The World’s Most Expensive Painting Is Coming to the Middle East
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Leonardo Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi; the world’s most expensive painting, is going to be exhibited at Abu Dhabi’s Louvre.
Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi is coming to #LouvreAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/Zdstx6YFZG
— Louvre Abu Dhabi (@LouvreAbuDhabi) December 6, 2017
The newly opened branch of the Louvre museum in the UAE; and the only branch outside of France, just released the news on Twitter. The 500-year-old oil work was sold last month at Christie’s for $450 million; this is the most expensive price ever paid for a painting at an auction.
The painting broke a record beating out a Pablo Picasso’s Women of Algiers (Version O) that sold for $179.4 million. There is a question mark though on who bought the painting; the buyer was undisclosed and the museum hasn’t provided any further information on that matter. However, it was reported by the New York Times that according to documents, a Saudi Prince known as Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud, is the mystery buyer.
The painting shows Jesus Christ dressed in Renaissance-style robes, with his right hand raised giving a benediction and his left hand holding a crystal sphere. The piece of art was once property of King Charles I of England and it disappeared from view until 1900. After it resurfaced, a British collector acquired it. The work of art circulated over the years among buyers and was badly damaged. It then got restored and documented as an authentic work by Da Vinci.
