Da Vinci painting could fetch $100mn
NEWYORK: The last Leonardo Da Vinci painting still in the hands of a private collector will go under the hammer next month in New York, the Christie’s auction house said on Tuesday, estimating its worth at $100 million.
Dating from around 1500, Salvator Mundi — which depicts Jesus Christ as the world’s saviour — was long believed to be a copy of an original by the Italian master, until it was eventually certified as authentic.
Fewer than 20 works by Da Vinci, whose art was already highly sought after during his lifetime, have survived to this day -- all of them held in museum or institutional collections, with the exception of Salvator Mundi.
A third party guarantee has been arranged for the painting, which ensures it will sell for around the estimate of $100 million on November 15, said Francois de Poortere, head of the Christie’s old masters department in New York.
According to Poortere, Salvator Mundi -- which measures 45x65 cm -- was last sold to an unnamed European collector following a historic Da Vinci exhibition at London’s National Gallery in 2011-12. AFP