Matisse sculpture sold for $48.8m

The piece is one of four Matisse bronzes of women seen from the back

A 6ft (1.8m) bronze sculpture of a nude woman seen from the back, by Matisse, has fetched $48.8m (£30.2m) - an auction record for the French artist.

Nu de dos, 4 etat (Back IV) had been estimated to fetch $25m-$35m (£15.5m-£21.7m) at the Christie's New York sale. The total includes commission.

It is one of a series of four bronzes of women seen from behind that Matisse created between 1908 and 1931.

Christie's said it was the first time one of the bronzes had been auctioned.

It said the "extraordinary" auction had been won by Gagosian Gallery Inc.

The auction house's sale of Impressionist and modern art also fetched an auction record for a work by Spanish cubist Juan Gris.

His oil on canvas painting, Violon et guitare, sold for $28.6m (£17.7m). Its estimate had been $18m-$25m (£11.2m-£15.5m).

The auction fetched a total of $231.4m (£143.6m) with 80% of 84 lots sold.

Christie's said a quarter of works were purchased by buyers in Asia and other regions outside the US and Europe.

The sale came a day after a painting of a nude by Amedeo Modigliani sold for more than $68.9m (£42.3m) at Sotheby's in New York.