Michelangelo’s study sketch for the right foot of “The Libyan Sibyl” on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, c. 1511–12 (Photo: Christie’s)
What began as a routine online submission to Christie’s turned into an unexpected discovery. When Giada Damen, a specialist in Old Master drawings, opened a request for an auction estimate, she found a small red-chalk study of a foot, measuring about 5 inches tall. The accompanying form listed “Michelangelo” as the artist.
Renaissance drawings are notoriously difficult to authenticate, often misattributed or forged, so claims like this aren’t unusual. Still, Damen decided to investigate further. What followed were months of examination, comparison, and research, ultimately leading her to conclude that the sketch was indeed the work of Renaissance master Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Scholars believe Michelangelo produced thousands of preparatory drawings while working on the Sistine Chapel ceiling from 1508 to 1512. Only a fraction of these sketches survive today, and even fewer remain in private hands. If Christie’s assessment holds, this small study for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl, could be one of the very few remaining sheets directly tied to the creation of the Chapel’s frescoes.
The sketch illustrates Michelangelo experimenting with the pose, pressing the chalk firmly into the paper as he worked out how the foot would support the Sibyl’s twisted and dynamic stance. Subtle corrections in the lines echo what appears in his other studies from the same period, giving the drawing the kind of immediacy scholars look for when tracing his hand.
According to Christie’s, this drawing remained in the same European family since the late 18th century, passed down quietly for generations. It had never been publicly exhibited, studied, or connected to Michelangelo’s work until the current owner submitted it through the auction house’s digital portal.
Now that Christie’s has authenticated the work, it will head to the auction block at the Older Masters sale in New York on February 5, 2026. The drawing is estimated to sell between $1.5 million and $2 million, a reflection of both its rarity and its direct connection to one of the most celebrated artworks of the Renaissance.
Christie's will offer the newly authenticated drawing in February 2026 with an estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million.
Michelangelo’s study sketch for the right foot of “The Libyan Sibyl” on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, c. 1511–12 (Photo: Christie’s)
Michelangelo’s study sketch for the right foot of “The Libyan Sibyl” on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, c. 1511–12 (Photo: Christie’s)
Only a small number of Michelangelo’s preparatory sketches survive today, and this exceptionally rare drawing appears to be one he made while working on the Sistine Chapel.
Left: Michelangelo’s study sketch for the right foot of “The Libyan Sibyl” on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, c. 1511–12 (Photo: Christie’s); Right: The Libyan Sibyl by Michelangelo (Photo: Michaelangelo via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Michelangelo’s study sketch for the right foot of “The Libyan Sibyl” on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, c. 1511–12 (Photo: Christie’s)
Source:
All images via Christie's.
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