Helena Newman, Global Co - Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Department , said : “ Tonight we saw continued market activity across all price levels , with depth of bidding from a broad international spectrum . F ive lots selling for more than £7 /$10 million and t here was particular streng th for sculpture and Surrealism – with record prices achieved for both Rodin and Delvaux . ”

3 rd February 2016: Sotheby’s sales in London this evening were led by Pablo Picasso's Tête de femme , a 1935 portrait of his greatest muse Marie - Th érèse Walter that sold for £18.9 million / $27.1 million - The most valuable work sold across the auction houses this week

A lifetime cast of Auguste Rodin's Iris led the selection of sculpture on offer, achieving £11.6 million / $16.7 million , and marking a new auction record for the artist in GBP- Once in the collection of Sylvester Stallone, t he same cast last appeared at auction in 2007 at So theby's London, when it sold for a then record £4.6 million- The most recent auction record for the artist was £9.6 million- Sculpture performed well throughout the evening, with 9 of 10 pieces on offer sold, for a combined total of £17.1 million

The Surrealist portion of tonight’s sales was led by Paul Delvaux’s Le Miroir , which once again achieved a new auction record for the artist , selling for £7.3 million / $10.5 million- The same painting set an auction record for the artist when it was last s old in 1999- Altogether the Surrealist material totaled £14.9 million / $21.4 million , including a new auction record for a sculpture by Man Ray

Claude Monet ’s Le Palais Ducal vu de Saint- Georges Majeur from 1908 sold for £11.6 million / $16.7 million- Of Monet's 36 Venice pictures, half now reside in museum collections

Henri Matisse ’s La Leçon de piano from 1923 sold for £10.8 million / $15.5 million- The painting was acquired by Royan Middleton, an A berdonian printer and publisher in 1927 and has remained with his family ever since- The work is closely related to a number of paintings in major museums including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Kunstmuseum in Berlin

New auction records:- For Paul Delvaux (lot 48)- For Auguste Rodin in GBP (lot 22)- For a work on paper by Francis Picabia (lot 46)- For a sculpture by Man Ray (lot 42)

Participants from 35 countries, on a par with our London sales last year

Sotheby’s sales of Impressionist & Modern Art continue tomo rrow:- 4 th February: Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale (est. £ 24- 34.4 million / $38.5- 55.4 million)- 5 th February: Picasso in Private: Works from the Collection of Marina Picasso , offering 186 ceramics and works on paper from the artist ’s studio (est. £6.9- 9. 7 million / $ 11 .1– 1 5 .7 million)