Salvator Mundi
The Leonardo-attributed painting of Christ that became the most expensive artwork ever sold.
Also known as: Saviour of the World
Salvator Mundi is a painting of Christ attributed to Leonardo da Vinci that sold for $450.3 million in 2017, the highest price ever paid for a painting.
What it is
Salvator Mundi (Latin for "Saviour of the World") is an oil-on-walnut painting of Christ raising his right hand in blessing and holding a crystal orb, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and dated to around 1500. It measures about 65.6 by 45.4 cm.
Long thought lost or a copy, the panel was bought in 2005 for a few thousand dollars, cleaned and restored, and controversially re-attributed to Leonardo before featuring in a 2011 National Gallery exhibition. On 15 November 2017 it sold at Christie's for $450.3 million, shattering the auction record. Its current location has not been publicly confirmed since the sale. Some art historians dispute how much of the surviving surface is Leonardo's own work versus that of his studio or later restorers, which is part of what makes the record price so contested.
Related entries
Related
Sources & further reading
- Salvator Mundi (Leonardo) — The Art Newspaper (article)