A record was also set for a painting by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti, a night after all-time high prices were paid for works by Claude Monet and Auguste Rodin.

Munch's "Girls on a bridge," described by Sotheby's as "one of the artist's most widely popular and lyrical compositions," sold for US$30.8 million to a telephone bidder.

Leger's "Etude pour 'La Femme en Bleu'" went to a buyer in the room for US$39.2 million, while Giacometti's "Portrait de Caroline" fetched US$14.6 million.

There has been widespread concern in recent months that the art market could be feeling the fallout from the U.S. housing crisis and credit crunch, but auction houses have insisted that top works are continuing to find buyers.