15 of the Most Expensive Auction Items Ever Sold

15 of the Most Expensive Auction Items Ever Sold

Artistic Reflections

Francis Bacon's painting, "Figure Writing Reflected in Mirror," gets careful attention from employees of Sotheby's auction house in London, April 13, 2012. The painting, estimated at $40 million, will be auctioned in New York City on May 9.

REUTERS/Luke MacGregor