On Friday, both, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and the Louvre Abu Dhabi announced that the capital of the UAE had acquired Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World), according to statements made via their official Twitter accounts.
The work is regarded as one of the greatest artistic rediscoveries of the last century and will go on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, alongside another da Vinci masterpiece, La Belle Ferronnière, which is currently on loan from Musée du Louvre, Paris.
The National said that Saudi sources confirmed to the newspaper that initial media reports stating the painting had been bought by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were wrong.
Official statement by the Louvre Abu Dhabi
Official statement by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism
The 500-year-old oil painting of Jesus went under the hammer in New York for a record-breaking $450 million including fees, four times over its pre-sale estimate and more than double the old mark for any work of art at auction.
Painted by one of history’s greatest and most renowned artists, Salvator Mundi is one of fewer than 20 known surviving paintings by the Italian Renaissance master.
Dating from around 1500, it is an oil on panel painting depicting a half-length figure of Christ as Saviour of the World, facing the viewer, and dressed in flowing robes of lapis and crimson. The figure holds a crystal orb in his left hand as he raises his right hand in benediction.
According to Gulf News, Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism said: "We are delighted to be displaying Salvator Mundi, part of Leonardo da Vinci’s rich legacy, at Louvre Abu Dhabi. This is in line with our ambition to share this extraordinary museum with the world, and our mission to inspire a new generation of cultural leaders and creative thinkers to contribute to our rapidly-changing and tolerant nation."