A sculpted stone head by artist Amedeo Modigliani sold at Christie’s in Paris on Monday for euro 43.18 million ($52.8 million), breaking the record for a work by the Italian artist, the auction house said.
An anonymous buyer bid for the piece by telephone.
The piece was sculpted between 1910 and 1912, and shows an elongated head with almond-shaped eyes and flowing hair.
Modigliani lived from 1884 to 1920 and originally focused on sculpture but later switched to painting in part because of his health problems.
He is one of only three artists within his generation who achieved distinction in three different mediums: painting, sculpture and drawing. The other two were Picasso and Matisse.
Modigliani’s sculptures are very rare. At present, there are only 27 confirmed Modigliani sculptures of which 17 are at prestigious museums.