Years 1500-1519
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Top 10 Ancient painting Italy Flemish art Ancient drawing Autograph Manuscript Illuminated Christian manuscript Sciences Ancient science The Man Christianity Madonna and Child
See also : Top 10 Ancient painting Italy Flemish art Ancient drawing Autograph Manuscript Illuminated Christian manuscript Sciences Ancient science The Man Christianity Madonna and Child
LEONARDO
1
1500 Salvator Mundi
2017 SOLD for $ 450M by Christie's
The Salvator Mundi painted by Leonardo was known in workshop's copies but the original was considered lost. The meticulous inspection made by the experts with modern techniques has just brought one of these paintings to the rank of original with undeniable arguments.
The picture shows Christ holding the orb of the world in his left hand and blessing with the raised fingers of his right hand. The mystical message without the divine attribute of the halo competes with the holy shrouds recognized as authentic at his time while adding attitude and gesture. The orb that prophesies the rescue of the world is a reflective crystal ball through which the viewer perceives the palm of the hand.
This painting had belonged to King Charles I of England. It was probably hanging in the private apartments of Queen Henriette who was born in the French royal family. Its previous whereabouts are unknown. A possible hypothesis is a French royal order during the Italian wars. King Louis XII was so impressed by the Last Supper that he wanted to take the wall to France.
The analyzes provided a lot of information on the realization and history of this painting. The perfection of the expression is concentrated in the lips and the gaze, anticipating the Mona Lisa. The mouth was drawn by the technique of pierced drawing used by other great masters of that time including Raphael and Andrea del Sarto. One of the eyes was softened by a spread of color pushed by the wrist of the artist.
Leonardo cared little for the supporting materials. The conservation woes of the Last Supper are famous. The original panel of Salvator Mundi was early split because of a knot in the wood. The accident caused awkward repainting on the face. Anonymous owners then extended these repaints to the point that only peripheral regions including the hands were still visible in their original quality.
All of that has been conscientiously repaired. Fortunately the sfumato remained in very good condition under the disagreeable layers that were removed. This signature Leonardo technique makes it possible to compare the Salvator Mundi with the Mona Lisa which is the culmination of his art. The perfectionist preparation of his paintings could last several years. A date around 1500 is plausible for the Salvator Mundi.
Christ the savior of the world by Leonardo, oil on panel 66 x 46 cm, was sold for $ 450M by Christie's on November 15, 2017, lot 9 B. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Responses by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 16, 2017
Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece Salvator Mundi achieves $450,312,500, a #worldauctionrecord for any work of art sold at auction.
The picture shows Christ holding the orb of the world in his left hand and blessing with the raised fingers of his right hand. The mystical message without the divine attribute of the halo competes with the holy shrouds recognized as authentic at his time while adding attitude and gesture. The orb that prophesies the rescue of the world is a reflective crystal ball through which the viewer perceives the palm of the hand.
This painting had belonged to King Charles I of England. It was probably hanging in the private apartments of Queen Henriette who was born in the French royal family. Its previous whereabouts are unknown. A possible hypothesis is a French royal order during the Italian wars. King Louis XII was so impressed by the Last Supper that he wanted to take the wall to France.
The analyzes provided a lot of information on the realization and history of this painting. The perfection of the expression is concentrated in the lips and the gaze, anticipating the Mona Lisa. The mouth was drawn by the technique of pierced drawing used by other great masters of that time including Raphael and Andrea del Sarto. One of the eyes was softened by a spread of color pushed by the wrist of the artist.
Leonardo cared little for the supporting materials. The conservation woes of the Last Supper are famous. The original panel of Salvator Mundi was early split because of a knot in the wood. The accident caused awkward repainting on the face. Anonymous owners then extended these repaints to the point that only peripheral regions including the hands were still visible in their original quality.
All of that has been conscientiously repaired. Fortunately the sfumato remained in very good condition under the disagreeable layers that were removed. This signature Leonardo technique makes it possible to compare the Salvator Mundi with the Mona Lisa which is the culmination of his art. The perfectionist preparation of his paintings could last several years. A date around 1500 is plausible for the Salvator Mundi.
Christ the savior of the world by Leonardo, oil on panel 66 x 46 cm, was sold for $ 450M by Christie's on November 15, 2017, lot 9 B. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Responses by Grok :
- The $450M sale of Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi in 2017 at Christie's set a record as the most expensive artwork ever auctioned, though some art historians, like Frank Zöllner, question its attribution due to extensive restoration obscuring its original quality.
- Rediscovered in 2005 and authenticated in 2011, the painting's journey from a $45 misattribution in 1958 to a Leonardo masterpiece highlights the evolving expertise of art scholars, supported by evidence like preparatory drawings at Windsor Castle.
- The debate over its authenticity challenges the art market's reliance on high-profile sales, with studies suggesting over 20 copies exist, raising questions about the uniqueness and value of the restored version.
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 16, 2017
Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece Salvator Mundi achieves $450,312,500, a #worldauctionrecord for any work of art sold at auction.
- The X post by Christie's highlights the record-breaking $450.3 million sale of Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi in 2017, a painting once sold for just $45 in 1958, revealing a dramatic shift in its perceived value driven by evolving art authentication debates.
- Recent studies, including analysis by the Prado Museum's Ana Gonzalez Mozo in 2021, suggest Leonardo may not have painted Salvator Mundi himself, challenging its attribution and sparking controversy over whether it’s an original or a workshop copy, supported by historical inventories linking it to his pupil Salaì.
- The sale’s buyer, Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, was later linked to a complex art market scandal involving Yves Bouvier, with lawsuits alleging a $380 million markup, as reported in 2018, raising questions about transparency in high-stakes auctions.
Asking Grok to compare with Mona Lisa :
Comparison: Salvator Mundi (Leonardo da Vinci, sold Christie’s 2017) vs. Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)
Salvator Mundi (c. 1499–1510)
Mona Lisa (c. 1503–1519)
Subject
Salvator Mundi : Christ as Savior of the World (Salvator Mundi), blessing with right hand, holding crystal orb
Mona Lisa : Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo
Iconography
Salvator Mundi : Religious (Christ Pantocrator type), highly symbolic (orb = universe/crystal purity)
Mona Lisa : Secular portrait, though with enigmatic psychological depth
Auction / Ownership
Salvator Mundi : Sold at Christie’s New York, 15 Nov 2017, lot 9B for $450.3 million (highest price ever for any work of art at auction). Bought by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (effectively for the Louvre Abu Dhabi, on loan since 2018)
Mona Lisa : In the Louvre since 1797 (French state property). Priceless, effectively unsellable
Condition & Authenticity
Salvator Mundi : Heavily damaged and restored multiple times (overpainted, thinned panel, extensive repainting especially in face and hair). Authenticity accepted by most (but not all) scholars after 2005–2011 restoration. Some prominent experts (e.g. Carmen Bambach, Michael Daley) still doubt full Leonardo authorship or consider it a workshop piece heavily retouched by him.
