The Paris auction of Yves Saint Laurent’s art ­collection has restored confidence in an art market that has seen sale totals and prices plunge as a result of the global economic crisis, according to dealers.

The seven-session, three-day marathon auction racked up €373.9m (£332.8m, $483.8m) for a vast and ­eclectic assemblage of art objects amassed over more than 30 years by the deceased fashion designer and Pierre Bergé, his business partner and one-time lover.