CARACAS, Venezuela—A painting by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was auctioned for $255,000 last week, with the money going to his socialist party, the Associated Press reports. Chavez painted Yare Moon, as the work is called, while serving a two-year sentence in the Yare prison after leading a failed coup in 1992. It depicts a full moon through the barred window of a jail cell and a message written in red letter below the window: "The mill of the gods grinds slowly!" About 40 people bid for the work; the winners were three Venezuelan businessmen. The price was more than those paid for works by a number of top Venezuelan artists.