Since the $450 million sale of the Salvator Mundi painting in 2017 — the most expensive work of art ever sold — rumors have swirled surrounding the whereabouts of the portrait, owned by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.
In 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported the painting, believed to be the work of Leonardo da Vinci, had supposedly been hanging on Prince Mohammed’s 439-foot yacht.
A BBC investigation, published earlier this week, has uncovered the painting’s whereabouts, saying after disappearing from public eyes for nearly seven years, it is now known to be in storage in Geneva while awaiting exhibition in a yet-to-be-built museum in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Mohammed is said to have desires for the museum to be built in the capital of Riyadh, mentioning he wanted “an anchor object that will attract people, just like the Mona Lisa does" for the Louvre in Paris.
This comparison to the world’s most famous piece of art, another da Vinci creation, is a familiar refrain from Prince Mohammed, who is said to have pulled out of discussions with the Louvre in 2018 after demanding the Mundi would hang next to the Mona Lisa, according to the New York Times.
The BBC’s recent report describes the prince’s plans for the art work as part of a larger plan to project power on the international stage, along with initiatives some have described as “sportswashing,” including its massive investments in leagues such as LIV for golf and the bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
As for the Salvator Mundi, its journey is similarly circumspect.
Scholars disagree over its origins, with some rejecting its attribution to da Vinci entirely, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. It was only in 2011, after it had been rediscovered, that it entered the limelight on display at the National Gallery in London.
Dated to the early 16th century and depicting Jesus Christ, the painting is believed to have changed hands numerous times over the years, often for prices indicating it was widely believed to be the work of a “follower of Leonardo” rather than da Vinci himself.
In 1958, it was sold for less than $100 by Sir Francis Cook’s great-grandson.
It was only in 2011, after years of restoration and research, the painting was recognized as the work of da Vinci’s.
The record-breaking price paid by Prince Mohammed in 2017 through Christie’s reigns first on the list of painting sales, followed by private transactions of works by Willem de Kooning, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin and Jackson Pollock, all of which sold for $300 million or less in the past 15 years.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.