Leonardo da Vinci painting 'Salvator Mundi' sold for record $450.3 million

Fox News ^ | November 15, 2017 | Staff

[Enchante]

A painting by Italian Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci that depicts Jesus Christ holding an orb sold for a world record $450.3 million at Christie’s auction house in New York Wednesday night. The painting, called "Salvator Mundi," Italian for "Savior of the World," is one of fewer than 20 paintings by Leonardo known to exist and the only one in private hands. The buyer was not immediately identified. The highest price ever paid for a work of art at auction had been $179.4 million, for Picasso's "Women of Algiers (Version O)" in May 2015....

[Enchante]

Some of us were discussing this impending auction a while ago on another thread.

The only known painting in PRIVATE (non-museum) hands by Leonardo Da Vinci. It was expected to sell for well over $100 million but I hadn't heard of any expectations that it would break the auction record.

There is a ton of money from Chinese and Russian billionaires in the art markets now, so it's possible that the purchaser lies in one of those directions (the seller was a Russian "oligarch").

[Enchante]

[Enchante]

record breaking price on the “Salvator Mundi”....

[Enchante]

Cue all the “they paid THAT MUCH for a painting????”

Hey, at least it was a da Vinci and not some total garbage.

[Popman]

Almost a half a billion?

I see that as stupid....

[Ken H]

Wait a sec, I think I see some numbers showing through.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

WOW! I can’t believe that price! It really is lovely, though. The more I look at it, the lovelier it becomes!

That glass orb ALONE is magnificent. Jesus is thinking, ‘I’m coming back one day; you puny humans had BETTER get your act together!’ ;)

[LeoWindhorse]

some people simply have too much money....

[bushpilot2]

Paper for a painting.

[Rastus]

It was worth it. But, I’m going to be eating ramen for a while.

[Cvengr]

The cleaning woman is about to touch it up.

[I-ambush]

For an art lover, this would be the pearl of great price.

[going hot]

That’s the reflection of Leonardo’s face in the globe.

[clintonh8r]

Not over-bought. It’s what great art plus history sells for these days. It’s good to know that someone values it so highly.

[4Runner]

Most Renaissance depictions of the Son of God show him doing weird things with his fingers. I’m wondering if there is some iconic code that goes along with that, which might be decipherable.

[Enchante]

Compare to the most famous painting in the world....which is in the Louvre and so will never be for sale:

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This is the 'Jesus' portrait I grew up with.

But I've always liked this one...

And then the, 'Charlton Heston' version...

[Publius]

I’m wondering if there is some iconic code that goes along with that, which might be decipherable.

Yes. It's called "the Da Vinci Code."

(ducking)

[Drew68]

There is a ton of money from Chinese and Russian billionaires in the art markets now, so it's possible that the purchaser lies in one of those directions (the seller was a Russian "oligarch").

Chinese wealthy in particular are desperate to turn their yuan into anything other than yuan, even if it means taking a massive loss. That's why they're snatching up residential properties all across America and not even bothering to live in them. The Russians too, to a lesser extent.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Oh! So THAT’S where that meme came from, LOL! Never knew that. ;)