BERLIN - A REVEALING photograph of former model and France's current First Lady Carla Bruni was bought for 13,900 euros ($28,400) by an anonymous bidder on Thursday at a Berlin auction house.

The image is one of 10 prints of a nude Bruni lounging in an unmade bed captured by American fashion photographer Pamela Hanson in 1994.

The Villa Grisebach auction house appraised 'Carla Bruni in Bed' at 2,500-3,500 euros and talked to prospective buyers from as far away as Mexico, according to the house's photography expert, Franziska Schmidt.

'I really don't know why there is such a hype,' Mr Schmidt said. 'For us it is not the highlight.'

Last year, Christie's auction house in New York sold a different nude print of Bruni for 30 times more than anticipated.

An anonymous bidder paid US$91,000 (S$132,000) for the photograph.

Villa Grisebach would not provide any information on the winning bidder on Thursday. -- AP