Marcel Duchamp’s Belle Haleine, Eau de Voilette sold for $11 million as part of a Christie’s auction of art belonging to the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.  The work, which surpassed its esitmated price of $1 million, was described by Dada scholar Francis Naumann as “one of the most provocative works of art ever made, a simple bottle of perfume whose liquid long ago evaporated, but whose essence, to be sure, will continue to influence artists long into the future.” 

The auction, which included works by Henri Matisse, Constantin Brancusi, Piet Mondrian, Giorgio de Chirico, Paul Klee, and James Ensor set the world record for the most expensive collection ever sold at a private auction, with many works selling at prices a great deal higher than thier estimates.  Belle Helleine was purchased by M. Giraud, a New York art dealer acting on behalf of an unnamed client, who also bought The Cuckoos, a Blue and Pink Rug, a 1911 painting by Henri Matisse.