Basquiat painting steals the limelight at Christie's record-breaking £70m post-war and contemporary sale

Christie's employees adjust an untitled painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, part of the summer auction Post-War and Contemporary Art auction. (AP)

A large untitled painting by New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for nearly £18.8 million in a London auction that saw another 13 paintings make at least £1 million each.

The post-war and contemporary sale at Christie’s last night fetched more than £70 million, with new records established for artists including Eduardo Chillida, the Evening Standard reports.

A monumental 17-ton eight metre-high sculpture entitled Buscando la Luz IV (2001) by the Spanish Basque artist sold for more than £4 million to set an auction record.

The Basquiat picture was one of a series of double portraits produced in 1982 when the artist had just turned 21 and was achieving art world fame.

Jetty by British artist Peter Doig beat pre-sale estimates to make £7.34 million, but an iconic painting by Andy Warhol of a Campbell’s soup can failed to sell.