Mona Lisa : Exceptionally well-preserved for a 500-year-old poplar panel. Universally accepted as entirely by Leonardo’s hand
Size
Salvator Mundi : 65.7 × 45.7 cm (25⅞ × 18 in)
Mona Lisa : 77 × 53 cm (30 × 21 in)
Support
Salvator Mundi : Walnut panel
Mona Lisa : Poplar panel
Technique
Salvator Mundi : Oil (with some tempera?), heavy use of sfumato, very fine brushwork in final layers
Mona Lisa : Oil, extreme sfumato, almost invisible brushstrokes, pentimenti visible in infrared
Provenance
Salvator Mundi : English royal collection (Charles I), later lost, rediscovered 1900 in very poor state, sold 1958 for £45 as “follower of Leonardo”, restored 2005–2011, re-attributed
Mona Lisa : Continuously documented since François I bought it from Leonardo c. 1518
Current locationO
Salvator Mundi : Officially owned by Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia; stored in Geneva or Saudi Arabia (not publicly exhibited since September 2018 cancelled Louvre Abu Dhabi show)
Mona Lisa : Louvre, Paris (permanent display in Salle des États)
Cultural status
Salvatot Mundi : Most expensive painting ever sold; controversial because of condition, restoration, and price
Mona Lisa : The single most famous painting in the world; ultimate icon of Renaissance art
Artistic innovations visible
Salvator Mundi : Transparent crystal orb with attempted (but optically imperfect) refraction; extremely delicate sfumato in the face; soft curling hair
Mona Lisa : Revolutionary atmospheric perspective, psychological ambiguity, “smile”, subtle modeling of flesh with no hard lines
Restoration controversies
Salvator Mundi : 2005–2011 restoration by Dianne Dwyer Modestini removed heavy overpaint but added significant retouching (especially blessing hand and hair). Critics say the face is now largely 21st-century paint
Mona Lisa : 19th and early 20th-century varnishes removed; very conservative modern treatments
Scholarly consensus
Salvator Mundi : Accepted as autograph Leonardo by the majority since the 2011 National Gallery exhibition, but a vocal minority still considers it workshop with Leonardo interventions
Mona Lisa : 100 % consensus as fully autograph
Key Similarities
Comparison: Salvator Mundi (Leonardo da Vinci, sold Christie’s 2017) vs. Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)
Salvator Mundi (c. 1499–1510)
Mona Lisa (c. 1503–1519)
Subject
Salvator Mundi : Christ as Savior of the World (Salvator Mundi), blessing with right hand, holding crystal orb
Mona Lisa : Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo
Iconography
Salvator Mundi : Religious (Christ Pantocrator type), highly symbolic (orb = universe/crystal purity)
Mona Lisa : Secular portrait, though with enigmatic psychological depth
Auction / Ownership
Salvator Mundi : Sold at Christie’s New York, 15 Nov 2017, lot 9B for $450.3 million (highest price ever for any work of art at auction). Bought by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (effectively for the Louvre Abu Dhabi, on loan since 2018)
Mona Lisa : In the Louvre since 1797 (French state property). Priceless, effectively unsellable
Condition & Authenticity
Salvator Mundi : Heavily damaged and restored multiple times (overpainted, thinned panel, extensive repainting especially in face and hair). Authenticity accepted by most (but not all) scholars after 2005–2011 restoration. Some prominent experts (e.g. Carmen Bambach, Michael Daley) still doubt full Leonardo authorship or consider it a workshop piece heavily retouched by him.
Mona Lisa : Exceptionally well-preserved for a 500-year-old poplar panel. Universally accepted as entirely by Leonardo’s hand
Size
Salvator Mundi : 65.7 × 45.7 cm (25⅞ × 18 in)
Mona Lisa : 77 × 53 cm (30 × 21 in)
Support
Salvator Mundi : Walnut panel
Mona Lisa : Poplar panel
Technique
Salvator Mundi : Oil (with some tempera?), heavy use of sfumato, very fine brushwork in final layers
Mona Lisa : Oil, extreme sfumato, almost invisible brushstrokes, pentimenti visible in infrared
Provenance
Salvator Mundi : English royal collection (Charles I), later lost, rediscovered 1900 in very poor state, sold 1958 for £45 as “follower of Leonardo”, restored 2005–2011, re-attributed
Mona Lisa : Continuously documented since François I bought it from Leonardo c. 1518
Current locationO
Salvator Mundi : Officially owned by Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia; stored in Geneva or Saudi Arabia (not publicly exhibited since September 2018 cancelled Louvre Abu Dhabi show)
Mona Lisa : Louvre, Paris (permanent display in Salle des États)
Cultural status
Salvatot Mundi : Most expensive painting ever sold; controversial because of condition, restoration, and price
Mona Lisa : The single most famous painting in the world; ultimate icon of Renaissance art
Artistic innovations visible
Salvator Mundi : Transparent crystal orb with attempted (but optically imperfect) refraction; extremely delicate sfumato in the face; soft curling hair
Mona Lisa : Revolutionary atmospheric perspective, psychological ambiguity, “smile”, subtle modeling of flesh with no hard lines
Restoration controversies
Salvator Mundi : 2005–2011 restoration by Dianne Dwyer Modestini removed heavy overpaint but added significant retouching (especially blessing hand and hair). Critics say the face is now largely 21st-century paint
Mona Lisa : 19th and early 20th-century varnishes removed; very conservative modern treatments
Scholarly consensus
Salvator Mundi : Accepted as autograph Leonardo by the majority since the 2011 National Gallery exhibition, but a vocal minority still considers it workshop with Leonardo interventions
Mona Lisa : 100 % consensus as fully autograph
Key Similarities
- Both are undisputed (or almost undisputed) works by Leonardo da Vinci from roughly the same late period (c. 1500–1515).
- Both use extreme sfumato and soft modeling with almost invisible transitions.
- Both were painted in oil (unusual in Italy at the time).
- Both have enigmatic, slightly melancholic expressions.
- Both have suffered damage and restoration, though to vastly different degrees.
- Purpose: religious icon vs. private secular portrait
- Condition: one is among the best-preserved Renaissance paintings, the other among the most damaged and heavily restored
- Market value: one is literally priceless and belongs to France; the other is the only Old Master ever to cross $400 million
- Public visibility: Mona Lisa is seen by 30,000 people a day behind bulletproof glass; Salvator Mundi has essentially disappeared from public view since 2018
- Consensus: Mona Lisa is the gold standard of Leonardo’s genius; Salvator Mundi remains the most debated and polarizing Leonardo in existence.
Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece Salvator Mundi achieves $450,312,500, a #worldauctionrecord for any work of art sold at auction. pic.twitter.com/snKxm7t3cb
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) November 16, 2017
2
masterpiece
> 1503 La Gioconda
Louvre
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Musée du Louvre @MuseeLouvre Dec 8, 2016
[#1M] #WorkOfTheDay Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Leonardo da Vinci #Joconde #MonaLisa http://bit.ly/2gK6qA2 #Paintings
Response by Grok :
Quote
Musée du Louvre @MuseeLouvre Dec 8, 2016
[#1M] #WorkOfTheDay Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Leonardo da Vinci #Joconde #MonaLisa http://bit.ly/2gK6qA2 #Paintings
- The Mona Lisa, featured in the post, was painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506, with possible work extending to 1517, and its subject's identity as Lisa Gherardini was confirmed in 2005 through archival research, challenging earlier speculative theories about multiple models.
- The painting's enigmatic smile may reflect Leonardo's technique of using live musicians and entertainers during sittings to keep Gherardini amused, a method noted by art historian Giorgio Vasari, supported by 2004 spectrographic analysis showing emotional expression in her facial features.
- Housed in the Louvre's Salle des États since 1966, the artwork's poplar wood panel has warped over time, leading to a protective glass case installation in 2005 to control temperature and humidity, a conservation measure backed by studies on wood degradation in Renaissance art.
3
1510 The Codex Leicester
1994 SOLD for $ 31M by Christie's
From 1475 Leonardo da Vinci recorded everyday all his ideas about the nature of the world in its whole variety, in the form of notes in ancient Italian language illustrated with sketches. In this polygraphic bulimia, he accumulated about 13,000 pages, on double-sided sheets folded in half.
