Michelangelo’s Recently Unearthed Chalk Sketch Priced at $2 Million Scheduled for Auction

Michelangelo’s preliminary drawing for the right foot of “The Libyan Sibyl” located on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, created around 1511–12, has been verified and will be auctioned by Christie’s in New York in February 2026. The artwork was unexpectedly found in an online auction entry, stands approximately 5 inches tall, and has been confirmed as an authentic piece by Michelangelo Buonarroti, famed for his numerous preparatory sketches produced while he worked on the Sistine Chapel from 1508 to 1512. This exceptional item, which has been passed down within a European family for generations, is projected to fetch between $1.5 million and $2 million.