Max Ernst's The Stolen Mirror led an auction of surrealist art at Christie's London on February 2, achieving £7.6m ($10.9m).
The work was painted in 1941, in the midst of the second world war.
 Max Ernst painted The Stolen Mirror after his arrival in the US in 1941 |
Ernst (1891-1976) managed to flee occupied France after being arrested by the Gestapo - thanks in part to the intervention of wealthy art collector Peggy Guggenheim (whom he later married).
The present work is described as "a surrealistic tour-de-force" depicting a bizarre and alien landscape.
Ernst was a pioneering figure in the surrealist movement and would later act as a major influence on the explosion of abstract expressionism in America.
Joan Miro's Femme et oiseaux dans la nuit was another highlight, realising a solid £5.7m ($8.3m).
The work was painted for a travelling retrospective of Miro's work and features three of his most often recurring motifs (women, birds and the night).
Jay Vincze and Olivier Camu of Christie's comment: "We had strong interest across price levels and periods, from Paul Cezanne's 1882 work 'Ferme en Normandie, ?�t?� (Hattenville)', through to Joan Mir??'s 1968 'Femme et oiseaux dans la nuit'.
"With registered bidders from 35 countries across 5 continents demonstrating the continued breadth of interest in the category, we continued to welcome strong participation from Asia, America and Europe."
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