The World’s Most Expensive Painting: The Salvatore Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci
Background
The great Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci studied many things, such as science, math, engineering, geology, astrology, literature, botany, anatomy, and so much more. But it is his art for which he has particularly become known in more recent years. His Mona Lisa has become one of the most recognized paintings in the history of art, and was insured as such for $100,000,000 in 1962, which translates to $852,000,000 in 2019 dollars. A magnificent work, it nonetheless attracted less attention than the Salvatore Mundi, another painting by the artist, when it went up at auction in 2017.
Supposedly the Salvatore Mundi was originally painted by da Vinci for Louis XII of France along with his consort Anne of Brittany, presumedly following his conquering of the Duchy of Milan and assumption of control over Genoa following the Second Italian War (1499–1504). From here it gets complicated. It was rumored to reside in Chelsea Manor in London from 1638 until 1641, only to be sent to the Netherlands following the execution of its previous owner following the English Civil War. Following its sale to a creditor in 1651 it was returned to Charles II after the restoration of the English crown in 1660. Passing through the hands of several royals, it would change hands a few more times…
