Abu Dhabi delays showing last da Vinci

LEONARDO DA VINCI’S Salvator Mundi, a painting that caused controversy after Saudi Arabia’s crown prince was named as its alleged secret buyer, will not be unveiled on schedule, Abu Dhabi’s department of culture and tourism said yesterday.

The portrait of Christ, which became the most expensive painting ever sold after a sale by Christie’s auction house, was scheduled to be on display at a branch of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi from Sept 18. The authorities did not explain the delay.

The Abu Dhabi statelinked newspaper The National reported the museum might wait until the first anniversary of its opening in November to unveil the painting, which was purchased last year for $450.3 million (£350 million) by an unidentified buyer.

A report in The Wall Street Journal said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was identified as the buyer of the painting in US intelligence reports, according to people with direct knowledge of the information.

The 33-year-old son of the king is pushing ambitious economic reforms that include austerity measures. Saudi officials have denied that report.

The painting, only recently rediscovered, was the last da Vinci left in private hands and fetched more than four times Christie’s pre-sale estimate.