Leonardo da Vinci versus Michelangelo
These days, for a specialty to be riding high on the art market, it needs to be intellectually accessible. That is why Impressionist painting is the champion of high hammer prices, way ahead of, say, ancient or primitive art. Still, there is one exception to this rule: drawings by the great masters of the Italian Renaissance. Their small, often hastily sketched figures are worth millions. And in this very small niche market, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo can both claim supremacy. In July 2000, Christie's New York sold a Michelangelo drawing for USD11.05 million (GBP7.4 million) setting a new record and confirming the rise in prices for this artist already observed in 1998 when Sotheby's sold his "Study for Christ. On July 11, 2001, Sotheby's had another Michelangelo drawing for sale. The format this time was relatively large and the condition good.
Thе powerfully rendered "Mourning Woman", a youthful drawing by Leonardo da Vinci in which we see a figure hidden by drapery, was estimated at GBP5 to 7 million and sold for GBP5.4 million. Works on paper by Leonardo da Vinci are a much rarer sight in auction rooms. Of course, the Italian master's famous scientific manuscript, the "Codex", was sold to Bill Gates in November 1994 for USD 30.8 million. But 1989 was the last time an important art work was put up for auction, when a drawing reached USD 5.3 million. Hence the anticipation surrounding the sale at Christie's London on July 10. On that day, Leonardo's modestly sized "Horse and Rider" (12x7.8cm) was sold for GBP7.4 million, well over twice the estimate. Rarity has a price. Giving Leonardo the edge on his fellow Tuscan.
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