$ 47 Million Head of the Young Apostle Automatic translate

Rafael’s Head Of A Young Apostle (1483-1520) was sold for a record $ 47.8 million at yesterday’s auction at the Old Masters at Sotheby’s in London. Thus, this masterpiece of the Renaissance was the most expensive paper work ever sold at auction.

Photo: Carl Court / AFP / Getty Images

In September, the New York Times art blog published data that auction house experts rated work written in 1519 at 15.8 - 23.8 million US dollars.

The drawing was put up for sale by Peregrine Cavendish, born in 1944, by the 12th Duke of Devonshire, who is also deputy managing director of the Sotheby’s auction. The work is one of seventeen sketches for Raphael’s painting "Transfiguration" (Transfiguration, 1516-1520). In the family collection of the Dukes of Devonshire, the drawing was in the XVII century.

Today, the “Transfiguration” is the property of the Vatican Museum (Vatican Museum) and is considered the last painting of the genius of the Renaissance, which, according to some art historians, could not finish it. In mid-September, the work became one of the highlights at the Late Raphael exhibition in Madrid at the Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado).

Until yesterday, Raphael’s most expensive painting was The Head of a Muse, which in December 2009 at Christie’s in London found its buyer for $ 47.6 million.

Among the most interesting exhibits sold yesterday was The Prayer Before The Meal (1660) by Jan Steen (1626-1679), which went for $ 9.08 million. The diptych of the Scenesfrom the Passion of Christ of the Florentine master Niccolò di Pietro Gerini, 1366-1414 / 15, bought for $ 1.8 million, the magnificent "Night scene of the Nativity and Annunciation to the shepherds" (A Nocturnal Scene With The Nativity And The Annunciation To The Shepherds Beyond) Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618 - 1682) found a new owner for $ 780,000, manuscript The Deeds in the Middle East of Sir Gillion de Trazegnies in the Middle East) of the 15th century, owned by the library of King Francis I (François I, 1494-1547) - for $ 6.2 million s of the USA.

According to art dealers, one of the most impressive lots was "Portrait of Giovanni Gaddi, (1943-1542), shoulders and head, wearing a black cap" (Portrait of Giovanni Gaddi (1493-1542), Head and Shoulders, Wearing a Black Cap), which sold a little over $ 2 million. Performed with exceptional craftsmanship, in the impressive technique of portraiture, the painting still does not have an author. It was originally believed that the painting belongs to the brush of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, 1483-1561). In the studio of his father, Domenico Ghirlandaio (Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1449-1494) once studied young Michelangelo Buonarroti (Michelangelo di Buonarroti, 1475-1564).

In total, 51 lots were presented at the auction, 38 of them were sold, the total revenue amounted to more than 93.5 million US dollars.

Anna Sidorova