Sotheby's presents Botticelli's painting, valued at $40 million
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Sotheby's has shown the rare "Man of Sorrows" by Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli to the public at the Dubai International Financial Center, and it will be shown on Tuesday, December 14 as well, before it is moved to New York for auction next month at a price expected to exceed $ 40 million. American.
The Cultural Adviser to His Highness, President of the United Arab Emirates, and Supreme President of the UAE University, Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, said: "It is a great event in the art world that Sotheby's unveils this unique work of art. This painting is considered one of the last works of art by this Italian artist that It is still in private holdings, valued at more than $40 million, and the painting was unveiled in Dubai before it was transferred to New York, to be displayed there as part of the annual series of the House’s Great Business Sales Week, which will be organized next January 2022. Nusseibeh added: "This will be Botticelli's second work to be shown by Sotheby's in the Dubai International Financial Center, since it revealed the "The Young Man With a Medal" painting, which sold for a record $92.2 million after it was auctioned in New York in January 2021." . His Excellency concluded his speech by saying:This event reflects the unique position enjoyed by the United Arab Emirates as a global destination for the arts, in conjunction with its celebration of the golden jubilee of its union. With major museums, an active and vibrant art scene, its tireless endeavors to be a destination for art collectors, and the Expo 2020 Dubai being held with the participation of 194 countries from around the world, Sotheby’s has made the right decision to reveal to the world its masterpieces in the history of art from the United Arab Emirates ".
It's worth noting that Sotheby's has been committed for years to bringing the best of it all around the world to the region.
It is reported that the number of buyers with displays in the Middle East for paintings by old artists has increased threefold, and the number of bidders has increased fivefold over the past five years.
Looking at the years 2020 and 2021, the number of participants from the Middle East in auctions of paintings by ancient artists increased by 40% annually.
Returning to the details of the painting, "The Man of Sorrows" was painted in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and is one of the last great masterpieces kept in the private collections of the famous Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli.
This painting is characterized by its realistic depiction of Jesus and the clear reference to his suffering and death.
It also highlights the artist's deep spiritual side, which has greatly influenced his work and life in the recent period.
The painting will be auctioned off after Sotheby's auctioned Botticelli's record-breaking "Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Round Picture" in January 2021, which sold for US$92.2 million, making it one of the most valuable paintings ever sold in any era.
Despite the historic auction hosted by the House earlier this year, Botticelli's works are still very rare at auctions, and his last works in particular rarely appear on the market, with only three other paintings from the same period (after 1492). which are known to be owned by private groups.
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