Nude Madonna Photo Up For Auction

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

[I]The Sun[/I] (UK) reports, 23 April 2012:

[url]http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4274275/Naked-Madonnas-Sex-snap-is-up-for-sale-in-New-York.html[/url]

[INDENT]A naked snap of Madonna smoking a ciggie in bed is going up for sale.

[img]http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01495/madonna-naked_NEW1_1495441a.jpg[/img]

The provocative image was taken by fashion photographer Steven Meisel but was never included in her controversial 1992 book [I]Sex[/I].

The 1990 pic is expected to fetch over £5,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams in New York next month.

Madonna â?? who would have been around 32 years old when the photo was taken â?? is featured sporting bleach-blonde hair and dark eye make-up.

A strategically placed bed sheet saves the shot from indecency as she sprawls out starkers on her mattress.

She stares seductively at the camera as she places a lit cigarette into her mouth with a pair of manicured fingertips.

Her tome Sex contained a series of provocative images, all captured by Meisel.

Despite a poor critical reception, the book went on to shift 1.5 million copies in a matter of days.

It coincided with the release of her equally raunchy fifth studio album [I]Erotica[/I].[/INDENT]