Michelangelo's newly discovered drawing linked to the Sistine Chapel fetched an astonishing price at auction.
Experts at Christie's confirmed that the sketch depicts the foot of the Libyan Sibyl, a figure Michelangelo later painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
As per multiple reports, the artwork remarkably sold for $23m (£16.9m) more than ten times its original estimate.
The work is believed to date back to around 1511–1512, when the artist was preparing the second phase of the iconic ceiling fresco.
Andrew Fletcher, head of Christie's Old Masters Department called finding the sketch "one of the most memorable moments" of his career.
The owner of the sketch only submitted a photo to Christie's to get a routine auction estimate.
Christie's expert Giada Damen examined the sketch by using infrared reflectography, which showed additional drawings on the back that looked like Michelangelo's style.
She then compared the sketch to a known Michelangelo drawing at the Metropolitan Museum and confirmed that it was an authentic work by the artist.
Reports suggested that the drawing was inherited from owner's grandmother and had stayed in the family in Europe since the late 18th century.
