Although the 2026 auction year is still at an early stage, it has already produced several notable results. Among them are two works on paper by artists who rank among the most influential figures in Western art history: Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) and Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564).
On February 4, Sotheby’s Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries opened with Young Lion Resting, a chalk drawing by Rembrandt executed around 1640 on brown laid paper, which quickly became the focus of the sale. The work was consigned by the American entrepreneur and philanthropist Thomas S. Kaplan and Daphne Recanati Kaplan, founders of the Leiden Collection in New York. Proceeds from the sale were intended to support Panthera, the wildlife conservation organisation the couple co-founded.
See also: Will a Rembrandt Drawing Break Auction Records?
Young Lion Resting was the first work by Rembrandt acquired by the Kaplans some 20 years ago and marked the starting point of their collection. The drawing is the only example of Rembrandt’s animal studies still in private ownership. It was offered with a pre-sale estimate of $15–20 million, far above the previous auction record for a Rembrandt work on paper, which stood at $3.7 million and was achieved at Christie’s in 2000. The estimate proved well judged. The hammer fell at $15 million, and with the buyer’s premium the final price reached $17.9 million, almost five times the previous record.
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While the Kaplans were long aware of the importance of their Rembrandt, a result achieved the following afternoon at Christie’s, during the Old Masters and British Drawings sale, proved far more surprising to its consignor. The drawing had been submitted to the auction house in March last year, where specialists quickly recognised its significance. Executed in red chalk, the sheet was identified as a work by Michelangelo Buonarroti, and more specifically as a study related to his frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.
See also: Michelangelo Study for the Sistine Chapel Resurfaces at Christie’s
Despite its importance, the estimate of $1.5–2 million was cautious. The opening bid of $1.3 million was quickly surpassed as bidding intensified. After a 45-minute contest, the hammer fell at $23.1 million to a telephone bidder. Including the buyer’s premium, the final price totalled $27.2 million. The result set a new auction record for a drawing by Michelangelo and represents the highest price ever paid at auction for a work by the artist.
With these early highlights, the auction year 2026 has begun on a strong note, and further major results are likely to follow.
