Little known art photographer Michel Comte set a new world record for his own work at Christies Auction House in New York City for what is certainly his most controversial work, the photograph of Carla Bruni.

Comte's photo "Carla Bruni, 1993" smashed the pre-auction estimate of $3000-$4000 by fetching a $75,000 hammer price - $91,000 including buyer's premium.

"It's an outstanding image, it's a wonderful artist, it's a new world record for his work and that always makes us happy," Josh Holdeman, international head of the photograph department at Christie's said after the sale.

The picture of Carla Bruni, former Italian model, recently married to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, was part of Christie's photography sale. It belongs to a larger collection of photographs from Gert Elfering.

When the sale was planned last year, the discreet Bruni photo was estimated to fetch the paltry $3000-4000, but with her marriage to Sarkozy and recent media hype the price rose.

Little is known about the buyer other than that the person is a Chinese collector. That person wished to remain anonymous, using an intermediary in the room to do the bidding.

The bidder also remained anonymous and would not talk to the many media representatives present.

One bidder, Heiko Roloff a correspondent for the German online magazineBild said the magazine's owners had been prepared to spend as much as $32,000 to purchase the photo and give it back to Bruni and her husband French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"She was apparently not too happy about the timing and that photograph is being auctioned off right now. So it's also a personal thing we felt like it would be a nice gesture to give it to them, why should they not have it."

Consigner of the work Gert Elfering has said proceeds of the sale will go to the Swiss charity "Sodis" which works to provide clean drinking water and improve the health of children in developing countries.