London: Christie`s will offer for sale a drawing by Renaissance master Raphael which he used as a study for a figure in a Vatican fresco, and expects it to break the record for an old master drawing sold at auction.
"Head of a Muse" will go under the hammer at the London sale of old masters and 19th century art on December 8 and has been estimated at 12-16 million pounds ($20-26 million).
The existing record for an old master drawing at auction stands at 8.1 million pounds, including buyer`s premium, for Michelangelo`s "The Risen Christ" in 2000 and for Leonardo da Vinci`s "Horse and Rider" in 2001.
The Raphael drawing was a study for a figure in "Parnassus," one of a series of four frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican commissioned by Pope Julius II and executed between 1508 and 1511.
Christie`s said the series was "widely considered to be the artist`s greatest masterpiece."
In 1508, Raphael was summoned to Rome and commissioned to paint frescoes at the same time that Michelangelo was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The December 8 auction will also include Rembrandt`s "Portrait of a man, half-length, with his arms akimbo," estimated at up to 25 million pounds, and "Saint John the Evangelist" by Italian artist Domenico Zampieri, valued at 7-10 million pounds.
"The auction in December will be a landmark sale for the art market," said Richard Knight, co-head of old masters at Christie`s.
"The market for old masters has shown stability over the last year as international collectors continue to seize opportunities to acquire works which rarely appear on the market."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.