Leonardo is neither a scientist nor an engineer in the modern meaning of these terms. He does not waste his time analyzing the consequences of his theories or conceiving the realization of his inventions. In his swarming of ideas, he could be wonderfully right and naively wrong, and he was certainly unable to distinguish between these two extremes.
For this left-hander, the mirror writing is the way he has found so that his thinking is not slowed down by his hand. The use of numerous abbreviations, which makes these texts extremely difficult to decipher, is consistent with this hypothesis. We will never know how he desired exploiting such a unique mass of informations.
These writings were later assembled into notebooks, identified under the more technical term of codex. The Codex Leicester is the only one remaining in private hands. It was sold by Christie's for $ 5.1M on December 12, 1980 and for $ 31M on November 11, 1994. Between these two sales it was named the Codex Hammer. It was bought by Bill Gates at the last auction. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The Codex Leicester is made up of 18 double sheets of parchment for a total of 72 pages 22 x 30 cm. It brings together his notes written around 1510 on the theme of the water movements. The author imagines that his ideas could be used for the design of bridges.
His observation on the presence of fossils in the mountains brings an explanation far ahead of his time : they were originally in a seabed which was raised by a geophysical phenomenon. This hypothesis is all the more remarkable since the monotheistic religions of his time do not question the creationism.
In the same notebook, he explains the luminosity of the Moon by the reflection of sunlight on its surface entirely covered with water.
Leonardo is neither a scientist nor an engineer in the modern meaning of these terms. He does not waste his time analyzing the consequences of his theories or conceiving the realization of his inventions. In his swarming of ideas, he could be wonderfully right and naively wrong, and he was certainly unable to distinguish between these two extremes.
For this left-hander, the mirror writing is the way he has found so that his thinking is not slowed down by his hand. The use of numerous abbreviations, which makes these texts extremely difficult to decipher, is consistent with this hypothesis. We will never know how he desired exploiting such a unique mass of informations.
These writings were later assembled into notebooks, identified under the more technical term of codex. The Codex Leicester is the only one remaining in private hands. It was sold by Christie's for $ 5.1M on December 12, 1980 and for $ 31M on November 11, 1994. Between these two sales it was named the Codex Hammer. It was bought by Bill Gates at the last auction. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The Codex Leicester is made up of 18 double sheets of parchment for a total of 72 pages 22 x 30 cm. It brings together his notes written around 1510 on the theme of the water movements. The author imagines that his ideas could be used for the design of bridges.
His observation on the presence of fossils in the mountains brings an explanation far ahead of his time : they were originally in a seabed which was raised by a geophysical phenomenon. This hypothesis is all the more remarkable since the monotheistic religions of his time do not question the creationism.
In the same notebook, he explains the luminosity of the Moon by the reflection of sunlight on its surface entirely covered with water.
masterpiece
1501-1504 David by Michelangelo
Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Jörg Bittner Unna, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Grok thought :
Quote
Faces of Ancient Europe @AncientEurope Mar 3, 2018
David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created in marble between 1501 and 1504 by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. David is a 5.17-metre (17.0 ft) statue of a standing male nude. Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence, Italy.
Grok thought :
Quote
Faces of Ancient Europe @AncientEurope Mar 3, 2018
David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created in marble between 1501 and 1504 by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. David is a 5.17-metre (17.0 ft) statue of a standing male nude. Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence, Italy.
- This 2018 post by @AncientEurope shares four photos of Michelangelo's David, including a wide-angle view with tourists, close-ups of its front and back, and a detail of the hand gripping the sling stone, emphasizing the statue's imposing presence in Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia.
- Carved from a single block of Carrara marble between 1501 and 1504, the 17-foot nude depicts the biblical David in a tense, pre-battle contrapposto pose, symbolizing Florence's republican ideals and Renaissance anatomical precision, as noted in Vasari's historical accounts.
- Though @AncientEurope typically highlights pre-modern European artifacts, this post bridges ancient biblical themes with Renaissance art, underscoring David's role as a cultural icon that influenced later sculptures and remains one of Italy's most visited artworks, attracting over 1.5 million viewers annually per recent tourism data.
1500-1510 The Man of Sorrows by Botticelli
2022 SOLD for $ 45M by Sotheby's
After the fall of the Medici, the Dominican friar Savonarola established a de facto religious dictature in Florence. The required purge from sins and vanities included bonfires of luxury objects including clothings and secular paintings.
Botticelli's art changed. The time of his signature theme of the Virgin of Tenderness was over. He possibly was not reluctant with the new trend. After the fall of the dictatorship in 1498, Botticelli's studio was sometimes used by his brother for secret meetings of Savonarola's sympathizers.
A mid length life size figure of Christ is typical of that new mood. Botticelli painted it in tempera and oil by canceling a Virgin of Tenderness on a panel 69 x 51 cm.
The main theme is a Man of Sorrows. The iconography of this specific piece goes far beyond up to a global representation of the Passion including Redemption and Resurrection.
The image is blending the human and the divine. The full frontal face has an expression of suffering temperated with a desire to confront and convince. The gaze goes straight to the viewer, just like Leonardo's Salvator Mundi and Dürer's self portrait made at that same period otherwise marked by the fear of a mid-millennium apocalypse.
The divine is represented by the bleeding wounds of the thorns and by the stigmata of the Crucifixion in the hands. The unprecedented move of this unique picture is the replacement of the halo by a circle of angels in grisaille that reluctantly display the instruments of his torture such as the ladder, the scourge and the lance.
There is no similar example known in Christian iconography. We will never know whether the master executed it for his own salvation or for proposing a new theme which still had no follow when he died in 1510.
The painting surfaced in the mid 19th century in a family of famous English actors and was authenticated as an autograph work by Botticelli when it was sold at Sotheby's in 1963. Further studies are now confirming that prestigious attribution. It was sold for $ 45M on January 27, 2022 by Sotheby's, lot 14. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Botticelli's art changed. The time of his signature theme of the Virgin of Tenderness was over. He possibly was not reluctant with the new trend. After the fall of the dictatorship in 1498, Botticelli's studio was sometimes used by his brother for secret meetings of Savonarola's sympathizers.
A mid length life size figure of Christ is typical of that new mood. Botticelli painted it in tempera and oil by canceling a Virgin of Tenderness on a panel 69 x 51 cm.
The main theme is a Man of Sorrows. The iconography of this specific piece goes far beyond up to a global representation of the Passion including Redemption and Resurrection.
The image is blending the human and the divine. The full frontal face has an expression of suffering temperated with a desire to confront and convince. The gaze goes straight to the viewer, just like Leonardo's Salvator Mundi and Dürer's self portrait made at that same period otherwise marked by the fear of a mid-millennium apocalypse.
The divine is represented by the bleeding wounds of the thorns and by the stigmata of the Crucifixion in the hands. The unprecedented move of this unique picture is the replacement of the halo by a circle of angels in grisaille that reluctantly display the instruments of his torture such as the ladder, the scourge and the lance.
There is no similar example known in Christian iconography. We will never know whether the master executed it for his own salvation or for proposing a new theme which still had no follow when he died in 1510.
The painting surfaced in the mid 19th century in a family of famous English actors and was authenticated as an autograph work by Botticelli when it was sold at Sotheby's in 1963. Further studies are now confirming that prestigious attribution. It was sold for $ 45M on January 27, 2022 by Sotheby's, lot 14. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Compare The Man of Sorrows by Botticelli (ca 1500-1510, sold on January 27, 2022 by Sotheby's, lot 14) with Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci.
