Damien Hirst, the British contemporary super-artist, last night defied critics with a record £70.5m ($126m) Sotheby's auction dedicated solely to his own work.

Despite concerns that his work has become overpriced and over-hyped, Hirst far outstripped the top estimate of £62m. The sale continues Tuesday night with 167 more lots to sell. Sotheby's predicts another £36m could be raised.