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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1499-1510

Salvator Mundi

Leonardo da Vinci · c. 1499-1510

A painting of Christ as Savior of the World, attributed wholly or partly to Leonardo da Vinci, famous for its contested authorship and record sale price.

A disputed attribution to Leonardo that shows how scholars argue over his true body of work.

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Painting of a bearded man with long, wavy brown hair, raising his right hand with two fingers extended and holding a transparent orb in his left hand. He wears a blue robe with a gold patterned collar and cross-shaped band against a dark background.
Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi, c. 1499-1510. Louvre Abu Dhabi.

About this source

What it is

This painting depicts Christ in Renaissance dress, blessing with one hand and holding a crystal orb in the other. It is dated to around 1499-1510 and attributed in whole or part to Leonardo da Vinci. It is now held in the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Why it matters

This painting is a case study in how Leonardo's body of work gets defined. Scholars disagree about how much Leonardo himself painted, and extensive restoration makes attribution harder. It also set a record as the most expensive painting ever sold at public auction, raising questions about art, money, and authenticity.

Look closer

  • Why might experts disagree about whether this is really by Leonardo?
  • How might heavy restoration affect our ability to judge who painted something?
  • What does the record sale price tell us about how society values art today compared to Leonardo's own time?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leonardo da Vinci and Jesus Christ on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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