Michelangelo's 5-Inch Drawing of a Foot Sells for $27.2M at Auction, Setting New Record

People ^ | February 6, 2026 | Abigail Adams

[SunkenCiv]

A newly rediscovered drawing of a foot created by Michelangelo has just been auctioned off, fetching an eight-figure price tag and setting a record.

The five-inch chalk drawing of the Libyan Sibyl's foot sold for $27.2 million on Thursday, Feb. 5, according to world-famous auction house Christie's.

The subject of the drawing, which shows a foot with its heel off the ground, appears on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, which was painted from 1508 to 1512, the auction house said.

This drawing now sets the record for the most spent at auction for a piece of Michelangelo artwork, topping the $24.3 million spent in 2022 for a drawing of a nude man, which Christie's also sold, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Christie's said this is the only Michelangelo drawing connected to the Sistine Chapel ceiling to come to auction that was previously "in private hands."

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: abigailadams; christies; giadadamen; godsgravesglyphs; libyansibyl; michelangelo; podiatry; renaissance; sistinechapel

[SunkenCiv]

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Caprese 1475-1564 Rome) | Study for a foot of the Libyan Sibyl (recto); Study of a leg with knee bent (verso) | Giada Damen, Ph.D. | AVP, Specialist, Head of Sale | Price realised USD 27,200,000 | Estimate USD 1,500,000 – USD 2,000,000

Christie's

[SunkenCiv]

• libyan sibyl [Brave search]

[SunkenCiv]

from the FRchives:

• Michelangelo's 'first ever' work of art discovered which was drawn when he was a young boy [05/20/2019]
• Jesuits at Oxford find painting believed to be by Michelangelo [07/29/2011]
• A 'Mike' found in Buffalo? (Michelangelo painting) [10/11/2010]
• A High-Tech Hunt for Lost Art [10/06/2009]
• By the Hand of a Very Young Master? (Michelangelo in the U.S.) [05/13/2009]
• Vatican: Michelangelo sketch found [12/06/2007]
• Possible Michelangelo Self-Portrait Found [03/27/2005]
• Rare Michelangelo Drawing Found [07/09/2002]

[Hot Tabasco]

Looks like it’s suffering from hallux rigidus

[BenLurkin]

She’s as Beautiful as a Foot

[Magnum44]

[dfwgator]

[albie]

Look like Hillary’s foot. Big.

[ClearCase_guy]

Quentin Tarantino just throwing money around, eh?

[faithhopecharity]

save a million dollars!
buy my drawing

[DesertRhino]

Honestly, they bought it for the name... that isn’t his best work.

[Ezekiel]

a foot created by Michelangelo

Proof that he was definitely a polypath, a real Rennaipods Man.

[Ezekiel]

Really should have been a Runnapods Man.

[Reily]

Polymath but wait there’s more maybe he was a polymorph?

[mairdie]

Many thanks for the ping. Lovely. Feet and hands are hard!

[Ezekiel]

Well, better than a polydwarf like the model with the 5” feet.

[PLMerite]

Twenty-seven million dollars for a 5-inch foot. Inflation is getting worse.

[alternatives?]

This is a sad commentary on the perceived long term value of the dollar.

[Dr. Sivana]

Twenty-seven million dollars for a 5-inch foot. Inflation is getting worse.

Yes, but it would still do better at qb for the Browns than DeShawn Watson did, and for a lot less money.

[Steely Tom]

You spent $28 million dollars on a foot. Is that right? Do I got that right?