Overview
Both The Man of Sorrows by Sandro Botticelli (c. 1500–1510, tempera and oil on panel, sold for $45.4 million at Sotheby's in 2022) and Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1500, oil on walnut panel, sold for $450.3 million in 2017) are late-period depictions of Christ as a half-length frontal figure, created around the same time during a period of religious intensity in Renaissance Italy. They share a stark, devotional format but differ profoundly in iconography, emotional tone, style, and artistic intent.
Iconography
Botticelli : Christ as the suffering "Man of Sorrows" (Imago Pietatis tradition): crown of thorns, bound hands/wrists, wounds visible, surrounded by angels holding Arma Christi (instruments of the Passion: cross, whip, lance, etc.). Emphasizes humiliation and sacrifice.
Leinardo : Christ as "Savior of the World": blessing gesture with right hand, holding transparent crystal orb (symbolizing the cosmos) in left. Emphasizes divinity, kingship, and salvation.
Pose & Gaze
Botticelli : Nearly frontal but slightly asymmetrical (tilted head, uneven eyes/mouth/nose for a human, "photographed" feel). Direct, beseeching gaze that engages the viewer personally, conveying suffering and quiet acceptance.
Leonardo : Strictly frontal and symmetrical, rigid like a Byzantine icon or the Veil of Veronica. Serene, timeless, ethereal gaze.
Emotional Tone
Botticelli : Intense humanity and pathos: somber, introspective, spiritual anguish influenced by Savonarola's preaching. Focus on physical/emotional suffering with psychological depth.
Leonardo : Divine serenity and transcendence: calm, otherworldly authority. Highlights Christ's godlike power over the world.
Style & Technique
Botticelli : Linear grace typical of Botticelli (sharp contours, elegant lines), even in late somber phase. Tempera/oil on panel; dark background; angels form a dynamic "halo." Some critics note awkward hands or stereotypical angels.
Leonado : Masterful sfumato (soft, smoky blending without harsh lines) for ethereal luminosity and depth. Oil on panel; subtle modeling of flesh, curls, and robes; innovative rendering of light/refraction in orb.
Composition
Botticelli : Dramatic close-up with Passion symbols integrated (angels arrayed around head). Underlying pentimento reveals reused panel from abandoned Madonna and Child.
Leonardo : Balanced, monumental simplicity; transparent robes and orb add intellectual/scientific layers (orb shows Leonardo's optical studies, though not fully realistic refraction).
Context & Period
Botticelli : Late Botticelli: shift to religious intensity post-Savonarola; visionary spirituality over earlier humanistic beauty.
Leonardo : Late Leonardo: blend of religious icon and scientific observation; possibly commissioned for French royalty.
Condition & Attribution
Botticelli : Well-preserved; reattributed to Botticelli himself in 2009 (previously workshop).
Leonardo : Heavily restored; attribution debated (some see studio involvement due to damage and inconsistencies).
Similarities
Botticelli's painting is a visceral meditation on human suffering and redemption through pain, rooted in medieval Passion imagery but infused with personal empathy. Leonardo's is an intellectual vision of divine majesty and cosmic order, showcasing innovative technique and serene detachment. While Botticelli humanizes Christ's torment, Leonardo elevates his transcendence—making them complementary yet contrasting expressions of Renaissance faith around 1500.
Overview
Both The Man of Sorrows by Sandro Botticelli (c. 1500–1510, tempera and oil on panel, sold for $45.4 million at Sotheby's in 2022) and Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1500, oil on walnut panel, sold for $450.3 million in 2017) are late-period depictions of Christ as a half-length frontal figure, created around the same time during a period of religious intensity in Renaissance Italy. They share a stark, devotional format but differ profoundly in iconography, emotional tone, style, and artistic intent.
Iconography
Botticelli : Christ as the suffering "Man of Sorrows" (Imago Pietatis tradition): crown of thorns, bound hands/wrists, wounds visible, surrounded by angels holding Arma Christi (instruments of the Passion: cross, whip, lance, etc.). Emphasizes humiliation and sacrifice.
Leinardo : Christ as "Savior of the World": blessing gesture with right hand, holding transparent crystal orb (symbolizing the cosmos) in left. Emphasizes divinity, kingship, and salvation.
Pose & Gaze
Botticelli : Nearly frontal but slightly asymmetrical (tilted head, uneven eyes/mouth/nose for a human, "photographed" feel). Direct, beseeching gaze that engages the viewer personally, conveying suffering and quiet acceptance.
Leonardo : Strictly frontal and symmetrical, rigid like a Byzantine icon or the Veil of Veronica. Serene, timeless, ethereal gaze.
Emotional Tone
Botticelli : Intense humanity and pathos: somber, introspective, spiritual anguish influenced by Savonarola's preaching. Focus on physical/emotional suffering with psychological depth.
Leonardo : Divine serenity and transcendence: calm, otherworldly authority. Highlights Christ's godlike power over the world.
Style & Technique
Botticelli : Linear grace typical of Botticelli (sharp contours, elegant lines), even in late somber phase. Tempera/oil on panel; dark background; angels form a dynamic "halo." Some critics note awkward hands or stereotypical angels.
Leonado : Masterful sfumato (soft, smoky blending without harsh lines) for ethereal luminosity and depth. Oil on panel; subtle modeling of flesh, curls, and robes; innovative rendering of light/refraction in orb.
Composition
Botticelli : Dramatic close-up with Passion symbols integrated (angels arrayed around head). Underlying pentimento reveals reused panel from abandoned Madonna and Child.
Leonardo : Balanced, monumental simplicity; transparent robes and orb add intellectual/scientific layers (orb shows Leonardo's optical studies, though not fully realistic refraction).
Context & Period
Botticelli : Late Botticelli: shift to religious intensity post-Savonarola; visionary spirituality over earlier humanistic beauty.
Leonardo : Late Leonardo: blend of religious icon and scientific observation; possibly commissioned for French royalty.
Condition & Attribution
Botticelli : Well-preserved; reattributed to Botticelli himself in 2009 (previously workshop).
Leonardo : Heavily restored; attribution debated (some see studio involvement due to damage and inconsistencies).
Similarities
- Both are rare late works by Florentine masters, painted c. 1500 amid millennial anxieties and religious fervor.
- Frontal, bust-length portraits of Christ for private devotion, evoking direct spiritual confrontation.
- Stark backgrounds enhance psychological intensity and modernity.
- Both fetched record prices as rediscovered/rediscovered masterpieces, highlighting market fascination with Renaissance Christs.
Botticelli's painting is a visceral meditation on human suffering and redemption through pain, rooted in medieval Passion imagery but infused with personal empathy. Leonardo's is an intellectual vision of divine majesty and cosmic order, showcasing innovative technique and serene detachment. While Botticelli humanizes Christ's torment, Leonardo elevates his transcendence—making them complementary yet contrasting expressions of Renaissance faith around 1500.
#AuctionUpdate: Following an almost 7-minute bidding battle, Sandro Botticelli’s 'The Man of Sorrows' sells to applause for $45.4 million. #SothebysMasters pic.twitter.com/AySDEGZCci
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) January 27, 2022
masterpiece
1502 Feldhase by Dürer
Albertina Wien
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought :
Quote
The Cultural Tutor @culturaltutor May 21, 2024
How did he manage that? Dürer was obviously an artist with extraordinary natural gifts, one who could render seemingly anything with the utmost precision and detail. Even something as simple as a hare:
Grok thought :
Quote
The Cultural Tutor @culturaltutor May 21, 2024
How did he manage that? Dürer was obviously an artist with extraordinary natural gifts, one who could render seemingly anything with the utmost precision and detail. Even something as simple as a hare:
- This post, embedded in a 29-part thread marking Albrecht Dürer's 553rd birthday on May 21, 1471, spotlights his 1502 watercolor "Young Hare" as a pinnacle of naturalistic precision, blending Northern detail with Italian-influenced anatomy.
