A rare drawing by Rembrandt arrives in Saudi Arabia as a sign of confidence in the market and a key piece of Sotheby’s global strategy.
Why is Rembrandt’s drawing stopping in Saudi Arabia?
A rare sheet by Rembrandt van Rijn, destined to become one of the most expensive works on paper ever sold at auction, will stop in Saudi Arabia before the sale in New York. The work, titled Young Lion Resting (circa 1638–43), will be exhibited in Diriyah next week, in a brief but strategic public presentation.
The drawing is executed in black chalk with white chalk highlights and gray ink on brown laid paper, and measures approximately 11.5 x 15 cm. Despite its small size, it has been classified by Sotheby’s as the most important Rembrandt drawing to come to market in the last fifty years.
What is the auction estimate and market context?
The work will go to auction on February 4 at Sotheby’s New York with an estimate between 15 and 20 million dollars, well beyond the current record of 3.7 million dollars for a drawing by the artist. This range, if confirmed in the room, would place the sheet among the most expensive works on paper ever auctioned.
The brief exhibition in Diriyah coincides with the strengthening of Sotheby’s presence in the kingdom. After the first Saudi auction organized last year, the house now uses a masterpiece of the Dutch school as a symbolic lever in the broader cultural and market ambitions of the region.
Who are the collectors behind the masterpiece?
The drawing comes from the collection of Thomas S. Kaplan and Daphne Recanati Kaplan, owners of the largest private collection of Rembrandt works in the world. The core includes 17 paintings by the master, just five fewer than the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, as well as an important set of works by other 17th-century Dutch masters.
Overall, the Kaplans hold about 220 works by Dutch painters in their Leiden Collection, named after Rembrandt’s hometown. Young Lion Resting represents their first purchase of the master, acquired through New York dealers John and Paul Herring in 2005, and thus carries personal significance in the history of the collection.
How does the Leiden Collection view finance and the democratization of art?
The Kaplans have distinguished themselves over the years for particularly innovative collecting choices and management ideas. Last September, Thomas S. Kaplan announced the intention to fraction the Leiden Collection into shares and take it public through a sort of IPO, with the declared goal of democratizing access to 17th-century Dutch masterpieces.
If realized, the operation would allow investors to own fractions of the collection, overcoming the traditional model of individual private ownership. In this sense, the Kaplans’ strategy contrasts with the more conservative approach of many large European museum collections.
Who benefits from the sale and what role does conservation play?
The lion drawing is co-owned by Jonathan Ayers, chairman of the board of Panthera, a New York-based organization dedicated to the conservation of big cats, co-founded by the Kaplans themselves. The entire proceeds from the sale are destined for this philanthropic entity.
In this way, a 17th-century sheet dedicated to a great predator becomes a concrete tool for the protection of today’s species. The story directly relates the art market, private wealth management, and wildlife conservation policies.
How is the work presented by Sotheby’s?
“Rembrandt had an unparalleled ability to reach the soul of his subject, human or natural, and this sensitivity is strongly felt in this extremely intimate study,” said Gregory Rubinstein, global head of Old Master drawings at Sotheby’s.
According to Rubinstein, the work offers a close look at how the artist observed and translated the animal world onto paper. The delicacy of the stroke, combined with the strength of the subject, helps explain the relevance of this sheet in relation to the Dutch painter’s graphic corpus.
What international itinerary has the drawing had?
Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, Young Lion Resting was presented in Paris, London, Abu Dhabi, and Hong Kong. This global tour has consolidated the attention of collectors and institutions, building a strong visibility context around the future New York sale.
The Saudi stop, scheduled at the Bujairi Terrace complex in Diriyah on January 24 and 25, comes at a “particularly significant moment,” as Rubinstein points out. Panthera indeed supports programs for the reintroduction of native leopards in grave danger of extinction in the AlUla area, in the Arabian desert, in the Medina province.
What is the connection with the Saudi territory and its cultural ambitions?
Rubinstein speaks of a “touching dialogue between art, place, and the enduring presence of big cats in the past and future of the region.” The temporary exhibition of the drawing in Diriyah intertwines European artistic heritage with the Saudi natural and symbolic landscape.
Moreover, the presence of a Rembrandt work in a contemporary context like Bujairi Terrace fits into the kingdom’s broader strategy to strengthen cultural infrastructure, tourism, and museum offerings, in line with the development plans announced in recent years.
What does the second Sotheby’s auction in Riyadh entail?
The presentation of the drawing will coincide with the opening of the preview exhibition for the second sale organized by Sotheby’s in the Saudi capital, titled “Origins II” and scheduled in Riyadh on January 31. The relationship between historical masterpieces and the contemporary market is thus brought to the forefront.
The sale, composed of 64 lots, includes prominent works by Pablo Picasso, Anish Kapoor, Andy Warhol, and significant works by Middle Eastern artists, including Safeya Binzagr. In comparison, the house’s first Saudi auction, “Origins,” held in February of last year, achieved a total of 17 million dollars.
How does this operation fit into Sotheby’s global positioning?
Overall, the decision to bring such a rare drawing to Diriyah before its New York sale shows the desire to integrate the Saudi market into the circuit of major international venues. The choice also highlights how works on paper can be used not only as investment assets but as diplomatic and cultural vectors.
At a time when new art capitals are emerging alongside New York, London, and Hong Kong, the itinerary of Young Lion Resting testifies to the growing role of the Gulf in the geography of global collecting.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
