Da Vinci’s ‘male Mona Lisa’ expected to sell for $100M — Salvatori Mundi (video)

The New York Post ^ | October 10, 2017 | 3:19pm | By Tamar Lapin

[Swordmaker]

It’s the passion of the painting.

Leonardo da Vinci’s haunting last work, depicting Jesus Christ, is coming to New York this month and is expected to fetch an estimated $100 million at a November Christie’s auction, a spokesperson said.

“Salvator Mundi is a painting of the most iconic figure in the world by the most important artist of all time,” Loic Gouzer, chairman of post-war and contemporary art for Christie’s New York, said in a statement released by the auction house.

[Republicanprofessor]

Thanks for the ping, otherwise I would have missed this story.

I am utterly unfamiliar with this work. Seems as if I should have known about it after 40 years of studying art history. I agree with those who say that if it was a real Leonardo it would fetch closer to $300 million.

I find the lower face and neck disturbing and vague in form. It seems as if the artist was trying to get the mystery of the shading (fancy word chiaroscuro) around the face as in the Mona Lisa, but here it is a vague brown blur instead.

But the hands and globe and eyes are very nicely painted. It can be a very satisfying painting without having been done by Leonardo da Vinci.

[firebrand]

This looks more like him than any other depiction I have ever seen. Not the features, particularly, but the attitude, the mood, the serenity. No melodramatic eyes rolling upward to heaven etc.

[Duchess47]

It seems unfinished to me also. It doesn’t appear much like his painting of Christ in the last supper, and the crystal ball seems odd.

I’m definitely an amateur though, just love his paintings.

[PLMerite]

"... a somewhat vague and incomplete appearance, as though it needed more work.... the eyes especially!"

It's been hanging on a wall for 500 years, it just needs a little restorative work:

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Swordmaker.

Isleworth Mona Lisa keyword:

• Scientists to unveil secrets of Mona Lisa
• Is This An Early 'Mona Lisa?'
• Younger, happier Mona Lisa painted 10 years earlier, experts believe
• Italy seizes more than 5,000 looted antiquities in record haul

[SunkenCiv]

There aren't many Leonardo paintings in any medium, and he remains notorious for leaving work unfinished (take a look at the hairline on the Louvre "Mona Lisa"; apparently not quite finished, mitigating in favor of authenticity). Here's hoping that some rich **** shells out the money for this, and donates it (or lends it) to the National Gallery.

Ginevra de' Benci, the only major work by Leonardo this side of the Pond, is unusual in that it is painted on both sides, and the National Gallery displays it (or at least, used to) so both sides are visible.

reverse, motto is "She adorns her virtue with beauty":

[SunkenCiv]

#davincisowhite

[LiveFree99]

If a crappy Basquiat can sell for $110 million, this should sell in the half to one billion dollar range.

A few years ago I attended a lecture by an optics expert who worked on one of the authentication teams. He said the preponderance of evidence showed it to be a work by Leonardo.

[Fresh Wind]

I’m still hoping to find a DaVinci at a yard sale, so I think I will pass on this one.

[mewzilla]

Is it just me...or does Jesus look like Tim Tebow??