Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi
Last week the Louvre Abu Dhabi surprised many with intriguing (and vague) tweets that they would be displaying Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi. Without offering an explanation as to when or how they would be showing the work, the circumstances surrounding its landmark museum debut remained a mystery. Though the buyer at Christie's auction bid anonymously, soon the Wall Street Journal and other sources were reporting that the new owner of the $450 million work was Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was quickly revealed that Salman was acting on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and the museum.
On Friday the Louvre Abu Dhabi cleared things up, tweeting, "Louvre Abu Dhabi is looking forward to displaying the Salvator Mundi by Leonardo Da Vinci. The work was acquired by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi for the museum."
Christie's also chimed in, via a press release: "Christie’s can confirm that the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi is acquiring ‘Salvator Mundi’ by Leonardo da Vinci. We are delighted to see that this remarkable painting will be available for public view at the Louvre Abu Dhabi."
Details about when we can expect the painting to be on display have yet to be released.
