Nude Mrs Sarkozy to go on sale at Christie's New York

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

NEW YORK (AFP) — Christie's auction house is next month to sell a nude portrait of French first lady Carla Bruni, taken more than a decade ago when the now wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy was working as a model.

The gelatin silver print, taken by photographer Michel Comte in 1993, depicts Bruni in a standing pose, apparently in reference to the paintings of French neo-impressionist artist Georges Seurat depicting models.

Christie's defended its decision to put on sale a nude image of a serving first lady, describing Bruni as "one of the most beautiful women in the world."

"It's a work of art. It was shot in 1993 when Miss Bruni was a model and it's a tasteful nude portrait executed by a well known, respectable artist," Milena Sales, spokeswoman from...