- Scholars posit Dürer studied dead hares for accuracy, rendering each fur strand individually in a 25x23 cm work now at Vienna's Albertina, elevating animal depiction from symbolic to scientific in Renaissance art.
- The hare embodies Dürer's curious ego—much like his Christ-like self-portrait—fueling his superstar appeal through mass-produced engravings that democratized art via the printing press, amassing over a million thread views.
1505 The Rothschild Prayerbook
2014 SOLD for $ 13.6M by Christie's
The printed book cannot claim to achieve the beauty of illuminated manuscripts. Under the Habsburgs, the best Flemish painters illustrate books of great luxury. They have not revealed all their secrets : the artists did not sign and the sponsors are not identified.
One of these masterpieces is known as the Rothschild Prayerbook. It was sold by Christie's for £ 8.6M on July 8, 1999 and for $ 13.6M on January 29, 2014. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
It is a book of hours for the use of Rome (meaning that it is based on Roman liturgy), made around 1505 in Ghent or Bruges. In a small format 23 x 16 cm, this book with 252 leaves in luxurious vellum includes 67 large illustrations.
From an iconographic point of view, it is a fabulous collection of religious and liturgical scenes, showing in very fresh colors the life and customs of its time. Decorative borders offer an extended variety of topics.
The styles of these images clearly show that several workshops have co-operated, and comparison with other manuscripts and paintings can identify that it was made by the most renowned artists of their time. Their co-operation in such collective artworks was an extraordinary and unique business of which no direct witnessing has surfaced.
The main illustrators of the Rothschild Prayerbook were Gerard Horenbout who worked at Ghent and Alexander Bening, a member of the guilds of Bruges and Ghent. Simon Bening, son of Alexander, to whom a few images are attributed, will be the last great Flemish illuminator. The style of Gerard David, the leading painter in Bruges at that time, is recognized on several images.
One of these masterpieces is known as the Rothschild Prayerbook. It was sold by Christie's for £ 8.6M on July 8, 1999 and for $ 13.6M on January 29, 2014. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
It is a book of hours for the use of Rome (meaning that it is based on Roman liturgy), made around 1505 in Ghent or Bruges. In a small format 23 x 16 cm, this book with 252 leaves in luxurious vellum includes 67 large illustrations.
From an iconographic point of view, it is a fabulous collection of religious and liturgical scenes, showing in very fresh colors the life and customs of its time. Decorative borders offer an extended variety of topics.
The styles of these images clearly show that several workshops have co-operated, and comparison with other manuscripts and paintings can identify that it was made by the most renowned artists of their time. Their co-operation in such collective artworks was an extraordinary and unique business of which no direct witnessing has surfaced.
The main illustrators of the Rothschild Prayerbook were Gerard Horenbout who worked at Ghent and Alexander Bening, a member of the guilds of Bruges and Ghent. Simon Bening, son of Alexander, to whom a few images are attributed, will be the last great Flemish illuminator. The style of Gerard David, the leading painter in Bruges at that time, is recognized on several images.
A very #MerryChristmas to all. Here’s a stunning #nativity scene from the #RothschildPrayerbook! pic.twitter.com/RIVYbiXLjC
— Christie's Books (@ChristiesBKS) December 25, 2015
masterpiece
40 BCE, discovered 1506
Laocoon
Vatican
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Vatican Museums, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
TITIAN
1
for reference
1508-1510 Lochis Madonna
Accademia Carrara, Bergamo
A highly eclectic artist, Giorgione had a lasting influence in the Venetian school of painting. In his idyllic or pastoral scenes, he used nature as a setting that framed the narration. He used brilliant pigments that were imported by the city for the textiles and glass industries, and was influential in the latest style of his master Giovanni Bellini.
In the second half of the first decade, it is very difficult to distinguish the paintings by Giorgione from those by Tiziano Vecelli whose name will be latinized as Titian. Giorgione died in his mid 30s in a plague in Venice in 1510.
Early connoisseurs commented that Titian's contributions were superior to Giorgione's.The image is shared by Wikimedia.
No artist of that period could ignore the Christian scenes for his business. A panel 39 x 48 cm known as the Madonna Lochis from a previous owner, painted by Titian ca 1508-1510, features a Madonna and Child framed by verdant hills.
In the second half of the first decade, it is very difficult to distinguish the paintings by Giorgione from those by Tiziano Vecelli whose name will be latinized as Titian. Giorgione died in his mid 30s in a plague in Venice in 1510.
Early connoisseurs commented that Titian's contributions were superior to Giorgione's.The image is shared by Wikimedia.
No artist of that period could ignore the Christian scenes for his business. A panel 39 x 48 cm known as the Madonna Lochis from a previous owner, painted by Titian ca 1508-1510, features a Madonna and Child framed by verdant hills.
2
masterpiece
1510 Sleeping Venus by Giorgione, completed by Titian
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden
A joint work is Giorgione's Venus sleeping in the nude, completed after his death by Titian and a close forerunner of Titian's Venus of Urbino.The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Asking Grok 4 to define position in art history :
Giorgione's Sleeping Venus (c. 1510), also known as the Dresden Venus, is a landmark painting in the history of Western art, particularly within the Venetian Renaissance. It is widely regarded as the first large-scale reclining female nude in European painting, establishing a new archetype for depicting the human body that blended sensuality, mythology, and naturalism. This work marked a shift from the more rigid, allegorical nudes of earlier periods toward a more poetic and idealized representation of feminine beauty, influenced by classical antiquity but rendered with innovative Venetian techniques like atmospheric landscape integration and soft, luminous color.
The painting's significance lies in its pioneering role as a prototype for the reclining nude genre, which profoundly influenced subsequent artists. For instance, Titian, who is believed to have completed the landscape after Giorgione's early death, drew directly from it for his Venus of Urbino (1538), while later figures like Manet referenced it in Olympia (1863), subverting its classical idealism. By portraying Venus asleep in a serene, idyllic landscape—symbolizing harmony between humanity and nature—Giorgione elevated the nude beyond mere eroticism to a contemplative, almost philosophical ideal of beauty and repose. This approach helped define the Venetian school's emphasis on color, mood, and sensory experience over Florentine linear precision.
In broader art historical context, Sleeping Venus exemplifies the High Renaissance's humanist revival of classical themes, while foreshadowing Mannerist and Baroque explorations of the body. Its innovative composition and subtle eroticism without overt sexuality made it a touchstone for discussions on gender, mythology, and the gaze in art. The painting has been housed in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden since the 18th century, where it remains a cornerstone of the collection.
Asking Grok 4 to define position in art history :
Giorgione's Sleeping Venus (c. 1510), also known as the Dresden Venus, is a landmark painting in the history of Western art, particularly within the Venetian Renaissance. It is widely regarded as the first large-scale reclining female nude in European painting, establishing a new archetype for depicting the human body that blended sensuality, mythology, and naturalism. This work marked a shift from the more rigid, allegorical nudes of earlier periods toward a more poetic and idealized representation of feminine beauty, influenced by classical antiquity but rendered with innovative Venetian techniques like atmospheric landscape integration and soft, luminous color.
The painting's significance lies in its pioneering role as a prototype for the reclining nude genre, which profoundly influenced subsequent artists. For instance, Titian, who is believed to have completed the landscape after Giorgione's early death, drew directly from it for his Venus of Urbino (1538), while later figures like Manet referenced it in Olympia (1863), subverting its classical idealism. By portraying Venus asleep in a serene, idyllic landscape—symbolizing harmony between humanity and nature—Giorgione elevated the nude beyond mere eroticism to a contemplative, almost philosophical ideal of beauty and repose. This approach helped define the Venetian school's emphasis on color, mood, and sensory experience over Florentine linear precision.
