Edvard Munch's painting The Scream has sold for a record NZ$140 million at auction at Sotheby's far exceeding pre-sales estimates of about $100 million.
The previous record for the most expensive work of art sold at auction had been held by Picasso's Nude, green leaves and bust which sold for $122.5 million at Christie's two years ago.
The picture's depiction of a man screaming beneath a vivid sunset is one of the world's most recognisable images.
The 1895 pastel is owned by a man whose father knew the expressionist painter and is one of four versions created by Munch.
The other three versions of The Scream are all owned by Norwegian museums.
