How Much Would You Pay For A Picture Of A Potato? I Hope Not This Much!

By on February 13, 2016 in ArticlesHow Much Does

Celebrity photographer Kevin Abosch has had a lot of subjects step in front of his camera lens. Johnny Depp, Yoko Ono, Steven Spielberg, Vanessa Redgrave, and Dustin Hoffman, among many others, have had their pictures taken by the Irish photographer. He has also unveiled a "Faces of Ireland" piece, which features 250 people from Ireland.

Yet despite all that, Abosch's most valuable photograph is that of a potato. He recently sold a photograph, simply titled "Potato #345," to a European businessman. The fetching price? 1 million euros, or a little more than $1.09 million.

It all happened thanks to a little wining and dining. The businessman was having dinner at Abosch's home, and saw the picture of the organic Irish spud on the wall. According to Abosch:

"We had two glasses of wine and he said, 'I really like that'. Two more glasses of wine and he said: 'I really want that.'

Within two weeks, the price had been set, and Abosch received his money in exchange for the photograph. He says it's the most he's ever been paid for a purchased photograph, though he has been commissioned for a higher price.

It's also not the first time the photographer has had a piece bought right off of his wall. Always a good idea to keep your portfolio at arm's length.

"I see commonalities between humans and potatoes that speak to our relationship as individuals within a collective species," Abosch said in an interview with CNN, describing why he took a photo of a potato. "Generally, the life of a harvested potato is violent and taken for granted. I use the potato as a proxy for the ontological study of the human experience."

He'll also be able to use that potato to buy a whole bunch of French fries, if he so desires. He really could buy anything, since that "study of the human experience" just got him a lot of money. If you feel like breaking out your camera and taking a few practice photos, we won't blame you.

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