London auction houses have weeklong sale

LONDON, June 19 (UPI) -- The sale of a Claude Monet painting at Christie's Auction house in London kicked off a week of huge sales on London's art market.

The River Thames painted by Monet was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for almost $35.8 million, which is more than twice its estimated price, the BBC reported Tuesday.

The next auction is scheduled for Tuesday, when Monet's Nympheas, an image of water lilies, is expected to bring in between $20 million and $30 million at Sotheby's auction house.

Works by Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Pablo Picasso will also be auctioned off during the sale.

Monet's water-lily painting Les Arceaux de Roses, Givenchy, was also sold Monday for $17.8 million, less than its pre-sale estimate, the BBC said.