Botticelli’s Coveted ‘Man of Sorrows’ Could Go For Nearly $40 Million At Auction
Image via Sotheby’s
Last year, a Sandro Botticelli painting sold for a record-breaking US$92 million at Sotheby’s. Now, another work by the 15th-century artist is going under the hammer the auction house’s Old Masters evening sale in New York City.
The painting, named Man Of Sorrows, is expected to fetch a staggering US$40 million, though a bidding war could see the number climb. It depicts Jesus Christ with a crown of thrones, with flying angels forming a floating halo.
According to Robb Report, towards the end of Botticelli’s life, he became more religious, with most of his works from that era portraying religious figures.
Christopher Apostle, Head of Sotheby’s Old Master Paintings Department in New York, said that there are only three known paintings by Botticelli from this period. This makes Man Of Sorrows, a “realistic portrayal of Christ symbolizing his suffering and death,” an even more coveted piece of history.
“During the final decade of his life, Botticelli’s output was markedly different from his earlier career, which is often characterized as the epitome of Renaissance ideals of humanism and beauty,” Apostle explained.
Man Of Sorrows will go on display at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Los Angeles, London, and Dubai before it heads back for the auction in New York.
[via Robb Report, cover image via Sotheby’s]
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