#old-masters

#old-masters

"It's a bit of a head-scratcher, really," said one independent Old Masters advisor, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A signature view of Venice by Canaletto brought a strong price for the 18th century Italian master at Christie's on February 4, leading the Old Master week in New York. Hammering at $26 million, it sold for a total of $30.5 million including fees, just over its $30 million pre-sale estimate. Backed by a guarantee and irrevocable bid, it was sure to sell.

A rare red-chalk drawing by Michelangelo has sold for US $27.2 million at Christie's in New York, setting a new auction record for the Renaissance artist after around 45 minutes of intense bidding. The price far exceeded its estimate and surpassed Michelangelo's previous auction high of $24.3 million. Christie's identified the sheet as a previously unrecorded study connected to the Sistine Chapel ceiling—specifically, a preparatory drawing for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl, one of the monumental seated figures painted along the ceiling's edges.

My visit to the one-room exhibition Caravaggio's "Boy with a Basket of Fruit" in Focusat the Morgan Library & Museum suggests: Yes. The painting is modest in size - a little more than two feet (~61 cm) across - smaller, even, than some of the works that surround it. Its lighting isn't dramatically different from the others. And yet it has this immense gravitational force.

In many instances the importance of these paintings has only recently been recognised, thanks to the enormous amount of research my colleagues have done, working-in some instances for months, even years-with outside scholars to shed new light on their authorship and history. The galleries look stunning, filled with an array of beautiful paintings, each with a fascinating story to tell. They are already working their magic on art lovers from across the globe, and we hope everyone c