Salvator Mundi, circa 1500, oil on walnut
The "Salvator Mundi," a painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci was sold for a world record $450 million to a buyer acting on behalf of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has lately been devalued by Prado curators. The Spanish museum's decision to reduce the work's attribution "represents the most critical response from a significant museum since the Christie's auction."
The painting, in which Jesus Christ is depicted emerging from darkness blessing the world with one hand while holding a transparent globe in the other, has not been exhibited in public since its sale at Christie's in 2017, deepening the mystery surrounding its ownership and whereabouts, as well as the debate over its authenticity. Many art experts disagree over whether the artwork is real, with some claiming it was painted by the Italian master's workshop rather than by him personally.
Paintings are classified as "by Leonardo" or "attributed works, workshop, or authorized and supervised by Leonardo" in an index for a da Vinci exhibition at the Prado. According to the report, the "Salvator Mundi" has been moved to the latter category.
"Some professionals believe that there was a now lost prototype [of the Salvator Mundi], while others believe that the widely discussed Cook version is the original," curator Ana Gonzáles Mozo wrote in an essay for the show catalog. The Cook version is a Saudi-owned picture that was named after Francis Cook, who purchased it in 1900. However, the expert speculated that "there is no painted prototype" by da Vinci, and that another copy of "Salvator Mundi" might be the most similar to the lost original.
The Prado catalog also includes an essay by Vincent Delieuvin, curator of the artist's 2019 retrospective at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. He talks about the painting owned by Saudi Arabia, mentioning "details of surprisingly poor quality." "It is to be hoped that a future permanent display of the work would allow it to be reanalyzed with greater objectivity," Delieuvin said. The painting's locations are presently unknown.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman
The picture by the Renaissance artist was purchased in 2017 by Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah, who was acting in the name of bin Salman, according to the Wall Street Journal. That report has never been confirmed or disputed by Riyadh. Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian businessman who had the painting until selling it in 2017, claims that Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier paid him exaggerated prices on dozens of artwork worth more than $2.1 billion.
Bouvier had been hired by Rybolovlev to assist him in assembling an art collection worthy of a small museum, which included pieces by Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Rodin, Matisse, and da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi." The case was concluded by Swiss authorities in September, but Rybolovlev has stated that he will appeal.
Selena Mattei
