Leonardo da Vinci's
depiction of Jesus entitled Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World)
has been sold for record $450 million (380 million euros) at
Christie's auction house in New York, making it the most
expensive artwork ever.
The painting is the only one created by the Italian
Renaissance great that is in private hands.
The highest price paid for a work of art at auction had been
$179 million (152 million euros), for Pablo Picasso's painting
"Women of Algiers (Version O)" in May 2015, also at Christie's
in New York.
The highest known sale price for any artwork had been $300
million (253 million euros) paid in a private sale for Willem de
Kooning's "Interchange" in 2015.
Bidding for Salvator Mundi began to slow at $280 million, but
the auctioneer paused to give the bidders time to consider
whether to raise their bids.
"It's a historic moment, we'll wait," he said.
The sale is considered even more remarkable given the fact
that the market for old masters paintings has slowed while the
demand for contemporary art has risen.
The auction house's strategy of pairing the painting with
works from a newer segment of the market paid off; the 32-foot
Andy Warhol painting "Sixty Last Suppers" was also part of the
auction's line-up and sold for $56 million excluding fees.
The marketing campaign leading up to the auction included a
chance for visitors to view the Leonardo da Vinci painting.
It was seen by more than 30,000 people in New York, Hong
Kong, London and San Francisco, which is also a record for a
pre-auction show.
Christie's said Salvator Mundi was put up for sale by the
family trust of billionaire Dmitri Ryobolev, who bought the
painting in 2013 for $127.5 million.
Christie's co-chairman of post-war and contemporary art Loic
Gouzer called the work a "painting of the most iconic figure in
the world by the most important artist of all time."
Some celebrities were also on hand for the auction, including
Leonardo DiCaprio, who is slated to play the Renaissance painter
in an upcoming film by Paramount; singer Jennifer Lopez with
baseball player Alex Rodriguez; and singer-songwriter Patti
Smith.
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