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A masterpiece by French painter Paul Gauguin, "Two Women," sold for 12.3 million pounds (17.9 million euros, 21.4 million dollars) during an auction Tuesday at Sotheby's in London.
The 1902 painting, which shows two semi-nude young Tahitian women sitting opposite each other by a violet wall, had been valued at between 11 million and 14 million pounds.
Philip Hook, senior director of Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Picture department, said the painting was "the most important" Gauguin works put up for sale in Europe in the last 15 years.
It was painted a year before the French post-impressionist died in 1903.
During the same sale Tuesday in London, a world record was set for a painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944). "Summer Day" sold for 6.1 million pounds (8.9 millions euros, 10.6 million dollars).
Sotheby's had valued it at between 2.5 and 3.5 million pounds.
It was among a dozen paintings by Munch, including two self-portraits, which sold during the same session.
Among the 70 paintings sold Tuesday were a rich collection of surrealist works by Man Ray, Magritte, Delvaux, Picabia, Dali and Max Ernst.
Also auctioned was "Waterloo Bridge" by French impressionist Monet (1840-1926), "Man with a Pipe" by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), which was painted in 1911 and considered a classical example of cubism.
The total sales Tuesday fetched 69.6 million pounds.
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AFPLifestyle-art-auction-Britain
AFP 072233 GMT 02 06
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