Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Sotheby’s sold a rare Giacometti sculpture for $19.4 million today in New York in a $181.8 million Impressionist and modern art auction that beat its presale estimate.

The tally was nearly triple Christie’s International’s sale last night and Sotheby’s Impressionist evening sale in May, when its top two lots failed to sell in the wake of the financial crisis. All but 10 of the 66 artworks sold today, raising the total above the high presale estimate of $163.6 million.

“There was an air of confidence in the room,” said Sandy Heller, a New York art consultant who advises hedge fund managers.

Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture “L’Homme Qui Chavire” (Falling Man) had a high presale estimate of $12 million.

To contact the reporters on this story: Lindsay Pollock in New York at lindsaypollock@yahoo.com; Philip Boroff in New York at pboroff@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 4, 2009 21:30 EST