Fascinating Bidding Process Behind $450 Million Auction of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’
by Lori Dorn from Laughing Squid on (#38N55)
On November 16, 2017, Christie's held an auction for a gorgeous Leonardo da Vinci painting entitled "Salvator Mundi". This "male Mona Lisa" is believed to be the "last da Vinci" available. After 19 minutes of bidding, the painting fetched over $450 million, the largest amount ever to have been paid for a work of art.
On a historic night at Christie's in New York, Salvator Mundi, a depiction of Christ as 'Saviour of the World' by one of history's greatest and most renowned artists, sold for $450,312,500 / 342,182,751 (including buyer's premium), becoming the most expensive painting ever sold at auction.
Before the auction, renowned art critic Alastair Sooke took a look at this historical piece.