Drawn lots: Old Master drawings at auction

This week, Sotheby’s announced a Sandro Botticelli drawing as one of the star lots in its July evening sale of Old Masters and British Paintings. It’s the only drawing by the Italian Renaissance artist in private hands (in the collection of Barbara Piasecka Johnson), and the only one to appear on the market in a century.

Inherently fragile and often extremely rare, Old Master drawings don’t make it into public view very often – still less into public sales. Here are a few of the most significant works on paper to surface at auction in recent years. Click on any image to open the slideshow.