Michelangelo’s Rare Note Sold for $200K – Christie’s Auction House

A one-word note by the Italian artist Michelangelo was sold at an auction in New York for $201,600, about 190,000 euros. That’s much more than the value that Christie’s auction house had previously assigned to it: between 6,000 and 8,000 dollars.

The note measuring 4 by 6 centimeters was probably an order from the artist to his marble supplier. A block is drawn on it with the Italian word ‘similar‘, or the like. Apparently Michelangelo was looking for the right piece of stone, perhaps for his work on the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

Although there is only one written word and a cursory sketch, Christie’s is sure of that the note actually comes from Michelangelo. This is evident from a closed letter from the artist’s descendants, which he sent in 1836 in memory of his “glorious ancestor” to the British John Browning, the later governor of Hong Kong.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) is considered one of the most important artists of the Renaissance as a painter, sculptor and architect. In addition to its world-famous ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, it is famous for sculptures such as the David and the A piece.

According to Christie’s, a fierce bidding war arose between interested parties for this loose piece of paper, perhaps fueled by the fact that only a handful of works by the Italian master are in private hands. The final buyer has not been announced.