Auctioneer Tobias Meyer presided over the 12 minutes of bidding for the work, almost exclusively from the phones. Collectors and dealers in the packed salesroom applauded and whistled when Meyer crossed $100 million.
The victor was a client of Charles Moffett, Sotheby's vice chairman for Impressionist and modern art, who deals primarily with the U.S. clients, including casino magnate Stephen A. Wynn. Sotheby's didn't name the buyer, and auction houses protect clients' identity.
'Obvious Candidate'
"Qatar is the obvious candidate for the buyer," said London-based dealer Richard Nagy who was at the sale. "Purchasing 'The Scream' would have made good business sense for them. They want people to come to their museum, and this is a destination picture. It only would have cost a couple of hours of pumping oil."
Architect Jean Nouvel is redesigning the National Museum of Qatar, scheduled to open in December 2014. The Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei, opened in 2008.
Featuring a hairless androgynous creature with mouth agape and hands covering the ears, the Munch work comes from the collection of Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father, Thomas, was a friend, neighbor and patron of the artist.
In a statement he read after the sale, Olsen said, "'The Scream' is about anxiety about approaching and anticipating death and today serves as a warning about climate change."
'Impact on Nature'
Olsen added: "'The Scream' for me shows the horrifying moment when man realizes his impact on nature and the irreversible changes that he has initiated, making the planet increasingly uninhabitable."
Proceeds will go in part to establish a new gallery in Hvitsten, Norway, where Munch and Thomas Olsen lived, for Petter Olsen's private collection. He said he's also restoring Munch's house and studios.
"I just hope it goes to a museum, where a lot of people can enjoy it," said Renee Belfer, a collector and trustee emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.