With Gursky’s Rhine II setting the all-time auction record paid for a photograph last month, a lot of attention has been paid to the top selling photos at an auction.

I like the variety and surreal price tags attached to these images, many of which would not even cause me to pause in a museum.

Rhine II, 1999 - Andreas Gursky

1. Andreas Gursky
Rhine II, 1999
$4,3m
Christie’s New York, November 2011

Untitled #96, 1981 - Cindy Sherman

2. Cindy Sherman
Untitled #96, 1981
£2.4m ($3,9m)
Christie’s New York, May 2011

Untitled (Cowboy) , c.2001–2002 - Richard Prince

3. Richard Prince
Untitled (Cowboy), c.2001–2002
£2.1 ($3,401,000)
Sotheby’s New York, November 2007

99 Cent II Diptychon, 2001 - Andreas Gursky

4. Andreas Gursky
99 Cent II Diptychon, 2001
£2.07 ($3,346,456)
Sotheby’s London, February 2007

The Pond-Moonlight, 1904 - Edward Steichen

5. Edward Steichen
The Pond-Moonlight, 1904
£1.9 ($2,928,000)
Sotheby’s New York, February 2006

Billy the Kidd,1879–80 - Unknown photographer

6. Unknown photographer
Billy the Kidd,1879–80
£1.4 ($2,300,000)
Brian Lebel’s Old West Show & Auction in Denver, June 2011

Kremlin of Tobolsk, 2009 - Dmitry Medvedev

7. Dmitry Medvedev
Kremlin of Tobolsk, 2009
£1.1m ($1,750,000)
January 2010, Christmas Yarmarka, Saint Petersburg.

Nude, 1925 - Edward Weston

8. Edward Weston
Nude, 1925
£1 ($1,609,000)
Sotheby’s New York, April 2008

Georgia O'Keeffe (Hands), 1919 - Alfred Stieglitz

9. Alfred Stieglitz
Georgia O’Keeffe (Hands), 1919
£923,000 ($1,470,000)
Sotheby’s New York, February 2006

Georgia O'Keeffe Nude, 1919 - Alfred Stieglitz

10. Alfred Stieglitz
Georgia O’Keeffe Nude, 1919
£854,000 ($1,360,000)
Sotheby’s New York, February 2006