic listing several head-turning auction sales that broke records or were simply amazing.

For example, we look back to May when a painting by late graffiti artist-turned-expressionist painter Jean-Michel Basquiat became the most expensive painting sold at auction of any American artist, selling for $140 million. (All figures in Canadian dollars)

But the priciest sale we spotted came from Christie's in New York when Leonard DaVinci's 500-year-old portrait of Jesus Christ sold for a whopping $570 million. As Time describes the artwork: "Dating back to the year 1500, the painting — translated as “Savior of the World” — depicts Christ holding one hand in prayer and a crystal sphere in the other while draped in a blue robe. It is one of fewer than 20 paintings known to be made by the Italian master."

According to several reports, the painting was owned by King Charles I in the 17th century, but then it disappeared from records from 1763 to 1900.

It was a stacked auction day for Christie's: Even though the da Vinci was the marquee event, Andy Warhol's "Sixty Last Suppers" also sold for $76.1 million at the auction, while a 2005 work, "Untitled," by the late Cy Twombly, was snapped up for $58.3 million. 

In the jewellery department, everyone in that scene was thrilled to learn about the Nov. 14 sale of a spectacular diamond necklace featuring a huge 163.41-carat colourless diamond.  It sold for $42.7 million, thanks in part to the 18 emerald-cut diamonds studding one side of the necklace, with the same amount of emeralds curling around the other side. 

It reportedly a team of 14 craftsmen working for over 1,700 hours to create the masterpiece.

Rare wine also makes an appearance in our infographic. It might look like a regular ol' 750-mL bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon but this variety of red called The Setting sold for $443,000 in November. It broke the record for the most amount paid for a single bottle of wine at auction. 

As Esquire notes, the 2015 Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the brainchild of Jesse Katz, who in 2010 "became the youngest head winemaker in the country. Now, he counts Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel and Von Miller as customers of his California vineyard, Devil Proof."

The new owner of the bottle is an unnamed Mississippi wine collector.

If you missed our previous infographic on the most expensive jewellery from around the world, check it out here. 

Muzeum staff are always available to assess any artwork, antiques or collectibles you are looking to sell to our network of collectors. You can email us anytime at info@muzeum.ca