candidate: The piece broke the record for a Giacometti work at auction , which was set at $ 27.5 million by " Grande Femme Debout II " in 2008 , and that for the most expensive sculpture sold at a public auction , which was held by the 5000 - year - old Guennol Lioness , sold at Sotheby 's in 2007 for $ 57.2 m. When expressed in British pounds and when inflation is ignored , the bronze also broke the record price for an art work sold at auction which , since 2004 , was held at $ 104.2 million ( then £ 58.2 m ) by Pablo Picasso 's " Garçon à la pipe " .