(Paris) A drawing by Michelangelo went for 23 million euros ($31 million), including buyer’s fees, on Wednesday at Christie’s Paris, a record for a drawing by the Italian master according to the auction house .
Posted at 9:24 a.m.
Updated at 9:35 a.m.
Dating from the end of the XVand 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.
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 Christ (8.1 million pounds or $12.9 million) at Christie’s London, according to the auction house.
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.
In September 2019, it was declared a “national treasure” for French heritage, which prohibits any exit from national territory for thirty months and gives the French State and its museums the opportunity to buy it back.