Lucas Cranach The Elder (Kronach 1472 – 1553 Weimar), “The Bocca Della Verità (The Mouth Of Truth),” oil and tempera on red beechwood panel, 43¾ by 39 ⅜ inches attained $14.4 million.

LONDON — Led by Lucas Cranach the Elder’s masterpiece, “La Bocca della Verità,” making its public debut selling for $14.4 million — a new auction record for the artist — Sotheby’s Old Master and British paintings evening sale July 8 achieved $60.7 million. Six new artists auction records were established.

“As the market for Old Master and British paintings continues to evolve, we’re seeing an ever more discerning and international collector base vying for a greater diversity of works. Whether it’s a work that transcend genres, such as Cranach’s masterpiece, or a ground-breaking still life created by a female artist over four centuries ago, we saw both new and established buyers from Europe, Russia and Asia competing tonight. Paintings spanning five centuries continue to surprise and excite.”

The sale, which drew buyers from 30 countries, saw nearly half of its offerings at 46 percent making their auction debuts, with 43 percent of the sale selling above high estimate. With this auction, Sotheby’s Old Master worldwide total to date this year is now $187.1 million.

Never previously offered on the market, the Luchas Cranach the Elder painting was hotly pursued by three bidders, setting a new auction record and nearly doubling the previous record. This rare German Renaissance masterpiece is among Lucas Cranach the Elder’s most important works.

Four paintings from the Collections of Castle Howard together  attained $14 million. Earlier in the day, five other works performed well in Sotheby’s “Treasures” sale, bringing that total to $19.6 million.

Ferdinand Bol’s “Portrait of a boy,” 1652, fetched $8 million, also setting a new auction record for the artist at auction.

Auction highlights included Ferdinand Bol’s “Portrait of a boy,” 1652, at $8 million, setting a new auction record for the artist at auction; a portrait of Henry VIII from the workshop of Hans Holbein, 1542, the year when the King’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was beheaded on the grounds of alleged adultery, at $1.5 millon; Bellotto’s view of Venice, painted when he was just 16, and working in the studio of his uncle Canaletto, $3.9 million.

Also achieving auction records were Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo’s unfinished portrait of the artist’s family at $4.4 million; one of the earliest Italian still lifes by female artist Fede Galizia’s for $2.4 million; Joseph Heintz the Elder’s recently rediscovered work “Diana and Callisto” $748,000 and John Martin’s Paradise Lost–inspired work fetching $4.2 million.

For more information, www.sothebys.com or +44 20 7293 5000.