A rare autographed manuscript by renowned physicist Albert Einstein explaining the development of his famous contributions to science -- theories of special relativity (1905) and general relativity (1915) -- fetched Rs 10.7 crore at the recently held Christie's '20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale'.
The auction was held at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on September 23.
The manuscript, first published in a special supplement to the New York Times on February 3, 1929, is written in German. Einstein had been commissioned to explain the development of his two most famous contributions to science: the theories of special relativity (1905) and general relativity (1915).
"The rare Einstein manuscript, which marked the Classic Art category's debut in mainland China, was met with great enthusiasm, proving that the collecting appetite here is strong and ever evolving. We look forward to reconnecting with collectors at our upcoming previews for the Autumn Auctions in Hong Kong, and at the China International Import Expo this November," said Rebecca Yang, chairman of Christie's China, in a statement.
The 14-page manuscript holds tremendous significance as it recounts the history behind the discovery of relativity, explains its working, and looks to the possibility of completing the cycle of relativity in a 'unified field theory'.
It includes two equations and a diagram illustrating the structure of the space-time continuum, along with two pages of scientific formulae.
Published 27 September 2023, 11:15 IST