When the auctioneer asked if there were any more bids, there must have been a bit more pressure than normal for buyers to keep going.

A picture sketched by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin fetched 37 million roubles (£820,000) at a charity auction.

The painting of snowfall seen through a window, finished by a professional artist, features a sprawling "Putin" signature and was introduced at Saturday's auction with the words: "Here is a new artist."

The auctioneer started bidding at 20,000 roubles, the same as the other lots, only to meet cries of "Let's not be penny-pinchers" from the buyers, who demanded a starting price of five million roubles.

A black belt in judo, Putin has cultivated an image of a tough man, lionised by Russian media, but so far not known for artistic talent.

An auction organiser said Putin had painted the picture in 20 minutes and then a professional artist had filled in the details.

"Of all the paintings presented there, this was the best one," said a spokeswoman for Our Artists, the Moscow-based gallery which bought the painting.