The Masterpiece “Salvator Mundi” – once auctioned for over $450 million, the most expensive in the world – is currently missing.
On the morning of October 14, Professor Martin Kemp shared with The Times that he had been invited to Saudi Arabia to examine the masterpiece Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci, with the participation of security agencies. “There are reasons that make me hesitant, but if it helps bring Salvator Mundi to light, I am willing to do so,” he said. Martin Kemp is the author of Living with Leonardo and an honorary professor of Art History at the University of Oxford. He played a crucial role in confirming the painting’s attribution to Leonardo before it was auctioned.
This news has sparked hope for the return of Salvator Mundi. After the historic auction that made the painting the most expensive masterpiece in the world in 2017, the work mysteriously “disappeared.”
The painting “Salvator Mundi,” oil on walnut wood, dimensions 45.4×65.6 cm. Photo: Christie’s
According to Artnews, after purchasing the painting, Prince Bader of Saudi Arabia announced it would be displayed at the Abu Dhabi Museum. However, the painting did not appear. The museum did not provide an explanation. According to an investigation by The Times, the painting was taken to Zurich, Switzerland in the fall of 2018 for examination by an insurance company. However, this activity was canceled without explanation. In 2019, the Louvre Museum (Paris, France) planned to host an exhibition featuring the painting, but later announced an indefinite postponement. Staff there stated, “we cannot determine the current location of the famous painting.”
Later, Bloomberg reported that the painting was stored on the yacht of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman off the coast of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, until the cultural center being built in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, is inaugurated. Dianne Modestini – a professor of Fine Arts at New York University, who previously restored the painting – stated: “Hiding a masterpiece like this is unfair to art lovers worldwide.”
Salvator Mundi has been lost for centuries, passing through many hands. According to Artnews, the painting was created between 1506 and 1513 under the patronage of King Louis XII of France. In the 17th century, the work was part of the collection of King Charles I of England, displayed in the private room of his wife – Queen Henrietta Maria. Later, the painting came into the possession of their son – King Charles II.
The next appearance of the painting was in 1763 when Charles Herbert Sheffield – the illegitimate son of Duke of Buckingham John Sheffield – ordered an auction of artworks after selling Buckingham Palace to King George III. The painting was placed in a gilded frame.
It subsequently disappeared for 140 years until 1900, when collector Francis Cook purchased it from Sir John Charles Robinson. The painting had been damaged and was believed to be by Bernardino Luini – a student of Leonardo. It was added to the Cook collection at the Doughty House Gallery in Richmond, London. In 1958, the work was sold for £45 at a Sotheby’s auction. In 2005, it was acquired by a group of American collectors at a New Orleans auction gallery for $1,175 (28 million VND).
In 2011, the work was introduced at an exhibition about Leonardo at the National Gallery in London. Two years later, Sotheby’s sold it privately to art dealer Yves Bouvier for $80 million (1.9 trillion VND). Bouvier then sold it to Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev for $127.5 million (3.06 trillion VND). In a 2017 Christie’s New York auction, the painting was purchased by Prince Bader bin Abdullah for a record $450.3 million (10.8 trillion VND). The Wall Street Journal later cited intelligence from the U.S. stating that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the actual owner of the painting, with Bader only bidding on his behalf.
Alan Wintermute – a senior specialist in paintings before the 19th century at Christie’s – compared the work to the discovery of a new planet. “The painting Salvator Mundi is the Holy Grail among works by master painters before the 19th century. It is like a mysterious dream, unattainable until now,” he said.
The painting at Christie’s New York in 2017. Photo: PA
The question “Who is the author of the painting?” has also sparked much debate. In the documentary The Lost Leonardo, businessman Robert Simon stated that when he purchased the work in 2005, he was aware that there were dozens of copies hanging in museums around the world, while the original’s whereabouts were unclear.
A source close to the Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed that Simon had brought the painting to the museum in 2006 for examination. At that time, the painting was heavily damaged, covered in multiple layers of paint. “It was a wreck, dark and gloomy. It had been restored multiple times in the past by people who did not understand. The restorer had applied synthetic resin to it, which had turned gray and needed to be carefully removed. When they stripped the excess paint, what was revealed was the original layer,” the source said. Subsequently, the painting was restored by Dianne Dwyer Modestini, an art restorer and professor at New York University.
The painting after being cleaned in 2006. Photo: The Guardian
In Artnews in 2011, Robert Simon affirmed that after extensive research and examination of the signature, materials, and painting style, experts reached a consensus that the Salvator Mundi was indeed an original work by Leonardo da Vinci.
In 2011, the painting was introduced at the National Gallery in London. Before the exhibition, director Nicholas Penny invited four experts on Leonardo to view it. All concluded that this was a masterpiece by the great artist. On Artinfo, Martin Kemp – one of those present at the time – stated that upon seeing the painting, he immediately identified it as an original by the master. “Leonardo was present there. The painting has a strange mystique,” he said.
While many believe this is not a painting by the master. The Prado Museum in Spain claims the painting was created by a student of Leonardo, with him supervising its execution. Michael Daley – Director of ArtWatch UK – argued that there is no evidence proving the artist ever participated in the painting of Salvator Mundi. Some rumors suggest that Salvator Mundi has been destroyed and no longer exists.
