Press Release  November 16, 2017

Christie’s Controversial Da Vinci Sells for $450 Million

Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale broke several records last night. Though there were many notable sales, including Andy Warhol's Sixty Last Suppers, which sold for $60,875,000, much attention was focused on Leonardo da Vinci’s, Salvator Mundi. Despite some doubts about the authenticity of the painting, the recently rediscovered work sold for $450,312,500, breaking the world auction record for any work sold at auction.

In praise of Salvator Mundi, Loic Gouzer, Co-Chairman Post-War and Contemporary Art, said: "We toured Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi around the world, and at every stop crowds of people were drawn to this painting, wanting to stand in front of the picture and experience it in person. Salvator Mundi evokes joy, ecstasy, anger, awe — it just touches every emotion. Even for me, it is very difficult to pinpoint what it is that makes this painting so poignant, you cannot comprehend the mystery of Leonardo. That is the magic of his work.  Bidders from all around the world recognized this elusive and mesmerizing quality, and competed passionately to acquire this work in what was surely a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Subscribe to our free e-letter!

Webform

Latest News

Discover the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2024 Commissions
The Metropolitan Museum has announced the artists for the 2024 commissions:…
Santa Claus Through History: Tracing the Evolution of a Beloved Icon
Santa Claus hasn’t always been the jolly, red-suited, rotund, grandfatherly…
Two Important Paintings from Asia On View for First Time in U.S.
The Heart of Zen, which is on view at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco,…
What This Extraordinary Find Says About Gender in an Ancient Culture
Archaeologists have discovered a funerary stone that could completely change…
10 Must-See Artworks by Indigenous American Artists at the Seattle Art Museum
Here are 10 must-see artworks by Native American artists at the Seattle Art…