The highest price paid at the auction was for the Latvian-born American artist Mark Rothko's 1955 "Untitled (Red, Blue, Orange)," which was sold to an anonymous bidder for $34.2 million.
The centerpiece of the auction, however, was Andy Warhol's 'Liz' - the pop artist's 1963 portrait of Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor. The painting, reportedly sold by British actor Hugh Grant, was bought for some $23 million.
Jeff Koons' 'Diamond (Blue)' sculpture, which sold for $11.8 million, also made a solid contribution to the evening's sales.
There had been fears at Christie's that the auction would fail to meet expectations, especially in light of the poor showing at rival Sotheby's Impressionist sale, also held in New York, last week.
"The market is obviously incredibly healthy right across the board," a delighted Christopher Burge, Christie's honorary chairman, said after the sale.
