Rare Botticelli auction excites the art market

A rare portrait by Botticelli is to be put up for auction in New York. And the price could shatter the Old Master's previous record, says Chris Carter

Sandro Botticelli’s Young Man Holding a Roundel
Botticelli’s Young Man Holding a Roundel could prove popular with modern collectors
(Image credit: © Sotheby’s)

Sandro Botticelli’s Young Man Holding a Roundel has gone on show at Sotheby’s in London. There the Renaissance masterpiece will remain before being shipped off for auction in New York next month. “Rare, megawatt treasures rarely come up for auction in times of turmoil – and rare, megawatt Old Master treasures rarely come up for auction at all,” says Eileen Kinsella on Artnet News. “But Sotheby’s is bucking both of these trends.”

The 15th-century painting of the young Florentine nobleman, possibly a Medici, is billed as “one of the most significant portraits of any period” by Sotheby’s. “High praise or not, the painting is set to shatter the previous auction record for Botticelli, recalibrating the market for him – and perhaps other Old Masters as well,” says Kinsella. It is expected to fetch around $80m.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.