Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem (1562‱638), “Hercules and Achelous,†oil on canvas, 75 5/8 by 96 inches, signed and dated “AO 90 CCornely H fe,†sold for $8.1 million to a private European collector and set a new world auction record for the artist.

At Christie’s annual important Old Master paintings sale conducted on April 15, exceptional prices were realized for a selection of highly sought-after pictures by leading masters, such as Cornelis Van Haarlem, Lucas Cranach The Elder, Jacques-Louis David, Thomas Gainsborough, Veronese, Jean-Honore Fragonard and Nicolas Poussin. In the top ten alone, five new world auction records were set, and nine of the ten exceeded their high presale estimates. The sale in its entirety totaled $48.1 million.

Nicholas Hall and Richard Knight, international directors, and Ben Hall, head of department, Christie’s New York, said, “The extraordinary quality of our top lots generated huge international enthusiasm. This was reflected in the remarkable depth of bidding and in the fact that so many paintings exceeded, by considerable margins, their presale high estimates. We noted keen institutional interest, along with extensive private participation, from both Europe and the United States; a significant number of our bidders who battled for the top lots were new collectors.”

Thomas Gainsborough (1727‱788), “A wooded landscape with a herdsman, cows and sheep near a pool,†oil on canvas, 25 by 30 inches, fetched $5.75 million. The painting broke the previous record for one of the greatest English landscape artists and became the most expensive British Eighteenth Century landscape ever sold at auction.

The top lot of the day was “Hercules and Achelous” by Cornelis Van Haarlem (1562‱638), the Dutch Mannerist master and co-founder of the Haarlem academy. Restituted to its owner from the German government in November 2007, the work is an exemplary example of Northern Mannerist painting and sold for $8.1 million, more than quadrupling its presale estimate. It was sold to a private European collector and set a new world auction record for the artist.

Other notable world auction records set included those for Jacques-Louis David, Thomas Gainsborough and Esaias van de Velde.

David’s “Portrait of Ramel de Nogaret,” 1820, sold for $7.21 million and is a magnificent example from a legendary French master who is considered by many the greatest portraitist of his era.

Jacques-Louis David (1748‱825), “Portrait of Madame Ramel de Nogaret,†oil on canvas, 23 3/8 by 18¼ inches, signed and dated “L. David / BRVX †1820†lower left, was a post auction sale.

Gainsborough’s “A wooded landscape with a herdsman, cows and sheep near a pool,” circa 1786, was one of the most beautiful Gainsborough landscapes to come on the market in recent years. It fetched $5.75 million, breaking the previous record for one of the greatest English landscape artists by almost $2 million †and in the process became the most expensive British Eighteenth Century landscape ever sold at auction.

And an unlined canvas by Esaias van de Velde, unknown to the market for more than 50 years, particularly excited the trade and sold for a record $2.95 million, more than tripling its highest presale expectations.

Elsewhere in the sale, Cranach The Elder’s “Portrait of Sybil of Cleves” realized $7.66 million, setting the second highest price at auction for the popular German master.

The David portrait of de Nogaret’s wife sold immediately after the sale, and the pair will remain together since being reunited by James Fairfax in 1995.

Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For information, 212-636-2000 or www.Christies.com .