In broader art historical context, Sleeping Venus exemplifies the High Renaissance's humanist revival of classical themes, while foreshadowing Mannerist and Baroque explorations of the body. Its innovative composition and subtle eroticism without overt sexuality made it a touchstone for discussions on gender, mythology, and the gaze in art. The painting has been housed in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden since the 18th century, where it remains a cornerstone of the collection.
3
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
2024 SOLD for £ 17.6M by Christie's
From the same period an undated Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Titian features a family in an Italian bucolic landscape that has nothing to do with Egypt. The composition is centered on the well-lit young mother in a tender embrace with her naked baby whom she had just unclothed for taking a rest. Joseph is an aging man who listens from the shadow. The title is taken from the Gospel of Matthew.
This oil on canvas laid on panel 46 x 63 cm was highlighted at a choice place near the doorway in a kunstkammer painting of the archduke of Austria in the mid 17th century by Teniers in Brussels. It was sold for £ 17.6M by Christie's on July 2, 2024, lot 8. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok response :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Jul 2, 2024
#AuctionUpdate A work last auctioned by Christie's in 1878, #Titian's early masterpiece ‘The Rest on the Flight into Egypt’ realised £17,560,000, achieving a #WorldAuctionRecord for the artist: http://bit.ly/3L7zthh
This oil on canvas laid on panel 46 x 63 cm was highlighted at a choice place near the doorway in a kunstkammer painting of the archduke of Austria in the mid 17th century by Teniers in Brussels. It was sold for £ 17.6M by Christie's on July 2, 2024, lot 8. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok response :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Jul 2, 2024
#AuctionUpdate A work last auctioned by Christie's in 1878, #Titian's early masterpiece ‘The Rest on the Flight into Egypt’ realised £17,560,000, achieving a #WorldAuctionRecord for the artist: http://bit.ly/3L7zthh
- The painting "The Rest on the Flight into Egypt" by Titian, auctioned for £17.56 million in 2024, was created when he was likely under 20, showcasing his early genius and influencing the Venetian Renaissance with its innovative "mood landscape" style, as noted in Christie’s historical analysis.
- This artwork’s journey includes a dramatic theft from Longleat House and recovery by an art detective, reflecting its status as a coveted piece across centuries, owned by figures like Venetian merchants and European aristocrats, per Christie’s documentation.
- The record-breaking sale challenges the art market’s undervaluation of early Renaissance works, with data from Artprice.com indicating a 15% annual growth in high-value Old Master auctions since 2020, suggesting a resurgence in demand for such masterpieces.
RAPHAEL
Intro
Compare the Study for the Transfiguration by Raphael (ca 1520, sold by Sotheby's on December 5, 2012) with the Muse (ca 1508-1511, sold by Christie's on December 8, 2009).
Overview
Both works are highly finished black chalk drawings by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio, 1483–1520), representing rare "auxiliary cartoons"—life-size or near-life-size studies of heads created late in the artistic process to transfer directly to major commissions in the Vatican. These are among the finest examples of Raphael's draughtsmanship, showcasing his mastery of volume, light, and emotional expression through subtle chalk modeling. They achieved record-breaking prices at auction, reflecting their exceptional quality and rarity (only a handful of comparable Raphael head studies have appeared on the market in modern times).
Key Details
Common Title
Apostle : Head of a Young Apostle
Muse : Head of a Muse
Date
Apostle : ca. 1519–1520
Muse : ca. 1508–1511
Related Work
Apostle : Final painting: Transfiguration (Vatican Museums; Raphael's unfinished last masterpiece, combining the Transfiguration of Christ with the healing of a possessed boy)
Muse : Fresco: Parnassus (Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican; depicting Apollo and the Muses on Mount Parnassus)
Subject
Apostle : Head of a bearded young apostle (figure at far left in lower group of the painting, gazing upward in awe)
Muse : Head of a female Muse (third Muse to the right of Apollo in the fresco, idealized classical beauty)
Medium & Technique
Apostle : Black chalk; highly finished with subtle shading for dramatic light effects and emotional intensity
Muse : Black chalk over pounce marks (pricked dots for transfer) and traces of stylus; finely modeled face with softer, more ethereal rendering
Size (approx.)
Apostle : 38 × 28 cm (life-size auxiliary cartoon)
Muse : 31 × 22 cm
Provenance Highlight
Apostle : From the Devonshire Collection at Chatsworth (acquired ca. 1720s)
Muse : Passed through collections including Sir Thomas Lawrence and King William II of Holland
Auction Price
Apostle : £29.7 million (approx. $47.8 million)
Muse : £29.2 million (approx. $47.9 million)
Significance
Apostle : Captures late Raphael's innovative, proto-Baroque drama and psychological depth; one of six surviving auxiliary cartoons for the Transfiguration
Muse : Represents high Renaissance ideal beauty and harmony; direct study for Vatican Stanze frescoes executed alongside Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling
Stylistic and Artistic Comparison
Overview
Both works are highly finished black chalk drawings by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio, 1483–1520), representing rare "auxiliary cartoons"—life-size or near-life-size studies of heads created late in the artistic process to transfer directly to major commissions in the Vatican. These are among the finest examples of Raphael's draughtsmanship, showcasing his mastery of volume, light, and emotional expression through subtle chalk modeling. They achieved record-breaking prices at auction, reflecting their exceptional quality and rarity (only a handful of comparable Raphael head studies have appeared on the market in modern times).
Key Details
Common Title
Apostle : Head of a Young Apostle
Muse : Head of a Muse
Date
Apostle : ca. 1519–1520
Muse : ca. 1508–1511
Related Work
Apostle : Final painting: Transfiguration (Vatican Museums; Raphael's unfinished last masterpiece, combining the Transfiguration of Christ with the healing of a possessed boy)
Muse : Fresco: Parnassus (Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican; depicting Apollo and the Muses on Mount Parnassus)
Subject
Apostle : Head of a bearded young apostle (figure at far left in lower group of the painting, gazing upward in awe)
Muse : Head of a female Muse (third Muse to the right of Apollo in the fresco, idealized classical beauty)
Medium & Technique
Apostle : Black chalk; highly finished with subtle shading for dramatic light effects and emotional intensity
Muse : Black chalk over pounce marks (pricked dots for transfer) and traces of stylus; finely modeled face with softer, more ethereal rendering
Size (approx.)
Apostle : 38 × 28 cm (life-size auxiliary cartoon)
Muse : 31 × 22 cm
Provenance Highlight
Apostle : From the Devonshire Collection at Chatsworth (acquired ca. 1720s)
Muse : Passed through collections including Sir Thomas Lawrence and King William II of Holland
Auction Price
Apostle : £29.7 million (approx. $47.8 million)
Muse : £29.2 million (approx. $47.9 million)
Significance
Apostle : Captures late Raphael's innovative, proto-Baroque drama and psychological depth; one of six surviving auxiliary cartoons for the Transfiguration
Muse : Represents high Renaissance ideal beauty and harmony; direct study for Vatican Stanze frescoes executed alongside Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling
Stylistic and Artistic Comparison
- Period in Raphael's Career: The Muse belongs to Raphael's early Roman phase (high Renaissance peak, influenced by classical antiquity and contemporaries like Michelangelo), emphasizing balanced composition, serene idealism, and graceful forms. The Apostle reflects his mature late style—more dynamic, emotionally charged, and anticipatory of Baroque intensity, with stronger chiaroscuro (light-dark contrast) to convey divine revelation and human awe.
