A black and white photograph by Peter Lik titled "Phantom," which depicts Arizona’s Antelope Canyon, is believed to be the most expensive photograph ever sold after a private buyer purchased it for $6.5 million this week.
The buyer, who wishes to remain anonymous, also bought two other Lik images: "Illusion" for $2.4 million and "Eternal Moods" for
$1.1 million, according to a news release from LIK USA.
Along with the previous $1 million sale of his image "One," Lik now has four of the top 20 most expensive photographs ever sold, the release said.
"The purpose of all my photos is to capture the power of nature and convey it in a way that inspires someone to feel passionate and connected to the image," Lik said in the statement.
Guardian columnist Jonathan Jones sneered at the sale, writing: "Photography is not art. It is a technology." He said a vast range of photographs can be found online showing the same natural features.
"They are all just as striking as 'Phantom,'" Jones wrote. "Someone has been very foolish with their money, mistaking the picturesque for high art."
Twitter users had mixed reactions.
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