A drawing of a bear’s head on a pink beige paper done by world famous artist Leonardo da Vinci is likely to fetch around $16 million at an auction by Christie’s in July this year.
The drawing measures 7 cm and is a silverpoint drawing. According to the auction house, it is one of less than 8 surviving drawings by Leonardo da Vinci which is in private hands outside of the British Royal Collection and the Devonshire Collections at Chatsworth.
It could beat the 2001 sale of a drawing by Vinci’s ‘Horse and Rider’ for more than 8 million pounds according to Christie’s.
“I have every reason to believe we will achieve a new record in July for ‘Head of a Bear’ one of the last drawings by Leonardo that can be expected to come into the market” said Stijn Alsteens, International Head of Department, Old Masters Group, Christie’s Paris.
The drawing’s ownership can be traced to British painter Thomas Lawrence and after his death in 1830, it passed on to his dealer Samuel Woodburn who sold it to Christie’s in 1860 for 2.50 pounds. The current owner has had it since 2008. It will be displayed in Christie”s in New York, then later in Hong Kong before going on show in London in June.
