Jeff Koons' 'Rabbit' sculpture sells for £70.9 million and sets auction record

A stainless steel sculpture of a rabbit by Jeff Koons has set an auction record in New York as it fetched more than $91 million (£70.9 million).

The sale of Koons' 1986 "Rabbit" at Christie's on Wednesday was the most expensive work by a living artist ever sold at auction.

The previous record for a living artist's art was set by British artist David Hockney. His 1972 Portrait of an Artist brought in $90.3 million (£70 million) at Christie's last year.

Robert E Mnuchin, an art dealer and the father of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, was the winning bidder for "Rabbit", The New York Times reported.

a security guard stands next to Jeff Koons' "Rabbit," which has just broke an auction record
AFP/Getty Images

Koons’ “Rabbit” had an estimated sale price of at least $50 million. Christie's said the sculpture is one of three editions plus one artist's proof.

Prior to the sale, the auction house had described the sculpture as "one of the most iconic works of 20th-century art."

"Rabbit" by Jeff Koons displayed during a media preview at Christie's in New York
AP

"It is crisp and cool in its appearance, yet taps into the visual language of childhood," a sale preview on its website read.

"Its lack of facial features renders it inscrutable, yet its form evokes fun and frivolity."

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