Have a few million dollars to spend? Want to see it experience 21% annual growth? How about 900% growth over a ten- year period? Try the art market.

According to ArtPrice.com, pieces from the 15 highest-selling artists have totaled $527,556,988 thus far in 2009. Works by those artists have posted average annual growth of 151.47% since 1999. The S&P 500 is down 23.5% during that time.

The best selling artists are listed here by absolute value of 2009 auction sales, but pay close attention to how these works appreciate over time… some of the returns may surprise you. Click ahead to find out!

By Paul Toscano
Posted 31 Aug 2009

»Article: Investing in Art
»Slideshow: Investing in Vintage Cars

2009 Sales: $18,678,590

2009 Price Growth: -7.13%
Ten-Year Price Growth: -25.83 %
Avg. Annual Price Growth: -2.51 %

Pictured: Baroque Egg with Bow (1994)
Sold for: $5,458,500

»More about Jeff Koons

2009 Auction Sales: $19,122,465

2009 Price Growth: -36.62%
Ten-Year Price Growth: +44.53%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +3.18%

Pictured: L’evenement (1978)
Sold for: $3,666,500

»More about Marc Chagall

2009 Auction Sales: $20,101,32

2009 Price Growth: -4.05%
10-Year Price Growth: +278.97
Avg. Annual Price Growth: 12.01%

Pictured: A Cinq morceaux de bois (1934)
Sold for: 2,617,250 GBP

»More about Alexander Calder

2009 Auction Sales: $20,941,835

2009 Price Growth: +0.71%
10-Year Price Growth: +144.86%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +7.92%

Pictured: Il Ritornante (1918)
Sold for: $14,285,950

»More about Giorgio de Chirico

2009 Auction Sales: $21,573,383

2009 Price Growth: -0.3%
10-Year Price Growth: +426.65%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +15.19%

Pictured: Buste de Diego (Stele III)
Sold for: $7,698,500

»More about Alberto Giacometti

2009 Auction Sales: $22,638,124

2009 Price Growth: +61.25%
10-Year Price Growth: +899.36%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +21.64%

Pictured: Portrait de Madame M.
Sold for: $6,130,500

»More about Tamara de Lempicka

2009 Auction Sales: $25,847,480

2009 Price Growth: -11.13%
10-Year Price Growth: +94.12%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +5.81%

Pictured: Petite Daneuse de Quatorze ans
Sold for: 13,257,250 GBP

»More about Edgar Degas

2009 Auction Sales: $28,664,352

2009 Price Growth: -14.82%
10-Year Price Growth: +197.08%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +9.71

Pictured: Peinture (Femme se poudrant)
Sold for: 3,961,250 GBP

»More about Joan Miro

2009 Auction Sales: $32,678,380

2009 Price Growth: +4.99%
10-Year Price Growth: +212.3%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: 10.18%

Pictured: Au Parc Monceau (1878)
Sold for: $10,284,284

»More about Claude Monet

2009 Auction Sales: $37,762,472

2009 Price Growth: N/A
10-Year Price Growth: N/A
Avg. Annual Price Growth: N/A

Pictured: Portrait de Mme L.R. (1914-17)
Sold for: $37,762,472

»More about Constantin Brancusi

2009 Auction Sales: $40,809,588

2009 Price Growth: -20.24%
10-Year Price Growth: +227.34%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +10.62%

Pictured: Mrs. McCarthy & Mrs. Brown (Tunafish Disaster)
Sold for: 3,737,250 GBP

»More about Andy Warhol

2009 Auction Sales: $41,053,764

2009 Price Growth: -6.62%
10-Year Price Growth: +270.46%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +11.79%

Pictured: La tasse de thé (1921)
Sold for: $14,865,617

»More about Fernand Leger

2009 Auction Sales: $57,943,106

2009 Price Growth: N/A
10-Year Price Growth: N/A
Avg. Annual Price Growth: N/A

Pictured: Composition avec bleu, rouge, jaune et noir (1922)
Sold for: $27,908,129

»More about Piet Mondriaan

2009 Auction Sales: $65,095,070

2009 Price Growth: +0.25%
10-Year Price Growth: +101.39%
Avg. Annual Price Growth:+4.94%

Pictured: Les coucous, tapis bleu et rose (1911)
Sold for: $46,457,480

»More about Henri Matisse

2009 Auction Sales: $79,002,917

2009 Price Growth: -4.21%
10-Year Price Growth: +76.31%
Avg. Annual Price Growth: +4.94%

Pictured: Mousquetaire à la pipe (1968)
Sold for: $14,642,500

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