Madonna breaks auction record

A NUDE photo of Madonna has sold for tens of thousands at auction making it a record auction price for a picture of the star.

The black and white, full-frontal snap, taken 30 years ago, fetched $37,500 (£25,940) at Christie's in New York.

The international auction house said it was a record auction price for a photograph of Madonna.

A photo of Madonna's True Blue album cover, taken by renowned photographer Herb Ritts, sold for over $15,000 (£10,300) in 2006.

An unnamed European buyer bought the photograph on Thursday after it had been estimated to sell for up to $15,000.

The picture was taken in 1979 when Madonna was an aspiring dancer when she answered photographer Lee Friedlander's newspaper advert seeking a nude model.

The photograph appeared in Playboy in 1985 but the young, struggling Madonna would have only been paid about $25 (£17) for the photo session.

Friedlander said Madonna "seemed very confident, a street-wise girl. She told me she was putting a band together but half the kids that age are doing that. She was a good professional model."