2021年年末至2022年年初，苏富比将呈献两幅西洋古典大师桑德罗·波提切利(Sandro Botticelli)的作品。继日前介绍过艺术家一幅非常罕见的晚期纸本绘画《习作：坐着的圣约瑟夫， 头靠在右手上》后，本文带来一幅领衔2022年1月纽约西洋古典艺术周的重点拍品：印证波提切利艺术生涯晚期成就的珍罕杰作《忧患之子》估价逾4,000万美元由文艺复兴艺术大师桑德罗 · 波提切利（Sandro Botticelli）创作、当今世上其中一幅硕果仅存于私人收藏中的稀世巨作《忧患之子》，将于 2022年1月纽约苏富比年度西洋古典艺术周领衔登场，估价逾4,000万美元。这幅作品创作于十五世纪末至十六世纪初，是波提切利的晚年作品，当时他正受到狂热的道明会修士吉罗拉莫 · 萨佛纳罗拉（Girolamo Savonarola）的影响，因此本作以基督教的象征为主题，亦采用了不少宗教异象的元素。本作标志着波提切利为人熟悉的早期艺术生涯之尾声，亦为观众展示了一个人性化、富有现代色彩的基督，体现了艺术家独一无二的风格。桑德罗·波提切利（Sandro Botticelli）《忧患之子》估价逾4,000万美元这幅作品最与众不同之处，在于画中的基督是直视观者，而且祂头顶光晕里的天使手执「基督的武器」（instruments of the Passion），并以灰色单色画（grisaille）的手法诠释，营造出雕塑般的阴影效果。这些天使围绕着基督的头，正因着基督所受的苦而伤心，所以用不同姿势蒙着双眼。本作呈现了受难后的基督，让观众近距离观看衪的面孔与身躯；而衪有着钉痕的双手交叉于胸前，引领着观众思考衪的牺牲。波提切利笔下的基督以锐利的眼神正面直视观者，让人联想非宗教性的意象，并赋予它肖像画的独特性。波提切利为画作注入了非凡的心理深度，阐述了基督的人性与神性这两种特质。画像展示了基督上半身的三个伤口，包括双手上被钉在十字架上的钉痕，以及在衪身体右侧、被士兵以长矛刺破的伤口。而围绕在基督头上的小天使，都手执象征着基督受难与死亡的「基督的武器」（Arma Christi）——左边有代表着举起及放下十字架的木梯、羞辱基督的耻辱柱，以及刺穿基督肋旁的长矛。而右边则有基督被鞭打时抱住的鞭柱、拆开十字架上的钉的拨钉钳、在基督离世前让衪缓解口渴的醋胆——而波提切利以自然的色彩描绘这些元素，并一丝不苟地刻画出每个细节。在这个天使冠冕的顶端、基督面孔的正上方是一个十字架，不但象征着衪的牺牲，同时亦是基督教的标志。圣巾（Sudarium）——即圣韦罗妮卡（St. Veronica）在基督背负十架前往髑髅地的苦路上献给基督擦汗的手巾——如丝带般优雅地萦绕在十字架之上并连系着三位天使：中间的天使跪于十字架前以示尊敬，并隔着下垂的圣巾扶住十字架，左边的天使举起了钉于基督双手双脚上的三口钉，而右侧的天使则举起圣巾的尾端。波提切利拍卖纪录苏富比曾于2021年1月拍出另一幅珍贵的波提切利作品《手持圆形圣像的年轻男子》，当时画作以92,200,000美元破纪录成交，成为历来其中一幅最昂贵的肖像画，亦是拍卖史上其中一幅最珍贵的西洋古典油画，更是苏富比西洋古典油画拍卖会历来最高价作品。不论创作年代，波提切利的作品于拍场上都非常罕见；艺术家的晚期作品更是尤其珍罕，绝少见于市场，现时只有另外三幅来自同等年代（1492年以后）的作品仍然属私人珍藏。桑德罗·波提切利《手持圆形圣像的年轻男子》成交价：92,200,000美元2021年1月 纽约苏富比

From the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2022, Sotheby's will present two works of Sandro Botticelli, a Western classical master. Following the recent introduction of a very rare late paper painting by the artist "exercise: sitting St. Joseph with his head on his right hand", this article brings a key auction leading the western classical art week in New York in January 2022: a rare masterpiece confirming the late achievements of Botticelli's artistic career, "the son of distress", valued at more than $40 million, created by Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli One of the rare masterpieces in the world today, the son of suffering, which is only left in private collection, will take the lead in Sotheby's annual western classical art week in New York in January 2022, with a valuation of more than $40 million. This work was created from the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the 16th century. It is the work of Botticelli in his later years. At that time, he was under the influence of the fanatical Taoist friar Girolamo Savonarola. Therefore, this work takes the symbol of Christianity as the theme and adopts many elements of religious visions. This work marks the end of Botticelli's familiar early artistic career. It also shows the audience a humanized and modern Christ, reflecting the artist's unique style. Sandro Botticelli's son of distress, valued at more than $40 million, is most distinctive in that the Christ in the painting is directly looking at the viewer, and the angel in the halo above his head holds the "instruments of the passage", which is interpreted in gray monochrome to create a sculptural shadow effect. These angels surround the head of Christ and are sad about the suffering of Christ, so they cover their eyes in different positions. This work presents Christ after suffering, allowing the audience to watch his face and body closely; His hands with nail marks crossed his chest, leading the audience to think about his sacrifice. Botticelli's Christ looks directly at the viewer with sharp eyes, which reminds people of non religious images and endows it with the uniqueness of portrait painting. Botticelli injected extraordinary psychological depth into the painting and expounded the two characteristics of Christ's human nature and divinity. The portrait shows three wounds in the upper body of Christ, including the nail marks on his hands nailed to the cross and the wounds stabbed by soldiers with spears on the right side of his body. The little angels around Christ's head hold the "arms of Christ" (ARMA Christi), a symbol of Christ's suffering and death - on the left is a wooden ladder representing the lifting and lowering of the cross, a pillar of shame to humiliate Christ, and a spear piercing Christ's side. On the right, there are the whip column held by Christ when he was whipped, the nail plucking pliers to remove the nails on the cross, and the vinegar gall to relieve thirst before Christ died - and Botticelli depicts these elements in natural colors and meticulously depicts every detail. At the top of the angel crown and directly above the face of Christ is a cross, which not only symbolizes the sacrifice of God, but also a symbol of Christianity. The sudarium - the towel that St. Veronica offered to wipe the sweat of Christ on the bitter road to the skull - lingers gracefully on the cross like a ribbon and is connected with three Angels: the angel in the middle kneels in front of the cross to show respect and holds the cross through the hanging scarf, and the angel on the left raises the three mouth nails nailed to Christ's hands and feet, The angel on the right raises the end of the holy scarf. Botticelli auction record Sotheby's once auctioned another precious Botticelli work, young man holding a round holy image, in January 2021. At that time, the painting was sold at a record price of US $92200000, becoming one of the most expensive portraits in history, one of the most precious western classical oil paintings in auction history, and the highest price work in Sotheby's western classical oil painting auction. Regardless of the creation age, Botticelli's works are very rare in the shooting field; The late works of artists are particularly rare and rarely seen in the market. At present, only three other works from the same age (after 1492) are still private collections. Sandro Botticelli's "young man with a round icon" sold for $92200000 at Sotheby's in New York in January 2021