Shock at Sotheby’s as ‘The Scream’ sells for $120m

Edvard Munch’s masterpiece, The Scream, one of the world’s most recognisable works of art, has sold for $120m (€91.28m) at Sotheby’s, setting a new record as the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction.

Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art auction featured works by Picasso, Dali and Miro, but Munch’s vibrant work from 1895 was the star attraction in a salesroom packed with collectors, dealers and media.

The vibrant pastel was conservatively estimated to sell for about $80m, but two determined bidders competing via telephone emerged from an initial group of seven, driving the final price to $107m, or $119,922,500 including commission, over the course of a 15-minute bidding war. The bidder was not identified.