Rhein II

Rhein II is a colour photograph made by German visual artist Andreas Gursky in 1999. In the image, a river (the Lower Rhine) flows horizontally across the field of view, between flat green fields, under an overcast sky. Extraneous details such as dog walkers and a factory building were removed by the artist using digital editing.

In 2011, a print was auctioned for $4.3 million (then £2.7m), making it the most expensive photograph sold. Rhein II held the record until 2022, when its price was exceeded by Le Violon d'Ingres.