‘Salvator Mundi’ is the world’s most expensive painting sold at auction, dubbed the male Mona Lisa and attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.
Not all art experts agree that the work is by the famous artist.
The painting sold for $450 million to Saudi Arabian Prince Mohamed bin Salman in 2017.
Fine arts professor Anne Dunlop explains what would happen if the painting comes out on display on The Briefing:
The Prince reportedly plans to make the painting the centrepiece of what some have called the ‘Saudi Louvre’.
Professor Anne Dunlop is the Herald Chair in Fine Arts from the University of Melbourne.
Dunlop said the painting has been in hiding since it’s purchase and many didn’t know who bought it.
“There have been all sorts of rumours about that too, that it was on private yachts that it was in pretty ports, etcetera.”
Debate has arisen about whether this is an example of art washing, and therefore what da Vinci would think. Professor Dunlop said:
I would point out that Leonardo, in his own time, was really unconcerned with who he worked for, … He was either very pragmatic or very cynical about his own kind of dealings with the rich and powerful, including some pretty dodgy figures. So I don’t think he would have been worried about it one way or another.
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