It helps to have a Michelangelo in the mix, but the Old Masters market is on fire!
While contemporary art often grabs the headlines, this year’s auction data tells a compelling story about renewed interest in Old Master works. Several standout sales at major auction houses have dramatically outperformed expectations, including:
• A Michelangelo study that realized over $27 million, exceeding its estimate by more than 1,400%.
• A work after Titian selling for more than 16 times its estimate.
• Paintings associated with Ambrosius Francken and followers of Hieronymus Bosch also achieved prices exceeding 12 times their pre-sale estimates.
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway isn’t simply that exceptional works are selling—it’s that copies, attributed works, and followers are also generating remarkable bidding activity. That signals growing confidence and demand across the broader Old Masters category, not just for trophy pieces.
Photo:
Michelangelo Buonarroti, “Study for the Right Foot of the Libyan Sibyl,” red chalk, c. 1510–11. Preparatory drawing for the Sistine Chapel ceiling, rediscovered in 2025 by Christie’s specialist Giada Damen and sold in February 2026 for $27.2 million — a new auction record for the artist.
Source: Christie’s / The Art Newspaper
