As soon as painting by Leonardo da Vinci"Salvator Mundi", the name of which is translated into Russian as "Savior of the World", was sold at auction for the fabulous sum of 450 million dollars, and passions flared up around it even greater than they had been burning before.
Some researchers, including the editor-in-chief of the President newspaper, scientist, excellent analyst and writer Andrei Tyunyaev, claim that this painting is a fake.
Firstly, the authors of such a loud statement claim that even the Russian translation of the title of the picture is not correct or, let’s say, too free. “Salvator Mundi” would be more accurately translated as “Ark at the Mountain.” That is, the author depicted Jesus Christ as an ark carrying both male and female sexual characteristics. By the way, from this faith in Europe, mental religious illness is increasingly spreading and lesbians and gays are breeding. And even this alone can serve as confirmation that the painting was painted no earlier than the 19th century.
Secondly, in the picture Christ is holding a glass ball - a spherical model of our Earth. According to experts, the painting “Salvator Mundi” was painted at the end of the 15th century; Leonardo da Vinci himself died in 1519. However, Nicolaus Copernicus’s work on the heliocentric system of the world (“On the Rotation of the Celestial Spheres”) was published only in 1543; moreover, it took centuries after this scientist’s publication before the Earth took on a spherical shape in the minds of scientists. After all, at that time, please note, Nicolaus Copernicus himself was depicted from the same perspective as Christ in “Salvator Mundi”. At the same time, Copernicus holds in his hand a flat model of the world, and Christ is already spherical, which Leonardo da Vinci could not simply know in principle, and therefore depict. The spherical model of the Earth became traditional only in the 18th century. 19th centuries. It is to this period that the writing of “The Savior of the World” can be attributed, from which it follows that the famous Italian artist had nothing to do with her...
However, such “convincing” reasoning does not in any way fit with the generally known data that Leonardo da Vinci drew drawings of helicopters, submarines, and recently, for example, in his drafts they also found drawings of a modern smartphone, from which some brave minds even made the assumption that famous artist and the scientist was a time traveler. If da Vinci painted helicopters in the 15th century, which would appear only in the middle of the 20th century, why couldn’t he depict a spherical Earth then?
Anyway, check out the video below where hidden camera The emotions of people looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “Salvator Mundi” were filmed. Apparently, the impression she makes on the audience is amazing. And although this cannot serve as 100% proof that the painting is genuine, it is still not very convincing to talk about a fake...
(rutube)992399c994f731be378129c21499ee86(/rutube)
Oil/Board (1499)
Description
For decades, the Marquis de Gane tried to convince the museum community of the primacy of the “Savior” that adorned his mansion in Paris. According to de Gane, one of the previous owners of the painting, Baron de Laranti, acquired it in the 19th century from a monastery in Nantes, where she bequeathed the work...
"Savior of the World" - painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which for a long time was considered lost. Its customer is usually called King Louis XII of France. Several sketches are kept at Windsor Castle. About 20 Leonardesque works on this subject have survived. It is possible that one of them is a badly damaged original by Leonardo, completed by someone from his workshop.
For decades, the Marquis de Gane tried to convince the museum community of the primacy of the “Savior” that adorned his mansion in Paris. According to de Gane, one of the previous owners of the painting, Baron de Laranti, acquired it in the 19th century from a monastery in Nantes, where the widow of Louis XII bequeathed the work.
In 1982, the painting participated in an exhibition of the master’s works in his hometown Vinci; this exhibition was curated by Carlo Peretti, an experienced specialist in Leonardesque attribution. Despite all his efforts, the Marquis was unable to prove that the Parisian “Savior” was painted by Leonardo. In most modern catalogs it is attributed to Francesco Melzi or Marco d'Oggiono. In 1999, the painting was sold at Sotheby's for $332,000.
An engraving from the mid-17th century, made by Wenceslas Hollar, is also known, probably commissioned by the English Queen Henrietta Maria. If the engraving is made from Leonardo's original, then we can conclude that the painting belonged to the Stuarts at that time. Perhaps it was this work that entered the collection of the Duke of Buckingham in 1688. In any case, in 1763 his descendants sold it at auction as a work by Leonardo, after which all trace of the painting was lost.
At the end of 2011, London's National Gallery announced that an upcoming exhibition of Leonardo's work would include Leonardo's Salvator Mundi, together with authentic works from his Milanese period brought to London from across Europe. private collection in NYC. In 1900 it was acquired as a work of the Milan school by one of richest people Victorian England, Baronet Frederick Cook, owner of the luxurious Montferrat Palace in Sintra. In his house hung works by Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, Hubert van Eyck, Diego Velazquez and Rembrandt.
