An ultra-rare portrait through the famed Italian painter Sandro Botticelli might fetch $80 million or even more when it comes in place for sale made at Sotheby’s on Thursday, by You.

The auction signifies the first major test of the art industry this season, in addition to the willingness of worldwide collectors to pay eight or perhaps nine figures for trophy works during the health crisis and market volatility. When it does nicely, it may possibly help increase the reputation as well as prices for Old Master paintings within a time when most of lots of money in the art world is actually chasing newer, flashier works as a result of contemporary and post-war artists.

“There is an involved worldwide audience as well as interest in this particular painting,” mentioned Charles Stewart, CEO of Sotheby’s.

The Botticelli painting, called “Young Man Holding a Roundel,” is thought to enjoy been painted around 1480. It’s one of more or less a dozen portraits attributed to Botticelli and one particular of only a handful in private hands.

The seller is actually reported to end up being the estate of the late property billionaire Sheldon Solow, who acquired the portion inside 1982 for $1.2 million.

To market the job during the pandemic, Sotheby’s viewable the painting all over the world to collectors as well as potential bidders.

“The young male of the painting has done more traveling during Covid than probably anyone we know,” Stewart believed.

Botticelli is most famous for “Birth of Venus,” that portrays the Roman goddess emerging from a seashell. The previous record for the work of his was the 2013 marketing of Child as well as “madonna with Young Saint John the Baptist” for $10.4 million.

The work is going to be a portion of Sotheby’s “Master Paintings & Sculpture” sale on Thursday.