A drawing by Michelangelo was sold for 23 million euros, with buyer’s fees, this Wednesday, May 18 at Christie’s Paris. This is a record for a drawing by the Italian master, according to the auction house.
Dating from the end of the 15th century, this drawing which represents a naked man, standing, framed by two other figures in the background, was made in pen and brown ink. It had been put up for sale in 1907 at the Hôtel Drouot, in Paris, under the classification “School of Michelangelo”, before being attributed to the master in 2019 only, as part of an inventory for a private collection. French.
With the dimensions of an A4 sheet, it seems to be inspired by a fresco by the painter Masaccio, The baptism of neophytes, and illustrates Michelangelo’s interest in the representation of the male body. This auction in Paris exceeds the record reached for a drawing by the famous Italian painter and sculptor, set so far in July 2000 by The Risen Christwhich had been sold for 8.1 million pounds (9.5 million euros) at Christie’s London, according to the auction house.
In September 2019, it was declared a “National Treasure for French heritage, which prohibits any exit from the national territory for 30 months and gives the French State and its museums the opportunity to buy it back.
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(With AFP)