Painting Savior of the World by Leonardo da Vinci – the most expensive work of art on the planet
The Savior of the World (Salvator Mundi) is a painting supposedly painted by Leonardo da Vinci around 1500. The canvas depicts Jesus Christ in the iconographic image of the Savior of the world. He does not have a crown or a halo – the author chose to show Christ as a person.
The fingers of the right hand are folded in a blessing gesture, and in the left rests a crystal sphere – a symbol of the entire universe. The clothes correspond to the Renaissance. She is elaborately adorned and the blue color is in perfect harmony with her long brown hair. A neutral background does not detract from the figure. For the sfumato effect and soft facial features, this picture was called the male version of “La Gioconda”.
Leonardo da Vinci is a legendary High Renaissance painter, architect and scientist who became one of the most famous painters of all time. However, he did not consider the fine arts to be his main vocation. Therefore, at present, only about twenty of his original works are kept in museums.
The painting “Savior of the World” is considered his latest work and the last remaining in a private collection. This work was considered lost for many years, and disputes about its authorship do not subside to this day.
But most researchers agree that Leonardo da Vinci, at least, took part in its creation, although the students could complete the work. About two dozen other versions of the “Savior of the World” written by the followers of Leonardo are known.
In 2017, the news about the painting spread throughout the newspapers around the world: after the Christie”s auction, it became the most expensive in the world. The canvas was bought for $ 450 million by a collector from the UAE. The exact location of this artwork is currently unknown.
