Francis Bacon triptych could fetch record price for British artist at auction A triptych painted by Francis Bacon of his friend Lucian Freud in 1969 could attract a record auction price for a British artist on Tuesday evening. Three Studies of Lucian Freud is being offered at a Christie's postwar and contemporary sale in New York. It has been given an estimated price of $85 million (£53.5 million). A spokesman for the auction house said it could well break the auction record for a British artist, set by the sale of Bacon's 1976 Triptych for $86 million in 2008 to Roman Abramovich, the Russian tycoon. Francis Outred, the head of post-war and contemporary art for Christie's Europe, described the piece as a "true masterpiece that marks Bacon and Freud's relationship." Their friendship had lasted almost 25 years by the time Freud, who died last year aged 88, sat for Bacon. "The juxtaposition of radiant sunshine yellow contrasting with the brutal physicality and immediacy of the brushstrokes in this celebrated life-size triptych is what makes Bacon's art so remarkable," he said. The triptych would need to attract a bid of $120 million to topple Edvard Munch's The Scream, which was bought at a Sotheby's sale in 2012, as the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. At the sale in New York on Tuesday, Christie's is also offering Andy Warhol's Coca-Cola (3), which estimated to sell for $40 million to $60 million, and Mark Rothko's Untitled (No. 11), which the auction house said could fetch up to $35 million.