An early self-portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi has achieved a remarkable milestone, fetching $5.69 million at Christie's in New York. This sale significantly exceeded its projected estimate of $2.5 million to $3.5 million.
According to Artnet News, the previous auction record for a Gentileschi work stood at $5.25 million, established in 2019 for her painting Lucrèce in Paris. When adjusted for inflation, that figure would approximate $6.6 million, surpassing the latest sale by nearly $1 million.
The painting features Gentileschi portraying herself as Saint Catherine of Alexandria and is one of only five known self-portraits by the artist, with three housed in museums. Created when she was just 20 years old while residing in Florence, this piece symbolizes a pivotal moment in her career, as it was during this time that she began to carve out her own identity as a professional artist.
Previously on loan to Oslo's Nasjonalmuseet since 2022, Christie's has announced that the artwork will be featured in the upcoming exhibition titled "Artemisia Gentileschi: The Triumph of Painting," set to take place in February 2028 at the Nivaagaard Collection in Denmark.
This record-setting sale coincided with the announcement from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., regarding its acquisition of Gentileschi's Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy, further enhancing the museum's collection of Italian Baroque masterpieces.