Billionaire to Sell Rembrandt Drawing to Help Big Cats Conservation

A rare Rembrandt drawing could soon break auction records—and it’s all for a good cause. According to The Art Newspaper, billionaire art collector Thomas Kaplan plans to sell Young Lion Resting (1638–42) to raise funds for wildlife Conservation. The drawing, now on display at Amsterdam’s H’ART Museum, shows a lion calmly reclining, likely sketched from a live animal at a 17th-century fair.

Kaplan, who chairs the precious metals company Electrum Group, is no stranger to rare art. His collection includes 17 Rembrandt paintings and the only privately owned Vermeer. But Conservation is his biggest passion. “Wildlife conservation is the one passion I have which surpasses Rembrandt,” Kaplan told The Art Newspaper, adding he hopes the sale will draw more people to the cause.

Proceeds will go to Panthera, the New York-based Conservation group Kaplan founded. Panthera works to protect the world’s seven big cat species, from lions to snow leopards. The auction could fetch “multiples of tens” of millions, Kaplan hinted, making it one of the most valuable works on paper ever sold. For reference, Raphael’s Head of a Young Apostle holds the current record at $48 million.

It’s heartwarming to see someone use high art to help animals who need it most. If more collectors followed Kaplan’s lead, the art world could become a real force for good.

Supporting causes like Panthera can make a huge difference for endangered species. Let’s keep pushing for a kinder world by donating, supporting Conservation groups, or simply spreading the word about efforts that protect animals and the planet!

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