Maurizio Cattelan's Him (2001), a statue of a kneeling Hitler, has sold for $17.2m - a new record for the artist's work.
It was the star lot of Christie's Bound to Fail auction in New York on May 8, edging out Cattelan's previous record of $7.9m.
 Works by Jeff Koons and Maurizio Cattelan led the May 8 sale |
It beat its $15m estimate by 14.6%.
The sculpture appears from behind as a small, childlike figure in a grey suit. On walking round to the front the face of the dictator is revealed.
The controversial work plays with preconceptions of the nature of evil. Cattelan is expressly provocative and satirical in the execution of his work.
Another of his statues depicts the Pope being hit by a meteorite.
Loic Gouzer, Christie's deputy chairman of post-war and contemporary art, comments: "We were encouraged by the passionate response to works that have traditionally been overlooked or construed as challenging.
"The depth of interest for [Him] speaks to its international notoriety, and its ability to breach the boundaries of fine art and popular culture, forcing the viewer to reconsider challenging questions about action and absolution."
The sale also included Jeff Koons' One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank, which sold for $15.2m.
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