It's the most iconic work of art in the world, and it's the most expensive. In 1962, the Mona Lisa was assessed by insurers at $100,000,000. In today's prices, that's around $860,000,000. In reality, The Louvre would never part with this artwork, making it truly priceless.
The Louvre
The Mona Lisa is the star attraction of The Louvre, Paris, France, where it has hung on permanent display since 1797. You will find the Mona Lisa in its own dedicated room, just be prepared for a long queue!
The Hope Diamond
You are looking at one of the world’s most famous, and most expensive, gems - the Hope Diamond. This stone is renowned for its large size, flawless clarity, rare deep blue colour, and prestigious provenance. Weighing in at 45.52 carats, the Hope Diamond alone costs $350,000,000.
The Smithsonian Museum
The Hope Diamond was previously owned by a cast of historical characters, including King Louis XIV, The Hope Family, Pierre Cartier, and Evalyn Walsh McLean. It later passed to the New York jeweller Harry Winston, who donated the diamond to The Smithsonian in 1958.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
It sounds like a story - In 1946, a Bedouin shepherd fell into a cave near Ein Feshkha, Palestine, and discovered clay jars filled with ancient papyrus scrolls. Years later, the Dead Sea Scrolls were recognised as some of the very earliest examples of Jewish biblical texts.
The Israel Museum
The scrolls were distributed around the world, but most of them ended up at the Israel Museum, where they're on permanent display. The first scrolls were sold for just 7 Jordanian Pounds, today around $300. As foundational texts of the Jewish faith, they're considered priceless.
The Rosetta Stone
Until the discovery and translation of the Rosetta Stone, hieroglyphs were meaningless and the secrets of ancient Egypt were lost to history. But this decree, carved on a stone pillar in three languages, discovered in 1799, enabled scholars to begin to translate the symbols.
The stone was originally found by the French army, but was soon surrendered to the British. Despite calls to return it to Egypt, the Rosetta Stone's place in history means this prestigious object is unlikely to leave the British Museum, except for a high price.
The Parthenon Marbles
Also at the British Museum are the Parthenon Marbles. These sculptures and friezes were taken from the ancient Greek temple on the acropolis of Athens between 1801-12, by Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin. Whether he was legally allowed to is another matter…
Elgin sold the marbles to the British government for £35,000 - around £2.7M in today's money - but the debate over the ownership of the marbles means that they're definitely not for sale. The price is political, and no amount of money can pay for national pride.
The Milwaukee Art Museum's collections of American decorative arts, German Expressionist prints and paintings, folk and Haitian art, and American art after 1960 are among the USA's finest.
