Pequeno desenho atribuído a Michelangelo será leiloado em NY

A drawing (top) attributed to Italys Renaissance genius Michelangelo is displayed with a letter written by Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, at Christie?s in New York on January 25, 2024. A simple square scribbled on a small piece of yellowed paper, but in the hand of Renaissance genius Michelangelo, according to Christies, will be auctioned in April in New York for an estimated value of under $10,000. In the letter, Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, indicates that he is offering "the enclosed essay" by his "illustrious grandfather Michelangelo" to one of his friends, the Sir John Bowring, Britains future governor of Hong Kong, whose signature appears at the bottom. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) Caption - (crédito: ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

É um simples quadrado desenhado em um pedaço de papel amarelado, mas veio da mão de Michelangelo, segundo a casa de leilões Christie's, que vai leiloá-lo em abril em Nova York por um valor estimado em cerca de US$ 10 mil (cerca de R$ 49 mil na cotação atual).

Os especialistas da casa estavam examinando um desenho de outro escultor e pintor renascentista para se preparar para o leilão de uma coleção, quando anunciaram terem descoberto um "desenho e carta" manuscritos, disse o chefe internacional do departamento de desenhos de mestre da Christie's, Stijn Alsteens.

A drawing attributed to Italys Renaissance genius Michelangelo is displayed at Christie?s in New York on January 25, 2024. A simple square scribbled on a small piece of yellowed paper, but in the hand of Renaissance genius Michelangelo, according to Christies, will be auctioned in April in New York for an estimated value of under $10,000. In the letter, Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, indicates that he is offering "the enclosed essay" by his "illustrious grandfather Michelangelo" to one of his friends, the Sir John Bowring, Britains future governor of Hong Kong, whose signature appears at the bottom. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) Caption ANGELA WEISS / AFP
A drawing (top) attributed to Italys Renaissance genius Michelangelo is displayed with a letter written by Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, at Christie?s in New York on January 25, 2024. A simple square scribbled on a small piece of yellowed paper, but in the hand of Renaissance genius Michelangelo, according to Christies, will be auctioned in April in New York for an estimated value of under $10,000. In the letter, Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, indicates that he is offering "the enclosed essay" by his "illustrious grandfather Michelangelo" to one of his friends, the Sir John Bowring, Britains future governor of Hong Kong, whose signature appears at the bottom. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) Caption ANGELA WEISS / AFP
A drawing (top) attributed to Italys Renaissance genius Michelangelo is displayed with a letter written by Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, at Christie?s in New York on January 25, 2024. A simple square scribbled on a small piece of yellowed paper, but in the hand of Renaissance genius Michelangelo, according to Christies, will be auctioned in April in New York for an estimated value of under $10,000. In the letter, Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, indicates that he is offering "the enclosed essay" by his "illustrious grandfather Michelangelo" to one of his friends, the Sir John Bowring, Britains future governor of Hong Kong, whose signature appears at the bottom. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) Caption ANGELA WEISS / AFP

A drawing (top) attributed to Italys Renaissance genius Michelangelo is displayed with a letter written by Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, at Christie?s in New York on January 25, 2024. A simple square scribbled on a small piece of yellowed paper, but in the hand of Renaissance genius Michelangelo, according to Christies, will be auctioned in April in New York for an estimated value of under $10,000. In the letter, Cosimo Buonarroti, Michelangelos last direct descendant, indicates that he is offering "the enclosed essay" by his "illustrious grandfather Michelangelo" to one of his friends, the Sir John Bowring, Britains future governor of Hong Kong, whose signature appears at the bottom. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) Caption ANGELA WEISS / AFP

Na caligrafia da época, Cosimo Buonarotti, último descendente direto de Michelangelo, diz na carta datada de 3 de novembro de 1836 que deu "o esboço anexo" de seu "ilustre antepassado Michelangelo" a seu amigo John Browning, futuro governador britânico de Hong Kong, cuja assinatura aparece no final da folha de papel.

A Christie's já vendeu os dois objetos em Londres em 1986, e o catálogo relatava a presença do simples desenho, "provavelmente da mão de Michelangelo", sem que isso tivesse despertado muito interesse.

Pintor, escultor e arquiteto, Michelangelo (1475-1564) é o autor do teto da Capela Sistina, no Vaticano. Michelangelo fez esses pequenos "diagramas" para indicar o tipo de bloco de mármore de que precisava para suas esculturas, observa Alsteens.

Embora não tenha a assinatura do artista, a Christie's garante que se trata de um "100% Michelangelo".

O desenho está exposto a partir desta sexta-feira na sede da casa de leilões em Nova York, como parte das vendas dedicadas aos antigos mestres. O evento começa na próxima semana.