NEW YORK.- A statue of Hitler on his knees was auctioned Sunday for $17.2 million, a record for a work by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.

The wax and resin statue entitled simply "Him" had been expected to fetch between $10 million and $15 million at the auction by Christie's.

The previous record for a work by Cattelan, who is 55, was $7.9 million.

In the statue, Hitler is depicted as being the size of boy, on his knees in a gray woolen suit, with his hands clasped together as he gazes upward.

The work was completed in 2001.

The sale attracted registered bidders from 36 countries.

Loic Gouzer, Deputy Chairman, Post-War and Contemporary Art, remarked: “With Bound to Fail, we sought to push the envelope with an auction that emphasized artists and works that challenge the traditional notions of commercial success. The auction’s strong outcome was the result of enthusiastic bidding from a diverse group of collectors from all over the world. We were encouraged by the passionate response to works that have traditionally been overlooked or construed as challenging. Maurizio Cattelan’s, Him, set a world auction record for the artist when it sold for $17,189,000 after over five minutes of bidding. The depth of interest for this work speaks to its international notoriety, and its ability to breach the boundaries of fine art and popular culture, forcing the viewer to reconsider challenging questions about action and absolution. We were also very pleased with the number of auction records that were set for artists who are less frequently seen on the auction market, including Rebecca Horn, Paola Pivi, Neil Jenney, Olivier Mosset, Daniel Buren and John Armleder. We look forward to continuing 20th Century Week at Christie’s with the Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale, which will take place on Tuesday, May 10th at 7pm.”