A small red chalk drawing, believed to be a preparatory study by Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel ceiling, has been newly attributed and is scheduled for auction in February. Christie's experts say the five-inch sketch depicts the right foot of a male model who posed for the figure of the Libyan Sibyl.
The discovery could see this tiny image become one of the most valuable foot drawings ever sold, with an estimated auction price of $1.5 million to $2 million. This previously unknown work offers a rare glimpse into the Renaissance master's creative process.
Key Takeaways
- A newly attributed Michelangelo drawing for the Sistine Chapel is going to auction.
- The sketch depicts the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl and is estimated at $1.5M-$2M.
- It was discovered by a Christie's specialist from a digital photo.
- Technical analysis and comparison with other works support the attribution.
- The drawing's ownership history dates back to the late 1700s.
The Discovery of a Renaissance Gem
The journey of this drawing from obscurity to the auction block began with a digital photograph. Giada Damen, a specialist in old master drawings at Christie's in New York, first saw the image in February. It was part of a routine batch of online requests from the public.
Damen noticed the sketch immediately. "I immediately thought, this drawing looks very good," she stated in an interview. "I was excited. This looked like a 16th-century drawing."
The seller, who wishes to remain anonymous due to security concerns, is from Northern California. They inherited the drawing in 2002 from their grandmother. The family has owned it since the late 1700s, passing it down through generations.
Drawing Details
- Size: Approximately five inches high
- Medium: Red chalk on the front (recto)
- Hidden Detail: Black chalk male figure study on the back (verso)
- Estimated Value: $1.5 million to $2 million
The Attribution Process and Key Evidence
Attributing unsigned early drawings to specific artists like Michelangelo presents significant challenges. Scholars' opinions can differ, and the market has seen many copies and fakes over time. Damen understood the need for thorough investigation.
After a preliminary viewing on the West Coast, Damen convinced the owner to allow her to bring the drawing to New York for further research. "Expensive drawings are very controversial," Damen explained. "I needed to do my work. It could still be a good copy."
Technical analysis at Christie's New York offices confirmed the paper's age matched 16th-century examples. This was a crucial first step in authenticating the work. The analysis also revealed a black chalk male figure study on the back, hidden under a later backing paper.
The Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's Work
Michelangelo painted over 100 figures on the Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. Despite this massive undertaking, studies for only a handful of these figures survive today. Many drawings were reportedly destroyed by the artist himself or his assistants.
Giorgio Vasari, in his 1550 book "Lives of the Artists," wrote that Michelangelo burned drawings "in order that no one should perceive his labors and tentative efforts."
Connecting the Pieces: A Shared History
The combination of a red chalk sketch on the front and a black chalk drawing on the back is significant. This same characteristic appears on Michelangelo's celebrated sheet of studies for the Libyan Sibyl, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That Metropolitan Museum sheet includes a red chalk study of the Sibyl's left foot.
Damen compared the newly discovered right foot study with a reproduction of the Met's drawing. She did this at the Metropolitan Museum, in the presence of Carmen Bambach, who curated the museum's 2017 "Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer" exhibition.
"It was clear they'd been done at the same moment. I felt reassured and excited, and I wanted to jump and hug the people who were there," Damen recalled.
She noted that the Christie's study of the right foot "fits perfectly" with the Met's sheet in terms of scale, color, and red chalk handling. This suggests both drawings may have originally been part of the same larger sheet, later separated.
Further Clues and Expert Consultations
An old pen-and-ink inscription, "Michelangelo Bona Roti," on the Christie's drawing provided another important clue. This identical inscription, made by a 16th-century owner known as the "Buonarroti Collector," is found on dozens of other Michelangelo drawings, including the Met Museum's Libyan Sibyl sheet.
Christie's also gained confidence from the drawing's ownership history. The anonymous seller is a direct descendant of Armand François Louis de Mestral de Saint-Saphorin (1738-1805). Saint-Saphorin was a Swiss diplomat and a renowned collector of old master drawings and prints.
Damen sought input from leading experts on Michelangelo drawings. She reported that the Christie's study did not receive any negative responses from these specialists.
A Rare Glimpse into the Master's Mind
Andrew Fletcher, Christie's global head of the old masters department, examined the drawing in London earlier this month. He placed the unframed red chalk side of the drawing facedown on a light box. This revealed the faint black outline on the reverse side.
"The creative mind at work," Fletcher observed, pointing out the thigh and calf of another figure for the Sistine ceiling. He suggested this fainter black chalk drawing was a study for an as-yet unidentified figure at the earlier west end of the Vatican's fresco cycle.
The red chalk foot of the Libyan Sibyl on the front of the sheet dates to the fall of 1511, according to Fletcher. This places it firmly within Michelangelo's period of work on the Sistine Chapel.
Michelangelo Drawings in Private Hands
- Christie's believes this is one of only two Michelangelo drawings for the Sistine ceiling still in private collections.
- Another red chalk study of a male nude, also for the Sistine ceiling, was identified in 2023.
The current auction record for a Michelangelo drawing stands at $24.3 million. This was set in 2022 for an early pen and ink drawing of a male nude. That piece had an initial estimate exceeding $30 million.
The newly discovered Sistine ceiling study is smaller, and Christie's has set a more conservative estimate. "It's priced to create competition," Fletcher said, indicating a strategic approach to the auction. No financial guarantees are expected to back the drawing at the February sale.
Michelangelo is known to have created thousands of drawings, but only around 600 have survived. This new discovery represents a significant addition to that rare collection, offering art historians and enthusiasts a precious window into the Renaissance master's preparatory work.
The drawing will go on sale at Christie's auction of old master drawings in February.