Gaugin landscape sells for $ 8 million

LONDON (Agencies): A landscape painted by French artist Paul Gauguin on his first visit to Tahiti in 1893 was sold at Sotheby's here Tuesday for 5.5 million pounds (8.25 million dollars).

Tahitiennes pres d'un Ruisseau -- which has not been exhibited since 1934 -- went to a private European collector who made his bid by telephone. It was sold by a French collector whose family had owned it since 1934.

On Monday a painting of Rouen Cathedral by Claude Monet sold for more than 7.5 million pounds (11 million dollars) at Christie's auction house.

La Cathedrale de Rouen, Effet d'Apres-midi went for 7.6 million pounds to an anonymous buyer bidding by telephone.

It was a record price at auction for one of Monet's views of the cathedral. The painting had not been seen in public since 1924 and is one of a series of views of the cathedral painted between 1892 and 1894.

Christie's said it was the highest price paid in an impressionist and modern auction in London since June 1990, and was the highlight of a collection which brought in a total of more than 27 million pounds (d42.6 million).

"The result further indicated the continuing trend of confidence and steady growth in the market so evident in New York in May," said Christopher J. Burge, chairman of Christie's America.

Christie's was also auctioning a damask waistcoat that belonged to King George III, made famous by the recent film The Madness of King George.

The king apparently wore the waistcoats during the last part of his illness in the early 19th century and Christie's hopes to get between 1,500 pounds (d2,370) and 3,000 pounds (d4,740) for it.

Monday's sale of Impressionist and Modern pictures fetched 27 million pounds (40 million dollars).