NEW YORK (AP) -- A painting of actress Bea Arthur topless has sold for $1.9 million at a New York City auction.
The painting is by artist John Currin and is titled "Bea Arthur Naked." It sold at Christie's auction of postwar and contemporary art on Wednesday. It had been expected to bring in between $1.8 million and $2.5 million.
Christie's hasn't said who bought it.
The 1991 oil painting depicts the late television actress nude from the waist up. Christie's said Thursday the image was based on a photograph of her with her clothes on.
According to the New York Daily News, the 22-year-old piece of art created new controversy on Wednesday when The Daily Beast was locked out of their Facebook accounts for posting an uncensored photo of the full portrait. The social network considered the nudity a violation of its terms.
Arthur gained fame for her Emmy Award-winning roles as the title character in "Maude" and as Dorothy on "The Golden Girls" in the 1970s and '80s. She died of cancer in 2009 at age 86.