“Savior Mundi” from Cook’s collection was distorted by later entries and corrections: during the era of the Counter-Reformation, the traditional mustache and goatee were added to the beardless and strangely feminine face of the Savior. In this form, it was so difficult to attribute the painting that in 1958, Cook’s heirs were able to sell it at Sotheby’s for only 45 pounds.
In 2004, at an undisclosed auction, this work was acquired by Robert Simon, an expert on old masters, and a group of art dealers. The work was then sent for restoration, during which it was cleared of records. Details of the restoration have not been disclosed. After this, “The Savior” was examined in several museums in Europe and the USA, and only the London one, after consultations with major experts, agreed to recognize the authorship of Leonardo. Attention is drawn to the high craftsmanship of the glass orb and the seemingly luminous hand of Christ, the airy lightness of the blue robes, the use of sfumato, the similarity of the drawing with sketches from Windsor Castle and the complete correspondence of the pigments of the New York “Savior” and the London “Madonna of the Rocks”.
Although Carlo Peretti disputes the attribution of this painting to Leonardo, according to preliminary estimates, the market value of the New York “Savior” could already reach $200 million.
A painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which was lost many centuries ago, has been identified jointly by experts from the United States and Europe. The masterpiece will be exhibited at London's National Gallery as part of the Leonardo exhibition, which opens on November 9, reports ARTnews.com.
The painting "Savior of the World" (Salvator Mundi) depicts Christ with his right hand raised in a gesture of blessing and his left hand holding Earth. It is painted in oil on a wooden panel measuring 66x47cm.
“This is one of the greatest discoveries art world over the last hundred years,” notes one of the scientists.
The work belonged to a consortium of dealers, which included Robert Simon, a New York specialist in old masters. According to some reports, it was purchased at an estate sale in the United States six or seven years ago. Simon declined to comment on the situation with the painting, the price or the location of the auction. “I was asked not to discuss it,” he says.
Two years ago Simon handed over the panel art museum Metropolitan, so that curators and restorers can study it there. “When the panel was brought to the restoration studio, it turned out that it was a painting that had long been forgotten. The painting was covered with an additional layer of paint and, in general, looked very much like a copy. The wood cracked and darkened over time. However, when the restorer applied artificial resin to it, the material turned gray and allowed the outer layer of paint to be removed almost without harm, revealing a very delicate work. Everyone agreed that the painting was by Leonardo,” says an anonymous source close to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Last year the work was shown to the Museum curators fine arts in Boston. Then, 18 months ago, it was brought to the National Gallery in London. Nicholas Penny, the museum's director, and Luke Syson, curator of the upcoming exhibition, invited four Leonardo experts to the museum's restoration studio. The purpose of the invitation was not stated; Penny simply promised to show them something interesting.
Among the guests were Carmen Bambach (curator of the department of graphics and painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art), Pietro Marani (head of the restoration of Leonardo's Last Supper in Milan), Maria Teresa Fiorio (author of many books about the Renaissance, including a biography Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, considered Leonardo's greatest student) and Martin Kemp (Emeritus Professor of Art History at Oxford University, who spent over forty years studying da Vinci). Simon was also present at the meeting.
According to the stenographer present, “the painting was damaged and repainted. This is not a rare practice among old masters: they have to be intensively restored. The paint was lost, which is not surprising. The condition cannot be called impeccable, but this was enough to convey a wonderful impression.”
“Salvator Mundi” by Leonardo da Vinci before and after restoration: 
The first documented owner of the painting was King Charles I of England. Afterwards it passed to Charles II. It then became problematic to trace the painting's path, so that there is a gap from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries.
In the 19th century, the painting was acquired by the British collector, Sir Francis Cook (1817–1901). According to Burlington Magazine, he had " extraordinary paintings", including works by Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, van Eyck, Velazquez and Rembrandt. In the late forties of last year, the painting was exhibited in England along with other works from the Cook collection. Then it was listed as "Milan School (c. 1500)". In 1958, it was sold by the trustees of the Cook collection at Sotheby's in London for 45 pounds (today it is about 2,000 rubles). The catalog indicated that it was the work of Boltraffio.
The "Savior of the World" theme was popularized Dutch artists Jan van Eyck and Albrecht Durer. In Italy, it began to actively develop during the Renaissance.
Among other works by Leonardo that will be exhibited at the National Gallery, it is worth mentioning “Girl with an Ermine” from the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland. By unofficial information from the Western press, the National Gallery paid $800,000 to loan the painting for the duration of the exhibition. When "Girl with an Ermine" was discovered many years ago, it was received ambiguously. It took time for it to be received properly.
