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World-record Da Vinci painting to be exhibited at Louvre Abu Dhabi Saudi prince named as mystery buyer of $450m Leonardo da Vinci painting
(about 20 hours later)
Salvator Mundi – the painting depicting Christ by Leonardo Da Vinci recently auctioned for a record $450m – is heading to the Louvre Abu Dhabi in a coup for the new museum. The mystery buyer of the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in private hands has been identified as a little-known Saudi prince, on the same day the Louvre Abu Dhabi announced the work of art was headed to the new museum.
The first museum to bear the Louvre name outside France has been billed as “the first universal museum in the Arab world” in a sign of the oil-rich emirate’s global ambitions. The man was named as Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammad Farhan al-Saud, a royal from a distant branch of the ruling family, by the New York Times. The US newspaper said it had reviewed documents that identified him as the buyer of Salvator Mundi, a painting depicting Jesus Christ that was sold at auction for a record $450m.
“Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi is coming to LouvreAbuDhabi,” the museum said on Twitter in Arabic, English and French, displaying an image of the 500-year-old work. Bader’s purchase of the work raised eyebrows, coming in the midst of a wide-ranging crackdown by the Saudi authorities on corruption in the kingdom, in which 159 business leaders, including members of the royal family, have been detained in a five-star hotel in the capital Riyadh.
The announcement only partially resolves the mystery over the painting’s sale last month in New York for $450.3m, with auction house Christie’s steadfastly declining to identify the buyer. The purge, engineered by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, was aimed at overturning decades of high-level corruption and the siphoning of public funds by officials.
“Congratulations,” Christie’s said in a tweeted reply to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Bader does not appear to be a target of the corruption investigations, but instead was appointed in July to a top posting at a prestigious commission headed by the crown prince and tasked with developing a province with key historical sites.
The auction house said no more, and a Christie’s representative declined to offer more details. The commission will introduce proposals to modernise the region of al-Ola, which contains archaeological sites of great value, including Mada’in Saleh, a Nabatean-era site that is believed by Muslims to have been the home of an ancient prophet in the Qur’an.
Bader is the treasurer of the commission, whose plans to develop Mada’in Saleh and other sites of great archaeological value was announced with great fanfare earlier in the autumn.
It is unclear if there was foreknowledge of the plans to host the Leonardo painting in the Louvre. The Saudi crown prince is a close ally of the United Arab Emirates and its rulers in Abu Dhabi.
See a gallery of the world's most expensive paintingsSee a gallery of the world's most expensive paintings
Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi sold for $400 million at Christie’s ($450.3m, including auction house premium)Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi sold for $400 million at Christie’s ($450.3m, including auction house premium)
One of four versions of The Scream created by Munch and the only one that is privately owned. The painting sold for $119,922,500One of four versions of The Scream created by Munch and the only one that is privately owned. The painting sold for $119,922,500
Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust (1932) sold at Christie's in New York for $106,482,500Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust (1932) sold at Christie's in New York for $106,482,500
L’homme qui Marche I (1961) by Alberto Giacometti sold for £65,001,250 ($105,182,398) at Sotheby’s in LondonL’homme qui Marche I (1961) by Alberto Giacometti sold for £65,001,250 ($105,182,398) at Sotheby’s in London
Picasso’s Boy With a Pipe (1905) sold at Sotheby's in New York for $104,168,000Picasso’s Boy With a Pipe (1905) sold at Sotheby's in New York for $104,168,000
Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II (1912)went under the hammer at Christie’s New York and sold for $87,936,000Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II (1912)went under the hammer at Christie’s New York and sold for $87,936,000
Francis Bacon’s Triptych (1976) sold for $85.9m to oligarch Roman AbramovichFrancis Bacon’s Triptych (1976) sold for $85.9m to oligarch Roman Abramovich
A Chinese 18th century Qianlong dynasty porcelain vase sold for £53,100,000 ($85,921,461) at Bainbridges auction house in LondonA Chinese 18th century Qianlong dynasty porcelain vase sold for £53,100,000 ($85,921,461) at Bainbridges auction house in London
Dora Maar au Chat (1941) by Pablo Picasso sold for £51,560,080 ($83,429,503) at Sotheby's in LondonDora Maar au Chat (1941) by Pablo Picasso sold for £51,560,080 ($83,429,503) at Sotheby's in London
Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet (1890) by Vincent van Gogh sold for $82,500,000 (£50,985,692) at Christie’s in New YorkPortrait of Dr Paul Gachet (1890) by Vincent van Gogh sold for $82,500,000 (£50,985,692) at Christie’s in New York
The French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche reported that two investment firms were behind the purchase as part of a financial arrangement involving several museums. In a statement published by the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Bader criticised the New York Times report but did not appear to directly deny the purchase, which ties a legendary work of art to the intrigues of the oil-rich kingdom and the exploits of its royal family.
