For centuries, the art world has attracted the planet's wealthiest people, and some will spend a fortune to get their hands on canvases by their favourite painters. Picasso's Femme à la montre became the most expensive painting sold at auction last year when the hammer fell at $139 million (£112m). But that's nothing compared to the prices realised by these famous paintings...

From scandalous portraits to iconic images, read on to discover 21 of the world's most valuable paintings, the mind-blowing sums they've been bought for, and who owns them today. All dollar values in US dollars.