Munch's iconic work "The Scream" is still his priciest work, selling in 2012 for $119.2 million and becoming the most expensive artwork in the world at the time.

But now, the Norwegian's 1902 masterpiece "Girls on the Bridge" has become his work with the second-highest price tag.

The painting, depicting four women on an idyllic bridge, has risen dramatically in value over the years. In 1996, it sold for just $7.7 million, then for $30.8 million in 2008.

Edvard Munch (1863-1944) is known for his free-flowing style and dramatic treatment of psychological themes. His work greatly influenced the German Expressionists.

Other works sold at Monday's auction at Sotheby's in New York included "The Painter and His Model" by Pablo Picasso - who holds the current record for the world's most-expensive painting with his "Women of Algiers (Version 0)."

"The Painter and His Model" fetched $12.9 million, while a 1951 bronze bust by Picasso of his lover and muse Francoise Gilot - titled "Head of a Women" - went for $8.4 million.

kbm/eg (AP, dpa, AFP)