- Expression and Mood: The Muse is contemplative and idealized, with soft, luminous features evoking poetic inspiration and classical poise. The Apostle is intense and upward-gazing, conveying wonder and spiritual ecstasy amid the dramatic narrative of the Transfiguration.
- Technical Mastery: Both demonstrate Raphael's unparalleled use of black chalk for nuanced tonal gradients and sculptural volume. The Muse shows finer, more delicate finishing on the face contrasting with sketchier areas; the Apostle employs bolder modeling for dramatic lighting, highlighting his evolving exploration of light and emotion.
- Function: Both are preparatory "auxiliary cartoons" for precise transfer (via pouncing or tracing) to the final work, allowing Raphael to perfect key facial details independently.
1
1508-1511 Muse
2009 SOLD for £ 29M by Christie's
Works by Raffaello were the subject of preparatory drawings very sharp, detailed and contrasted, at the exact size he wanted for the final paintng.
A black chalk drawing 30.5 x 22.2 cm was sold for £ 29M from a lower estimate of £ 12M by Christie's on December 8, 2009.
This pretty young woman head with flying hair in full frame is a preparation for a character of a Muse. It still have the perforations made by the artist to project the outline through the paper on the frescoes of the Vatican, executed between 1508 and 1511.
A black chalk drawing 30.5 x 22.2 cm was sold for £ 29M from a lower estimate of £ 12M by Christie's on December 8, 2009.
This pretty young woman head with flying hair in full frame is a preparation for a character of a Muse. It still have the perforations made by the artist to project the outline through the paper on the frescoes of the Vatican, executed between 1508 and 1511.
#Raphael was #BornOnThisDay in 1483. In 2009, we offered an auxiliary sketch by #Raphael. The drawing, one of the best of Raphael’s surviving sketches set a #WorldAuctionRecord for a work on paper at £29,161,250 https://t.co/GDloR0vDil pic.twitter.com/pfYMt2hbGe
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) April 6, 2019
2
1519-1520 Study for the Transfiguration
2012 SOLD for £ 29.7M by Sotheby's
On December 5, 2012, Sotheby's sold for £ 29.7M from a lower estimate of £ 10M a drawing by Raphael in black chalk, 38 x 28 cm, from the collection of the Dukes of Devonshire. Please watch the videos shared by the auction house.
This head of an apostle in meditation was made during the preparation of the Transfiguration, that huge oil on canvas, 405 x 278 cm, unfinished at the untimely death of the artist.
Completed by his studio, this monumental painting marks a turning point in Western art. The composition in two registers is bold. Above, Christ enters the light. The bright representation of the event is an iconographic challenge which anticipates Rembrandt.
Down on Earth, the apostles are attending a miracle by Christ, each one reacting in his own way. The care taken in the empathy between these men is announcing Mannerism and Baroque art.
The drawing for sale is not final and has not been pierced. This is a beautiful portrait of expression, with very nice thin line.
This head of an apostle in meditation was made during the preparation of the Transfiguration, that huge oil on canvas, 405 x 278 cm, unfinished at the untimely death of the artist.
Completed by his studio, this monumental painting marks a turning point in Western art. The composition in two registers is bold. Above, Christ enters the light. The bright representation of the event is an iconographic challenge which anticipates Rembrandt.
Down on Earth, the apostles are attending a miracle by Christ, each one reacting in his own way. The care taken in the empathy between these men is announcing Mannerism and Baroque art.
The drawing for sale is not final and has not been pierced. This is a beautiful portrait of expression, with very nice thin line.
3
1518 Lorenzo II de' Medici
2007 SOLD for £ 18.5M by Christie's
Since 1513 the head of the Medici family has become pope under the name of Leo X. Like most popes of this period, he keenly supports his family. After the death of his brother Giuliano in 1516, the hopes of the Medici to preserve the dynasty are transferred to their 24-year-old nephew Lorenzo II. The young prince is named Duke of Urbino, with the constraint of having to take over that duchy from the Della Rovere family.
Lorenzo must therefore be married. The pope promotes a French alliance and the choice falls on Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne, a cousin of King François I, in 1517. This marriage was political and the future newlyweds had obviously never met. Portraits will be exchanged during the preparation of this union.
The portrait of Lorenzo was entrusted at the beginning of 1518 to Raphael, a native of Urbino. The matter is urgent. The artist chooses the oil on canvas, which allows a faster execution than the wooden panel. The prince is seen in three quarter length, slightly turned to his right, the gaze directed towards the spectator. He is sumptuously dressed in brocade, velvet and fur. He holds in his hand a gold box supposedly decorated with a miniature portrait of his future wife.
This commission is of great political importance and there is no doubt that this painting is autograph by Raphael. The portrait of Lorenzo reached Paris in March in a convoy of gifts carried by 36 horses. The reciprocal portrait of Madeleine had arrived in Florence in the previous month. The marriage is celebrated on May 2 at the Château d'Amboise.
The original autograph painting, 97 x 78 cm, authenticated by modifications revealed by infrared photography, was sold for £ 18.5M by Christie's on July 5, 2007, lot 91. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The glory of this prince was overrated. He had not won the war against the Della Rovere. He died in 1519 of syphilis, possibly contracted during his wedding trip. Madeleine had died a few days before him, two weeks after the birth of their only daughter who will become the French queen Catherine de Médicis.
Lorenzo must therefore be married. The pope promotes a French alliance and the choice falls on Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne, a cousin of King François I, in 1517. This marriage was political and the future newlyweds had obviously never met. Portraits will be exchanged during the preparation of this union.
The portrait of Lorenzo was entrusted at the beginning of 1518 to Raphael, a native of Urbino. The matter is urgent. The artist chooses the oil on canvas, which allows a faster execution than the wooden panel. The prince is seen in three quarter length, slightly turned to his right, the gaze directed towards the spectator. He is sumptuously dressed in brocade, velvet and fur. He holds in his hand a gold box supposedly decorated with a miniature portrait of his future wife.
This commission is of great political importance and there is no doubt that this painting is autograph by Raphael. The portrait of Lorenzo reached Paris in March in a convoy of gifts carried by 36 horses. The reciprocal portrait of Madeleine had arrived in Florence in the previous month. The marriage is celebrated on May 2 at the Château d'Amboise.
The original autograph painting, 97 x 78 cm, authenticated by modifications revealed by infrared photography, was sold for £ 18.5M by Christie's on July 5, 2007, lot 91. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The glory of this prince was overrated. He had not won the war against the Della Rovere. He died in 1519 of syphilis, possibly contracted during his wedding trip. Madeleine had died a few days before him, two weeks after the birth of their only daughter who will become the French queen Catherine de Médicis.
masterpiece
1514 Le Prêteur et sa Femme by Metsys
Louvre
Thought by Grok :
Quote
Musée du Louvre @MuseeLouvre Jun 30
#UnJourUneOeuvre/#WorkOfTheDay Monnaie sonnante et trébuchante Dans « Le Prêteur et sa femme » de Quentin Metsys, l'argent occupe le centre de la scène : l'homme est absorbé par la pesée de pièces au moyen d'une petite balance appelée trébuchet. Il en vérifie le poids
Quote
Musée du Louvre @MuseeLouvre Jun 30
#UnJourUneOeuvre/#WorkOfTheDay Monnaie sonnante et trébuchante Dans « Le Prêteur et sa femme » de Quentin Metsys, l'argent occupe le centre de la scène : l'homme est absorbé par la pesée de pièces au moyen d'une petite balance appelée trébuchet. Il en vérifie le poids
- The Louvre's post spotlights Quentin Metsys' 1514 oil painting "Le Prêteur et sa femme," depicting a moneylender obsessively weighing coins on a trébuchet scale while his wife glances at a religious text, allegorizing the conflict between material greed and spiritual devotion.
