NEW YORK, NY.- Today at Sotheby’s sale of Important Old Master Paintings in New York, a new auction record was established for the Renaissance master Titian when his A Sacra Conversazione: The Madonna and Child with Saints Luke and Catherine of Alexandria sold for $16,882,500 to a European Private Collector. That price exceeded the previous record of $13.6 million, which had held for 20 years. A Sacra Conversazione is one of only a handful of multi-figured compositions by Titian that remain in private hands, and is the most important to appear at auction in decades.

The morning session ended with an outstanding total of $78.6 million, which is above the session’s high estimate of $74 million.

In addition to the Titian, a number of remarkable and record prices have also been achieved this morning:

Claude-Joseph Vernet’s monumental canvas, Grand View of the Sea Shore Enriched with Buildings, Shipping and Figures, was sought after by more than six bidders before selling for $7,026,500, many multiples of the high estimate of $2 million and a new record for the artist at auction.

Adam and Eve, a previously unknown Mannerist work by Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael, inspired heated competition driving the final selling price to $6,242,500, more than five times the high estimate of $1.8 million, and a new record for the artist at auction.

A new artist record was also set for the Dutch master Gerrit Dou when his Elderly Woman, Seated by a Window at her Spinning Wheel, Eating Porridge sold for $5,346,500,above the high estimate of $3 million. As many as six different bidders competed for the work.

Willem van der Vliet’s A Scholar in his Study with Figures with Masks, possibly an Allegory, which is one of only six known history paintings by the artist and today’s cover lot, sold for $2,994,500, well above the high estimate of $1.8 million and a record for the artist at auction

Perino del Vaga’s The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist was sought after by at least five different bidders, finally selling to The Metropolitan Museum of Art for $2,098,500 (est. $300/400,000). That price exceeds the record price for the artist achieved in yesterday ' s sale of Old Master Drawings at Sotheby ' s, when The Metropolitan Museum Art purchased Jupiter and Juno for $782,500.

Among the first works offered this morning were two paintings by the renowned Italian artist Sandro Botticelli which both soared past their estimates - Christ Carrying the Cross brought $722,500 (est. $150/200,000) and The Resurrection sold for $662,500 (est. $150/200,000).