Rare Michelangelo Sketch Fetches Over $27 Million at Auction

A small sketch by Michelangelo, depicting a foot, was sold for a staggering $27.2 million at a Christie’s auction in New York, setting a new record for the artist's works. Created in red chalk, the drawing is a preparatory study for the Libyan Sibyl fresco on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted between 1508 and 1512. This sale is significant as it highlights the rarity of Michelangelo's sketches, with only 50 related to the Sistine Chapel known to exist, and none having been auctioned before. The sketch, owned by the same family for over 200 years, was initially underestimated but ignited a bidding war that drove its price nearly 20 times higher than expected.

Key Details: • Auction took place at Christie's in New York. • The sketch sold for $27.2 million, including fees. • The drawing was a preparatory work for the Sistine Chapel's Libyan Sibyl fresco. • Only two other sketches related to the Libyan Sibyl exist in museums. • The sketch was owned by the same family for over 200 years.