Michelangelo’s sketch sells for $200,000 at New York auction

A doodle of a square on yellowed paper by the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, was bought for $201,600 at an auction held by Christie’s on Wednesday, surpassing its estimated value by 33 times.

At first, it was predicted to sell for $6,000 to $8,000, the small drawing, accompanied by a letter from Michelangelo’s last direct descendant, exceeded expectations at the New York auction house. However, Christie’s did not reveal any information about the buyer.

The sketch portrays a marble block with the word “simile,” meaning “similar” in English. It is believed to have been made while Michelangelo was working on his renowned Sistine Chapel ceiling, as per Christie’s specialist speaking to AFP in January.

Paired with a letter from Cosimo Buonarroti in 1836, offering the piece by his “illustrious forefather Michelangelo” to Sir John Bowring, the future governor of Hong Kong, the drawing bears the signature of Bowring at the bottom of the sheet.

Christie’s experts discovered the letter and sketch attached to the back of a different drawing held in a private collection for many years, still not discovered until then.

Although not signed by Michelangelo himself, research managed to confirm the attribution of the small drawing to the known Italian artist, according to Christie’s. Fewer than ten of Michelangelo’s works are believed to be privately owned, with the majority housed in the Casa Buonarroti museum in Florence, Italy, according to Christie’s.

It’s not every day someone gets the chance to own something like this, so it’s no wonder it managed to surpass its estimated value.