The sketch depicting a foot was created by the outstanding Italian master over five hundred years ago and was presented at the "Old Masters Paintings" auction on Thursday. It was expected that its price would reach a maximum of two million dollars, but the actual value turned out to be ten times higher.
Experts determined that the drawing represents a sketch of the foot of the Sibyl of Libya, a pagan prophetess depicted by Michelangelo in the fresco of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
The owner of the drawing, unaware of its true value, simply sent a photograph to Christie's for appraisal. He preferred to remain anonymous, only noting that he lives on the Pacific coast of the USA and inherited this sketch from his grandmother. According to him, the drawing has been passed down in his family since his ancestors lived in Europe, starting from the late 18th century.
Andrew Fletcher, head of the Old Masters department at Christie's, shared that this discovery has become one of the most significant events in his career.
The sketch, made with red chalk, is believed to have been created in 1511 or 1512, when Michelangelo was preparing to paint the second half of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Giada Damen, a specialist in the department, analyzed the sketch using infrared reflectography and found traces of other works on its reverse side that may also have belonged to Michelangelo. By comparing it with another drawing by the master from the Metropolitan Museum in New York, she concluded its authenticity.
Although works by famous artists often reach high prices at auctions, this sketch is still far from the records set by complete paintings. For instance, in 2017, Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Salvator Mundi" was sold for $450 million at an auction in New York. In November 2025, a portrait of Elizabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt was hammered down for $236.4 million. In the same month, a record was set among works by female artists: a surrealist piece by Frida Kahlo was sold for $54.7 million.
