EST:£51.6M SOLD:£59.4M

THE Odalisque Couchée Aux Magnolias is considered one of the greatest Henri Matisse works to come to the market.

It was painted in Nice in 1923, when he was said to be at the height of his powers.

It has been described by experts as a ‘completely new way of painting’, as Matisse gave the boldly coloured background of the work much greater weight. It features his favourite model, Henriette Darricarrère, a ballerina who is said to have used her training to pose for up to ten hours at a time.

The Rockefellers — who acquired the painting in 1958 — hung it in a prime position in the living room of their palatial home in New York state.

Its sale set a new auction record for the French master.