A 5-by-4-inch red chalk drawing of a woman's foot by Michelangelo sold for US$27.2 million on 5 February 2026, far above its estimate of $1.5-2 million. It is believed to be a study for the Libyan Sibyl on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which he painted from 1508 to 1512, and it came to light after its owner sent an unsolicited photo to Christie's. Only around 50 of his drawings for the ceiling survive. Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor and valued drawing and design as the root of all art, and he did not seek the Sistine commission, which came after Pope Julius II shelved his papal tomb project.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.