Salvator Mundi to Anchor Future Saudi Museum, Says BBC

The Salvator Mundi became the most expensive work ever sold at auction when it was purchased for U.S. $450 million at Christie’s New York in 2017. The Renaissance painting of Jesus Christ, whose title translates to ‘Saviour of the World’, hasn’t been seen by the public since.

A new report from the BBC says the painting has been in storage in Geneva since it was purchased by a proxy of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University and a friend of MBS, quotes MBS as saying, ‘I want to build a very large museum in Riyadh. And I want an anchor object that will attract people, just like the Mona Lisa does.’

The article was written by Jonathan Rugman, a consultant producer on the BBC documentary The Kingdom: The world’s most powerful prince (2024).

Rugman concludes that MBS’s purchase of the Salvator Mundi ‘tells us much about how he thinks, and his willingness to be a risk-taker, unafraid to be out of step with the religiously conservative society that he governs. And above all, determined to outplay the West in conspicuous displays of power.’ —[O]

Main image: Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi (c.1500). Oil on walnut. 45.4 × 65.6 cm. Public Domain.