Christie’s is selling a bear head drawing by Leonardo da Vinci in London on July 8. The painting, titled Head of a bear, will first be displayed at New York and Hong Kong before being auctioned in London. The painting is expected to fetch a price of $11.14m to $16.71m.
The painting is a square of 7 centimeters drawn on a pink beige paper. Auction house Christie’s said it was “one of less than eight surviving drawings by Leonardo still in private hands outside of the British Royal Collection and the Devonshire Collections at Chatsworth”. The painting has previously gone on display at museums including the National Gallery in London, where it was shown in 2011 and 2012 as part of an exhibition on Leonardo.
“The work has been owned by some of the most distinguished collectors in the field of old,” said Ben Hall, old master paintings chairman at Christie’s New York, where the piece is on display.
“It has been admired around the world, while shown by prestigious museums, and Christie’s is honoured to bring this Leonardo to the market this season.”
The painting will set a record breaking the previous one from 2001 when Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Horse and Rider’ went for sale for $11m.
“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 da Vinci that can be expected to come on to the market,” said Stijn Alsteens, a Christie’s expert in Paris.
The drawing’s ownership can be traced to British painter Thomas Lawrence and upon his death in 1830, it was passed to his dealer Samuel Woodburn. He sold it to Christie’s in 1860 for 2.50 pounds ($3.50), according to the auction house. Its current owner has had it since 2008, Christie’s said.
“Head of a Bear” will go on display at Christie’s in New York on Saturday, then in Hong Kong later in the month before going on show in London in June.
