Salvator Mundi, Leonardo, Christie's auction

When works of art become the most expensive objects in the world: Auction at Christie's

Salvator Mundi ("Christ as savior of the world") by Leonardo da Vinci, from the year 1500 shows Christ, blessing with his right hand raised and fingers crossed while holding a sphere of crystalline rock in his left hand, noting his role as savior of the world and master of the cosmos (the 'celestial sphere' represents the sky).

It is believed that this painting is a copy of a lost original; It was rediscovered in 2005, restored and included in an exhibition with works by Leonardo at the National Gallery in London, in 2011-2012. The acceptance as Leonardo da Vinci's original work is not general, but for the art market that detail does not matter.

The painting was sold at auction by Christie's in New York, on November 15, 2017, for 450,312,000 USD (450 million), which makes it the most expensive painting in history.

Why do you pay so much for works of art converted into simple objects? For any reason, but nothing related to the will to enjoy the work of art. It is an object to demonstrate the economic power, to satisfy hobbies of possession and accumulation of expensive objects, it can be for little transparent reasons. Anyone, except for the need to enjoy a work of art for what it is.

The way the market works at this level challenges the imagination; for something that costs a few hundred dollars, in a short time can cost millions or hundreds of millions by art and magic of unique speculative operations. In 2005, the painting was purchased for less than $ 10,000 in New Orleans, USA. After careful restoration, by Dianne Dwyer Modestini at the University of New York, it was authenticated as a painting by Leonardo and exhibited in The National Gallery. In 2013, the Swiss Yves Bouvier bought the painting for 75 million dollars in a private sale of Sotheby's, New York. Then it was sold to Russian Dmitry Rybolovlev for US $ 127.5 million. Finally, in the year 2017 it was sold for $ 450,312,500.

Currently, the ranking of the most expensive paintings is:

Salvator Mundi ', by Leonardo da Vinci. Sold in 2017, at auction, for 382.1 million euros. (450 million dollars)

'Interchange', by De Kooning. 2016, 255 million euros, private purchase.

'Card players', by Paul Cézanne. 2012, 191 million euros, private operation.

Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When will you marry?), By Paul Gauguin. 2014, 178 million euros.

'Women of Algiers', by Pablo Picasso. 2015, 160.9 million euros, auction.

'Nu Couché' (Nude lying down), Amedeo Modigliani. 2015, 158 million euros, auction.