The exhibition at the National Gallery will run until 5 February 2012. It will be dedicated to the years that Leonardo spent at the court of Ludovico Sforza, ruler of Milan. Last May, Sison told a Guardian reporter that borrowing one of the genius's paintings would be an achievement, but seven would be a miracle. Some of the exhibits will leave museums in Italy and France for the first time to be exhibited in London.
One of the researchers notes that the consortium has reduced the price for it to $100 million. “They told me they used to ask $200 million for the painting,” he says. However, Simon noted that, as the owners' representative, he officially states that the painting is not for sale.
The news about the planned appearance of “Savior of the World” at the exhibition did not pass without criticism. One curator noted: “Many people were very surprised when they heard that the gallery would include in the exhibition a work that was offered for sale for such a huge amount.” However, given Simon's assurances that it is not for sale, there can be no room for surprise here.
Leonardo da Vinci. Savior of the world. Around 1500 Louvre in Abu Dhabi
At the end of 2017, the art world experienced a double shock. The work of . himself was put up for sale. And we can wait another 1000 years for such an event.
Moreover, it was sold for almost half a billion dollars. This is unlikely to ever happen again.
But behind this news, not everyone had time to take a good look at the painting “Savior of the World”* itself. But it is full of very interesting details.
Some of them say that the masterpiece was actually painted by Leonardo. Others, on the contrary, cast doubt on the fact that it was this genius who created it.
1. Sfumato
As you know, sfumato was invented by Leonardo. Thanks to him, the characters in the paintings evolved from painted dolls to almost living people.
He achieved this by realizing that in real world no lines. Which means they shouldn’t be in the picture either. The outlines of Leonardo's faces and hands became shaded, in the form of soft transitions from light to shadow. It was in this technique that his famous one was created.
There is also sfumato in The Savior. Moreover, it is hypertrophied here. We see the face of Jesus as if in a fog.
However, The Savior has been called the male version of the Mona Lisa. Partly because of the similarities. We can agree here. The eyes, nose, and upper lip are similar.
And also because of sfumato. Although if you put them side by side, it immediately catches your eye that we see the face of the Savior as if through a thick fog.
Right: Mona Lisa (detail). 1503-1519
So this is a twofold detail. It seems that she is talking about the authorship of Leonardo. But it's too intrusive. It’s as if someone imitated the master, but went too far.
There is one more thing that unites “Mona Lisa” and “Savior”.
Leonardo was inclined to give his heroes androgynous features. His male characters have feminine characteristics. Just remember the angel in the painting “Madonna of the Rocks”. The Savior's facial features are also quite soft.
Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna of the Rocks (fragment). 1483-1486 Louvre, Paris 2. Ball as a symbol of our world
The most striking detail of the picture, besides the face of Jesus, is the glass ball.
To some, the ball in the hands of the Savior may seem unusual. After all, before Columbus discovered America in 1492, people believed that the Earth was flat. Did new knowledge spread so quickly throughout Europe?
After all, if you take other “Saviors” of that time, it becomes clear that the image is repeated. And German artists, and the Dutch.
Left: Dürer. Savior of the world (unfinished). 1505 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Right: Jos Van Der Beek. Savior of the world. 1516-1518 Louvre, Paris
The fact is that the sphericity of the Earth was known to the ancient Greeks. Educated Europeans were also convinced of this both in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance.
We mistakenly believe that only with the voyage of Columbus did people realize their error. The theory of a flat Earth has always existed parallel to the theory of its sphericity.
Even now there will be those who will convince you that the Earth is a quadrangle covered with a dome.
Another remarkable detail is found in the hand that holds the ball.
On closer inspection we can see the pentimento. This is when the artist’s changes are visible to the naked eye.
Please note that the palm was originally smaller, but the master made it wider.
Leonardo da Vinci. Detail of the “Savior of the World” (glass ball). Around 1500 Louvre in Abu Dhabi Experts believe that the presence of pentimento always indicates authorship.
But this is a double-edged sword. It is quite possible that the hand was written by a student. And Leonardo only corrected her.
3. Composition “Savior”
This is exactly the detail that speaks against the originality of the picture.
The fact is that you will not find a single portrait by Leonardo where he would depict the hero in a clear frontal view. His figures always turn half a turn towards us. It doesn't matter if you take it early work or the latest one.
Leonardo did this on purpose. With a more complex pose, he tried to breathe life into his hero, giving the figures at least a little dynamics.
