Sotheby’s to hold public display of rare Rembrandt drawing at Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah

 

Saudi Arabia's Diriyah to feature Sotheby’s display of rare masterpiece

Later this month, Sotheby’s will present what it calls the most significant Rembrandt drawing to hit the auction block in 50 years. Titled Young Lion Resting and estimated to fetch between $15–20 million, the piece is coming from The Leiden Collection, one of the world's premier private collections of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art.

The masterpiece will be on public display at Diriyah's Bujairi Terrace from January 24 to 25, where it will be featured alongside the full lineup of Origins II—Sotheby’s upcoming second auction in Saudi Arabia. The auction will take place at Sotheby’s New York on February 4, 2026. All proceeds from the sale of Young Lion Resting will benefit Panthera, a leading global organization dedicated to the conservation of wild cats. The artwork is being sold by The Leiden Collection in partnership with its co-owner, philanthropist Jon Ayers, chairman of Panthera's board.

 

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Founded in 2006 by the late wildlife biologist Dr. Alan Rabinowitz and Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan, Panthera is deeply involved in wildlife conservation efforts in the Middle East, including the reintroduction of the critically endangered Arabian leopard to AlUla, in collaboration with the Royal Commission for AlUla.

Young Lion Resting is one of only six known Rembrandt lion drawings, and it remains the only one still in private hands. Created when Rembrandt was in his early thirties, the drawing captures the lion’s raw energy and power with remarkable immediacy, suggesting it was likely drawn from life. While lions roamed northwest Arabia centuries ago, their presence is still visible today in AlUla’s ancient rock carvings and the Lion Tombs of Dadan.

For Dr. Kaplan, the drawing holds special significance, as it was his first Rembrandt acquisition. Between 2017 and 2024, Dr. Kaplan served as chairman of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage, an organization of which Saudi Arabia is a founding member.

 

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The exhibition in Diriyah will also feature the full range of works from Origins II, a 64-lot sale of modern and contemporary art. The auction will culminate in an open-air event on January 31 at 7:30 PM.

Source: Arab News