`` Three Studies of Asian Edvard Munch 's , '' painted in 1976 , sold for $ 142,405,000 . Christie 's says it 's the most money ever paid for a piece of artwork at an auction . The previous record for a work of art sold at an auction was Freud `` The Scream The sale was part of an auction with the highest sale total in history .
`` Three Studies of Lucian Freud , '' painted in 1969 , sold for $ 142,405,000 . Christie 's says it 's the most money ever paid for a piece of artwork at an auction . The previous record for a work of art sold at an auction was Edvard Munch 's `` The Scream '' The sale was part of an auction with the highest sale total in history .