1. "No. 5, 1948" by Jackson Pollock - $140 Million (Rs 628.5Cr)?
Simply known as "No 5, 1948", a rich, brownish-yellow mess may now have become the world's most expensive painting.

Painted by expressionist Jackson Pollock in his trademark "drip" style, the 4-foot-by-8-foot painting was previously owned by entertainment mogul David Geffen.

Tobias Meyer, worldwide head of contemporary art for Sotheby's auction house, is said to have brokered the deal, according to The New York Times. The new buyer reportedly is David Martinez, a Mexican financier. Officials at Sotheby's, however, would not confirm the sale, saying they do not comment on private transactions.

2. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt - $135 Million (Rs 606.1Cr)
At number two is the portrait by Gustav Klimt.

The most expensive till this new Pollock got onto the charts, the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer was painted by the art nouveau master Gustav Klimt in 1907. It was purchased earlier this year by cosmetics heir Ronald S Lauder.

3. Garçon à la Pipe by Pablo Picasso - $104 Million (Rs 467.4Cr)

Garçon à la Pipe aka Boy with a Pipe was created during the famous Rose Period, during which Picasso painted with a cheerful and vibrant palette. The oil on canvas painting, measuring 100 × 81.3 cm, depicts a boy holding a pipe in his left hand. The record price the picture fetched at Sotheby's in 2004 came as a surprise to art buyers, especially since it wasn't painted in the style usually associated with Picasso.

4. Dora Maar with Cat by Picasso - $95.2 Mn (Rs 427.4 cr)

Yet another Picasso, Dora Maar fetched nearly double its presale estimate at Sotheby's on May 3, this year. The painting is said to portray a rather unflattering depiction of Picasso's mistress, Dora Maar, who was an artist andphotographer herself. It was painted in 1941.

5. Portrait du Dr Gachet by Vincent van Gogh - $82.5 Mn (Rs 370.4Cr)

This painting by the Dutch Impressionist Vincent van Gogh was bought by Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito at a Christie's auction in New York.
It is rumoured that Saito was so attached to the "Portrait of Dr Gachet" that he wanted it to be cremated with him when he died. Saito died in 1996. The painting lives on for posterity.

6. Bal Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir -$78 Million (Rs 350.2 cr)

Painted by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1876, this painting was also bought by Ryoei Saito in 1990. Sotheby's of New York City effected the sale. Saito's true attachment to the Renoir is not really known - regardless, it wasn't cremated with him either.

7. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens - $76.7 Mn (Rs 344.3 CR)

This painting by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1611, was sold to Kenneth Thomson, a Canadian businessman, at a 2002 Sotheby's auction. Mr Thomson - for the record - at the time of his death (June 2006) was the ninth richest person in the world, according to Forbes.com.

8. Portrait de l'Artiste sans Barbe by Vincent van Gogh -$71.5 Mn (Rs 321Cr)

"Self-portrait without beard" is one of many self-portraits by Vincent van Gogh. Painted in 1889, the portrait is an oil painting on canvas and is 40 cm x 31 cm. This work is different from the artist's other self-portraits because it's the only one in which he's seen without his beard. Ah yes, it has the distinction of being the most expensive painting of all time when it was sold in 1998 in New York.

9. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cézanne - $60.5 Mn (Rs 271.6CR)

This painting by Paul Cézanne, painted in the 1890s was sold at Sotheby's, New York in 1999 to "The Whitneys"; one of America's wealthiest families with stakes in publishing, Broadway and Hollywood.

10. Femme aux Bras Croisés by Picasso - $55 Mn (Rs 246.9 CR)

A part of Picasso's Blue Period, this work was painted in 1901. The painting depicts a woman with her arms crossed, staring into nothingness. Femme aux Bras Croisés was sold in 2000 at Christie's Rockefeller in New York.