Left: Portrait of Ginevra Benci. 1476 National Gallery Washington. Right: Saint John the Baptist. 1513-1516 Louvre, Paris
4. Leonard's craftsmanship
As an anatomist, Leonardo was very good at the hands of those depicted. Right hand It is indeed very skillfully written.
The clothes are also depicted in Leonardian style. Naturally, the folds of the shirt and sleeves are drawn out. Moreover, these details coincide with the master’s preliminary sketches, which are kept in Windsor Castle.
Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. Around 1500 Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, London
It is enough to compare Leonardo’s “Savior” with the work of his student. The craftsmanship is immediately visible in the contrast.
5. Leonard's colors
In the National London gallery Leonard's "Madonna of the Rocks" is kept. It was this museum that was the first to recognize the originality of the “Savior of the World.” The fact is that the gallery staff had a compelling argument.
Analysis of the paint pigments of the “Savior” showed that it is absolutely identical to the paints of the “Madonna of the Rocks”.
Right: fragment of the painting “Madonna of the Rocks”. 1499-1508 National London Gallery.
Yes, despite the damage to the paint layer, the colors are truly masterfully chosen.
But this same fact easily proves something else. The painting was created by a student of Leonardo, who quite logically used the same colors as the master himself.
One can wonder for a long time whether Leonardo himself wrote “The Savior” from start to finish. Or he just corrected the brainchild of his student.
But over 500 years the painting was badly damaged. Moreover, the unfortunate owners painted on a beard and mustache for Jesus. Apparently, they were not satisfied with the androgynous appearance of the “Savior”.
As a result, in the mid-20th century it was sold at auction for $45. Her appearance was so deplorable.
But in the 2000s the painting was restored. After 6 years painstaking work. Having done everything possible to make it look like Leonardo's creation again.
Alas, in this case it is more likely the work of a restorer, rather than a master of the Renaissance.
*At the end of March 2019, media reports appeared that the painting had disappeared from a museum in Abu Dhabi. It is no longer on public display.
The world's leading art critics express their deepest regret, since not being able to see such a masterpiece is a great misfortune for art lovers.
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Salvator Mundi or Salvator Mundi, a 500-year-old work confidently attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, sold on November 15, 2017 at Christie's in New York for $450,312,500 (including premium). The image of Jesus Christ, which has already been dubbed the “male Mona Lisa,” became not only a record holder among paintings at public auction, but also the most expensive painting on the planet, says Vlad Maslov, a columnist for the art website Arthive. Nowadays, only less than 20 paintings by the Renaissance genius are known, and “Savior of the World” is the last one remaining in private hands. Others belong to museums and institutes.
Leonardo da Vinci. Savior of the World (Salvator Mundi). 1500, 65.7×45.7 cm
The work has been called "the greatest artistic discovery"of the last century. Almost a thousand collectors, antique dealers, advisors, journalists and spectators gathered for the auction in the main auction hall at Rockefeller Center. Several thousand more followed the sale in live. The betting battle started at $100 million and lasted less than 20 minutes. After the price rose from $332 million in one step to $350 million, the battle was fought by only two contenders. The price of 450 million, named by the buyer over the phone, became the final price. On this moment identity of the new owner historical paintings- including gender and even region of residence - are kept secret.
The previous record at public auction was set by Pablo Picasso’s “Women of Algiers (Version O)” – $179.4 million at Christie’s sale in New York in 2015.
Most high price for the work of any of the old masters was paid at Sotheby’s auction in 2002 - $ 76.7 million for “Massacre of the Innocents” by Peter Paul Rubens. The painting belongs to a private collector, but is exhibited in Art gallery Ontario in Toronto.
And the most expensive work by da Vinci himself was the silver needle drawing “Horse and Rider” - $11.5 million at a sale in 2001.
Although the current owner of the “Savior of the World” remains incognito for now, the name of the seller is known. This is a billionaire Russian origin Dmitry Rybolovlev - chief football club AS Monaco. When researching provenance, experts were able to find out that “Savior of the World” was sold in 1958 as an alleged copy for only 45 pounds sterling ($60 at current prices). After that, it disappeared for decades and reappeared at a regional US auction in 2005 without attribution. The price is believed to have been less than $10,000. In 2011, after years of research and restoration, the painting appeared at an exhibition at the National Gallery in London, which finally assigned it to Leonardo da Vinci.
In 2007 - 2010, “Savior of the World” was restored by Diana Modestini from New York. “Crudely superimposed and distorting later layers were removed, and damaged fragments were carefully and meticulously restored,” Christie’s experts write, adding that such losses are “expected in most paintings over 500 years old.”
