.gif)
A Raphael drawing which is a study for one of his most famous works is expected to sell for 16 million pounds (17.6 million euros, 26.3 million dollars) at auction, Christie's said Tuesday.
"Head Of A Muse" is a study for "Parnassus", one of four frescoes in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura by Raphael, seen as one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance, which was created between 1508 and 1511.
The drawing will be sold by the auction house in London on December 8. It is the first time the work, once owned by King William II of the Netherlands, has been on sale in over 150 years.
"This truly exceptional drawing offers us a glimpse into the working mind of a genius," said Benjamin Perronet, director and international head of old master and 19th century drawings at Christie's.
"It presents us with the immediacy of his thoughts and ideas, capturing the precise moment at which the artist's hand and mind were applied to paper."