The newspaper said that the work will be lent or resold to museums, largely in the Middle East and Asia. He said the report was “imprecise” and he expressed surprise at some of the allegations in the story, without specifying the facts he disputed. He said the newspaper was “opposed to anything Saudi and frequently publishes strange rumours”.
The sale more than doubled the previous record of $179.4m paid for Pablo Picasso’s The Women of Algiers (Version O) in 2015, also in New York. The purchase also raises eyebrows due to the work’s veneration of Jesus as a saviour. Muslims consider Christ a prophet, not divine, and many conservatives frown on depicting God’s messengers in art. But Bin Salman has also sought to reform Saudi Islam, pruning the power of the conservative clergy in a bid to modernise the kingdom.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi opened on 8 November in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, who described it as a “bridge between civilisations”. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first museum to bear the Louvre name outside France and has been billed as “the first universal museum in the Arab world”.
It opened on 8 November in the presence of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who described it as a “bridge between civilisations”.
It is the first of three museums slated to open on the emirate’s Saadiyat Island, with plans also in place for an edition of New York’s Guggenheim.It is the first of three museums slated to open on the emirate’s Saadiyat Island, with plans also in place for an edition of New York’s Guggenheim.
The island will also feature the Zayed National Museum, which had signed a loan deal with the British Museum – although the arrangement has come increasingly into question due to construction delays.The island will also feature the Zayed National Museum, which had signed a loan deal with the British Museum – although the arrangement has come increasingly into question due to construction delays.
Featuring a vast silver-toned dome, the Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, drawing inspiration from Arab design and evoking both an open desert and the sea.Featuring a vast silver-toned dome, the Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, drawing inspiration from Arab design and evoking both an open desert and the sea.
The museum opened with some 600 pieces including items from early Mesopotamia. Under a 30-year agreement, France provides expertise, lends works of art and organises exhibitions in return for one billion euros ($1.16bn). Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World) went on public display in 2011 in a dramatic unveiling at the National Gallery in London, where the work was declared to be the first newly discovered Leonardo painting in a century.
The first works on loan from the Louvre in Paris include another painting by Da Vinci: La Belle Ferronniere, one of his portraits of women.
Salvator Mundi, which means Saviour of the World, went on public display in 2011 in a dramatic unveiling at the National Gallery in London, where the work was declared to be the first newly discovered Da Vinci painting in a century.
It is one of fewer than 20 paintings generally accepted as being from the Renaissance master’s own hand, according to Christie’s.It is one of fewer than 20 paintings generally accepted as being from the Renaissance master’s own hand, according to Christie’s.
It had sold for a mere £45 pounds in 1958, when the painting was thought to have been a copy, and was lost until it resurfaced at a regional auction in 2005.It had sold for a mere £45 pounds in 1958, when the painting was thought to have been a copy, and was lost until it resurfaced at a regional auction in 2005.
Its latest sale was initiated by Russian tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev, the boss of football club AS Monaco.Its latest sale was initiated by Russian tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev, the boss of football club AS Monaco.
He had bought the painting in 2013 for $127.5m although he later accused a Swiss art dealer of overcharging him.He had bought the painting in 2013 for $127.5m although he later accused a Swiss art dealer of overcharging him.