- It traces the French idiom "espèces sonnantes et trébuchantes"—meaning hard cash—to 16th-century coin-testing methods: "sonnantes" from the clinking sound to check purity, and "trébuchantes" from the balance's tipping motion to verify weight.
- Painted in Antwerp amid its trade prosperity, the work uses symbolic details like a reflective mirror distorting the room to underscore vanity, drawing from Northern Renaissance traditions blending realism with moral critique, as confirmed by Louvre curatorial analyses
#UnJourUneOeuvre/#WorkOfTheDay
— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) June 30, 2025
□□ Monnaie sonnante et trébuchante❗️
Dans « Le Prêteur et sa femme » de Quentin Metsys, l'argent occupe le centre de la scène : l'homme est absorbé par la pesée de pièces au moyen d'une petite balance appelée trébuchet. Il en vérifie le poids… pic.twitter.com/jYAT4UIgWz
1514 Cristo della Minerva by Michelangelo
2000 SOLD for £ 8.1M by Christie's
The gradual revelation of the antique sculpture arouses the enthusiasm of patrons. Michelangelo becomes the great specialist in the male nude. On this theme, David, completed in 1504 when the artist was not yet 30 years old, was his masterpiece. This monumental statue is also a technical feat, made in a block of marble whose gigantic dimensions had discouraged his predecessors.
From 1505, Michelangelo is in Rome. His patron, with whom relations are often difficult, is Pope Julius II, who is reconstructing Saint Peter's Basilica around the project of his monumental tomb, the execution of which is entrusted to Michelangelo. It was also during this period that Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine chapel.
Julius II died in 1513. While waiting for instructions from his heirs to continue or not working on the funerary monument, Michelangelo accepted commitments from other clients.
In 1514 he receives an order for a life-size Redeemer Christ for adorning a funeral altar in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. This Christ will be standing, passionately holding the cross in a total nudity which will attest to his purity.
Michelangelo is very enthusiastic, understandably, for this project which is perfectly matching his fervent but somewhat risque conception of Christian piety. According to his usual practice, he begins to prepare drawings of high graphic accuracy to anticipate shapes and lights. Many of these sketches were destroyed by the artist himself because they disclosed too much information about his know-how.
A 24 x 21 cm double-sided preparatory drawing intermingling figures for the Cristo della Minerva has survived. The side commonly considered as the back is certainly the first. It includes a study of legs and feet. On the other side, the body serves as a support for a crosshatched study of the textures of the abdomen. This drawing was sold for £ 8.1M by Christie's on July 4, 2000, lot 83.
Two marble statues of this vigorous Christ were made. The first, autograph, was abandoned after the chiseling of the left cheek revealed a black vein in the marble. The second, damaged by clumsy apprentices, ended up being guaranteed as authentic by Michelangelo, not without reluctance. It was described as mirabilissima by Vasari. At the time of the Counter-Reformation, the Catholics will add the stigmata, as well as a bronze loincloth to hide the sexual organs.
From 1505, Michelangelo is in Rome. His patron, with whom relations are often difficult, is Pope Julius II, who is reconstructing Saint Peter's Basilica around the project of his monumental tomb, the execution of which is entrusted to Michelangelo. It was also during this period that Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine chapel.
Julius II died in 1513. While waiting for instructions from his heirs to continue or not working on the funerary monument, Michelangelo accepted commitments from other clients.
In 1514 he receives an order for a life-size Redeemer Christ for adorning a funeral altar in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. This Christ will be standing, passionately holding the cross in a total nudity which will attest to his purity.
Michelangelo is very enthusiastic, understandably, for this project which is perfectly matching his fervent but somewhat risque conception of Christian piety. According to his usual practice, he begins to prepare drawings of high graphic accuracy to anticipate shapes and lights. Many of these sketches were destroyed by the artist himself because they disclosed too much information about his know-how.
A 24 x 21 cm double-sided preparatory drawing intermingling figures for the Cristo della Minerva has survived. The side commonly considered as the back is certainly the first. It includes a study of legs and feet. On the other side, the body serves as a support for a crosshatched study of the textures of the abdomen. This drawing was sold for £ 8.1M by Christie's on July 4, 2000, lot 83.
Two marble statues of this vigorous Christ were made. The first, autograph, was abandoned after the chiseling of the left cheek revealed a black vein in the marble. The second, damaged by clumsy apprentices, ended up being guaranteed as authentic by Michelangelo, not without reluctance. It was described as mirabilissima by Vasari. At the time of the Counter-Reformation, the Catholics will add the stigmata, as well as a bronze loincloth to hide the sexual organs.
1515 Moon Spring by Tang Yin
2017 SOLD for RMB 92M by Poly
A native of Suzhou, Tang Yin was early talented for poetry. He also was a self taught painter.
Impeached in the imperial examination after a false accusation of bribing, he gave up an official career, traveled the mountains of Central China and Jiangnan and lived as a professional painter. Falling into debauchery, isolated and self taught, he was to become posthumously a sort of folk hero.
In terms of landscapes, his unrestrained style mingling influences from north and south is in the follow of the Southern Song masters.
Pine Cliff Villa in autumn, color on paper 32 x 124 cm handscroll with a 96 cm colophon, was executed in a very thick ink by Tang Yin in Zhengde Wuchen year matching 1508.
Two dwellings are viewed through the natural canopy of a pine tree. Details include jars, plants and bamboo poles. The scenery is animated by a bearded nobleman and two boys. The work was executed as a commission from the villa owner, nicknamed Songya.
It was sold for RMB 71M by Poly on June 3, 2013, lot 2381.
The Moon Spring scroll is a view in Jiangnan by Tang Yin. It is dated in the Yihai year of Zhengde matching 1515 CE through a poem in the colophon.
It is a scenery of lake, rocks and mountain, with cottages hidden in the bamboos. The bright and clean brush stroke expresses the quietness of the morning mist. The tiny figure of a noble man is looking at the lake.
This 31 cm wide ink on paper handscroll made of a 113 cm painting and a 135 cm postscript was sold for RMB 92M by Poly on December 17, 2017, lot 3539.
Impeached in the imperial examination after a false accusation of bribing, he gave up an official career, traveled the mountains of Central China and Jiangnan and lived as a professional painter. Falling into debauchery, isolated and self taught, he was to become posthumously a sort of folk hero.
In terms of landscapes, his unrestrained style mingling influences from north and south is in the follow of the Southern Song masters.
Pine Cliff Villa in autumn, color on paper 32 x 124 cm handscroll with a 96 cm colophon, was executed in a very thick ink by Tang Yin in Zhengde Wuchen year matching 1508.
Two dwellings are viewed through the natural canopy of a pine tree. Details include jars, plants and bamboo poles. The scenery is animated by a bearded nobleman and two boys. The work was executed as a commission from the villa owner, nicknamed Songya.
It was sold for RMB 71M by Poly on June 3, 2013, lot 2381.
The Moon Spring scroll is a view in Jiangnan by Tang Yin. It is dated in the Yihai year of Zhengde matching 1515 CE through a poem in the colophon.
It is a scenery of lake, rocks and mountain, with cottages hidden in the bamboos. The bright and clean brush stroke expresses the quietness of the morning mist. The tiny figure of a noble man is looking at the lake.
This 31 cm wide ink on paper handscroll made of a 113 cm painting and a 135 cm postscript was sold for RMB 92M by Poly on December 17, 2017, lot 3539.
