A tiny drawing of a nude male foot by Michelangelo has just sold for a staggering $27.2 million at a New York auction, shattering records and becoming the most expensive work by the master ever sold at auction.
The five-toed masterpiece, quite literally, was sold on Thursday for nearly 20 times more than experts had expected.
‘You could say Christie’s really put its best foot forward, in the best possible way,’ joked Angela Montefinisse, a representative of the auction house.
The small artwork, measuring only about 12 centimeters, is drawn in red chalk and is believed to depict a male model posing for Michelangelo while he was working on the Sistine Chapel frescoes in Rome in the 16th century. In practical terms, each toe cost the buyer roughly $5.4 million.
The discovery itself sounds like a fairytale. The drawing was found completely by chance after its owner, from Northern California, inherited it from his grandmother in 2002. According to him, the artwork has been in the family since at least the late 18th century.
Last February, he brought the drawing to Christie’s Old Masters specialist Jada Dammann for authentication. She immediately suspected she was looking at something extraordinary.
‘I thought the drawing looked very convincing. It felt like the 16th century,’ Dammann told The New York Times.‘Although, to be honest, I often see drawings labeled ‘Michelangelo’ or ‘Leonardo.’
Because the work was unsigned, the expert personally flew to California to persuade the owner to send it to New York for a full examination. Extensive testing later confirmed it was indeed an authentic Michelangelo.
The drawing was ultimately sold at Christie’s to an anonymous buyer, securing its place in history as the world’s most valuable foot.