In a historic moment for art lovers around the world, a recently discovered rare drawing by legendary Italian artist Michelangelo sold for $27.2 million at auction in the United States on Thursday night, setting a new record for a work by one of the Renaissance figures.
The work, a small drawing of a foot drawn in red chalk, was one of around 50 models created by Michelangelo as part of his preparation for the immortality of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and is considered one of Michelangelo’s greatest artistic achievements, along with the statues of David and the Pietà.
Christie’s auction house in New York said the painting exceeded expectations by selling for about 20 times its low estimate after a fierce competition between bidders from around the world that lasted about 45 minutes without disclosing the buyer’s identity.
Only about 10 of Michelangelo’s original paintings are known to be in private hands today, making this work even more valuable. Christie’s confirmed that the painting was by the famous artist after the owner submitted a photo of the painting through the home’s electronic quoting platform.
Experts have confirmed that the painting depicts the right foot of the Sibyl of Libya, one of the figures painted on the easternmost ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Andrew Fletcher, Christie’s global head of ancient art masterpieces, said the work was “exceptional and tells an incredible story”, adding that the auction attracted a wide range of participants in person, by phone and over the internet, as it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire some of what many consider to be the greatest works of art of all time.
It is worth noting that the previous record for a work by Michelangelo was $24.3 million, which was sold at an auction at Christie’s in Paris for a sketch of a naked man with two figures in the background.
In a historic moment for art lovers around the world, a recently discovered rare drawing by legendary Italian artist Michelangelo sold for $27.2 million at auction in the United States on Thursday night, setting a new record for a work by one of the Renaissance figures.
The work, a small red chalk drawing of a foot, is believed to be one of around 50 studies created by Michelangelo as part of his timeless preparations for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and is considered one of Michelangelo’s greatest artistic achievements, along with the statues of David and the Pieta.
Christie’s, a New York auction house, said the lottery exceeded expectations and sold for nearly 20 times the estimated reserve price after a heated battle between bidders from all over the world that lasted about 45 minutes without disclosing the identity of the buyer.
Only about 10 of Michelangelo’s original paintings are known to be in private hands today, which adds to its exceptional value. Christie’s certified the painting’s ownership to the famous artist after the owner submitted a photo of the painting through the auction house’s online valuation platform.
One expert confirmed that the painting shows the right foot of Sibyl of Libya, one of the figures depicted far east on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Andrew Fletcher, global head of Old Masters at Christie’s, said the work was “exceptional and has a great story to tell,” adding that the auction was widely attended in person, by telephone and via the internet, as this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to acquire some of what many consider to be the greatest works of art of all time.
It is worth noting that the previous record for a work by Michelangelo was $24.3 million, achieved when a drawing of a naked man with two figures in the background was sold at an auction held by Christie’s in Paris.
