Carla Nude Pic Fetches $91K at Christie's

Sarkozy isn't the only one who gets to see his wife in the buff: a collector paid $91,000 for a photograph of a naked Carla Bruni at Christie's today. The auction house expected Michel Comte's 1993 portrait of the French first lady to sell for no more than $4,000, AFP reports. Brigitte Bardot, however, was the auction's big winner: Richard Avedon's photograph of the French star fetched $181,000.

The portraits were part of a 200-photograph collection including works from legends Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts. Bruni-Sarkozy was incensed over Christie's decision to include Comte's photo. "It's a work of art," said the auction house. Comte has a stash of more explicit Bruni pics from her modeling days, but he's keeping them under wraps. (More photography stories.)