The masterpiece of the Renaissance, "Salvator Mundi", signed by Leonardo da Vinci, made history at Christie's on Wednesday night, being awarded for the amount of 450,315,000 dollars. It thus became the most expensive work of art sold at auction. International interest in this work has gathered nearly 1,000 art collectors, specialists, journalists and viewers in the main room at Rockefeller Center and hundreds more live streaming.
"Savior Mundi" (the savior of the world), a rare painting depicting Christ in blue robes, was long considered a copy before experts attested its authenticity. Less than 20 paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, whose work was already appreciated during his lifetime, are still preserved today, according to Christie's. Except for "Salvator Mundi", all are owned by museums or institutions.
The previous record for a masterpiece was set by Peter Paul Rubens' "Massacre of the Innocents," which sold for $ 76.7 million (£ 49.9 million) in 2002. The auction record for a painting by Leonardo da Vinci's was set in 2001 by "Horse and Rider," a $ 11.4 million paper work. The previous record for the most expensive artwork at auction was set at Christie's by Picasso's Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O), purchased for $ 179,364,992. The latest painting by Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci, which is in the possession of a private collector, was originally estimated by Christie's at $ 100 million.
The auction shows once again that investments in art can be considered safer than investments in securities and that people who want to protect their wealth from devaluation can do so by buying art. In this sense, Alexandra's Gallery can offer you complete services, from evaluation, authentication, consulting but also advantageous mechanisms for selling in installments.
