A painting by British artist Damien Hirst was sold for £450,000 as part of an auction at Sotheby’s to raise money for a gallery in east London.

The work was one of more than 60 donated by painters and sculptors worldwide to raise money for the expansion of Whitechapel Gallery.

An etching by Lucian Freud was also sold for £48,000.

The auction is raising funds for the gallery known affectionately as the “artists’ gallery”.

The auction raised £2,778,600, the highest total for a charity auction yet at Sotheby’s.

“The result of this sale is breathtaking,” said Iwona Blazwick, director of the gallery.

“It’s going to be an extraordinary next 100 years for us - this sale tonight will make so many things possible.”

Some of the money will go towards an ambitious £10m expansion plan.

Proceeds of the sale will also be used to support the gallery’s future exhibition and education programme.

Posted: 10|14|06 at 1:30 pm. Filed under: UK News.