With one sale to a single client worth $10 million in 2014, photographer Peter Lik claimed three of the Top 20 spots for most expensive photographs ever sold. Lik had already laid claim to a position in the ranking with a previous $1 million sale.
The purchase of three photographs for $10 million included “Phantom” for a world record $6.5 million, “Illusion” for $2.4 million and “Eternal Moods” for $1.1 million. Lik’s previous entry in the Top 20 list was for a $1 million photograph called “One.”
But was it a good deal? After claiming a world record $6.5 million and three Top 20 entries in one day, Peter Lik has not made any record breaking sales since 2014.
The Wikileaks page for “List of most expensive photographs” carries a Disputed Claim and does not include any of his photos in their list of the 30 highest prices paid for photographs.
- In December 2014, Peter Lik reportedly sold a photograph titled Phantom to an anonymous bidder for $6.5 million, making it potentially the third highest price paid for a photograph. Lik’s claim has been greeted with much scepticism. Claims of the sale have never been proven, and the buyer has not come forward, though a lawyer claiming to represent the buyer claims that the deal was real.
A few stories have been published questioning Lik’s claim and credentials:
1. Why the New York Times took Australian millionaire photographer Peter Lik to task in the Australian Financial Review / NY Times;
2. Buyer beware: Treat Peter Lik photo sale with scepticism in the Sydney Morning Herald;
3. ‘New York Times’ Exposes Peter Lik Photography Scheme in Artnet;
4. Is That $6.5 Million Photo Sale for Real? Probably Not! in Artnet
Artnet, a comprehensive art auction database which logs the resales of artists and photographers including Peter Lik, says the most anyone has ever paid for one his photographs is $US15,860, for a copy of a colour version of Phantom called Ghost, in 2008.
In 2012, art consultant David Hulme went on record saying
“If I was advising a client on a $1 million art purchase, I would be extremely wary of purchasing a Peter Lik photograph, however good it is. This is because Peter Lik’s photographs have no secondary market presence or value.”
Art consultant David Hulme
Lik runs a string of galleries devoted to selling his landscape photography in high-end tourist traffic areas around the world: in his native Australia, across the USA: Aspen, Lahaina, La Jolla, Key West & Miami and SoHo NY, and four in Las Vegas: Caesars, Forum, Mandalay and Venetian. Lik’s photography factory is also in Las Vegas.
Peter Lik’s clients in these high-end tourist hotspots have some disposable income but little or no experience buying fine art, and the art consultants who work in these galleries have a well rehearsed sales pitch.
Peter Lik’s website claims that “he has sold upwards of $700 million of artwork to his many valued collectors, including royalty, presidents and celebrities” and “Peter now holds four spots out of the top twenty most expensive photographs ever sold.”
Los Angeles lawyer Joshua Roth, who represented the buyer who paid $6.5 million said they do exist but declined to name them which is not uncommon in the art world.
Peter Lik claims his photograph ‘Phantom’ was sold for $6.5 million – then, the most expensive photograph in history. Photo: supplied
The 2014 press released issued by LIK USA™ is reproduced in full below:
Award-Winning Photographer Now Holds Four of the Top 20 Most Expensive Photographs Ever Sold
LAS VEGAS, Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Today, LIK USA™ announced the sale of the most expensive photograph in history by world-renowned fine art photographer, Peter Lik. “Phantom” sold to a private collector for an unprecedented $6.5 million.
The purchase also included Lik’s masterworks “Illusion” for $2.4 million and “Eternal Moods” for $1.1 million. With this $10 million sale, Lik now holds four of the top 20 spots for most expensive photographs ever sold. He already has a position in the ranking with a previous $1 million sale of famed image, “One.”
“The purpose of all my photos is to capture the power of nature and convey it in a way that inspires someone to feel passionate and connected to the image,” said award-winning fine art photographer Peter Lik.
“Phantom” and “Eternal Moods” are black and white representations of Lik’s iconic images “Ghost” and “Eternal Beauty.” Lik is known for his artistic approach to landscape photography and capturing Mother Nature’s vibrant colors. His use of black and white imagery is a rare and compelling departure from his normal style.
“Certain textures and contours found in nature lend themselves beautifully to black and white photography,” said Lik. “The intensity of contrasting light and dark spaces was surprising, but made for some of the most powerful images I’ve ever created.”
The private buyer is represented by Joshua Roth of the Glaser Weil Fink Howard Avchen & Shapiro, LLP firm, 10250 Constellation Blvd., 19th Floor, Los Angeles, Calif. 90067, who indicated his client preferred not to be publicly identified for security and privacy reasons. Peter Lik and LIK USA™ are represented by their attorney, Mark G. Tratos of Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
“It is noteworthy that the sales of these photographic works denote another milestone in the development of fine art photography, as well as a new benchmark for the value of Peter Lik works,” said Tratos.
These sales may be confirmed through the buyer’s counsel, Joshua Roth.
“Our client is a long-time collector of Lik’s works and is delighted to add these one-of-a-kind photographs to his impressive collection,” said Roth.
About Peter Lik
Peter Lik began capturing the wonders of nature as a young boy in his native Australia and never stopped. In 1984, Lik migrated to the U.S. and discovered his passion for panoramic photography. One of Lik’s most notable projects, “Spirit of America,” is a 50-state landscape exploration of perilous deserts, ethereal mountain peaks, lush fields and glimmering cityscapes. Peter Lik’s love for America and its landscapes led him to become a naturalized citizen in 2013. Over the years, Lik’s career has been marked with award wins as a Master Photographer from both the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). He has also been awarded fellowships from the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) and The Royal Photographic Society (RPS). In 2011, Peter jumped into mainstream culture by starring in the NBC-produced TV series, “From the Edge with Peter Lik.” With 14 galleries around the United States, Peter Lik counts presidents and celebrities among his collectors. Lik’s masterworks “Ghost” and “Inner Peace” have been included in an exhibition of Nature’s Best Photography at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.
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