Salvator Mundi (Leonardo)

Salvator Mundi
Salvator Mundi
Artist	Leonardo da Vinci (alone) or Leonardo with workshop participation
Year	c. 1499–1510
Type	Oil on walnut panel
Dimensions	45.7 cm × 65.7 cm (25.8 in × 19.2 in)
Owner	Acquired by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism for the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Currently owned by Mohammad bin Salman.

Salvator Mundi (Latin for 'Savior of the World') is a painting attributed in whole or part to the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, dated c. 1499–1510. Long thought to be a copy of a lost original veiled with overpainting, it was rediscovered, restored, and included in an exhibition of Leonardo's work at the National Gallery, London, in 2011–2012.^[2] Christie's, which sold the work in 2017, stated that most leading scholars consider it an original work by Leonardo, but this attribution has been disputed by other leading specialists, some of whom propose that he only contributed certain elements; others believe that the extensive restoration prevents a definitive attribution.

The painting depicts Jesus Christ in anachronistic blue Renaissance attire, making a gesture of blessing with his right hand, while holding a transparent, non-refracting crystal orb in his left, signalling his role as Salvator Mundi and representing the 'celestial sphere' of the heavens. Approximately thirty copies and variations of the work by pupils and followers of Leonardo have been identified; two are considered to have been produced during Leonardo's lifetime.^[3]^[4] Two preparatory chalk and ink drawings of the drapery by Leonardo are held in the British Royal Collection.^[5]^[6]

The painting was sold at auction for US$450.3 million on 15 November 2017 by Christie's in New York to Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, setting a new record for the most expensive painting ever sold at public auction. Although Prince Badr allegedly made the purchase on behalf of Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism,^[7]^[8] shortly afterwards it was reported that he was a stand-in bidder for his close ally, the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.^[9] The painting has not been publicly exhibited since the 2017 Christie's auction, and since late 2020 has been in storage in Saudi Arabia reportedly awaiting a museum and cultural center to be completed in Al-'Ula.^[10]^[11]

Cite error: There are <ref group=n> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=n}} template (see the help page).

^ Kazakina, Katya (11 June 2019). "Da Vinci's $450 Million Masterpiece Is Kept on Saudi Prince's Yacht: Artnet". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
^ Syson et al. 2011, p. 302.
^ Dalivalle et al. 2019, p. 125.
^ Zöllner, Frank (2022). "Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi as a Touchstone of Art-Historical Methodology". Kunsttexte.de - Journal für Kunst- und Bildgeschichte (1): 1–7. doi:10.48633/ksttx.2022.1.88237. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
^ "The drapery of a chest and sleeve c.1504–8". Royal Collection Trust. RCIN 912525. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
^ "The drapery of a sleeve c.1504–8". Royal Collection Trust. RCIN 912524. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
^ Yara Bayoumy (8 December 2017). "Abu Dhabi to acquire Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi': Christie's". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
^ "Bought a $450M painting? In NY, don't worry about the tax". TheNewsTribune.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
^ Cite error: The named reference WSJ_Salman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Inspector Brushstroke was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference reportedly building gallery was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Kazakina, Katya (11 June 2019). "Da Vinci's $450 Million Masterpiece Is Kept on Saudi Prince's Yacht: Artnet". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.

[FOOTNOTESysonKeithGalansinoMazzotta2011302-3] Syson et al. 2011, p. 302.

[FOOTNOTEDalivalleKempSimon2019125-4] Dalivalle et al. 2019, p. 125.

[5] Zöllner, Frank (2022). "Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi as a Touchstone of Art-Historical Methodology". Kunsttexte.de - Journal für Kunst- und Bildgeschichte (1): 1–7. doi:10.48633/ksttx.2022.1.88237. Retrieved 14 November 2024.

[RCIN_912525-6] "The drapery of a chest and sleeve c.1504–8". Royal Collection Trust. RCIN 912525. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.

[RCIN_912524-7] "The drapery of a sleeve c.1504–8". Royal Collection Trust. RCIN 912524. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.

[reuters-8] Yara Bayoumy (8 December 2017). "Abu Dhabi to acquire Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi': Christie's". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2017.

[9] "Bought a $450M painting? In NY, don't worry about the tax". TheNewsTribune.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.

[WSJ_Salman-10] Cite error: The named reference WSJ_Salman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Inspector_Brushstroke-11] Cite error: The named reference Inspector Brushstroke was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[reportedly_building_gallery-12] Cite error: The named reference reportedly building gallery was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[n 1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]