It is considered the Holy Grail of the Old Master paintings and has been billed as “the greatest artistic rediscovery of the 21st century”.

You see, back in 1958, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” was sold at a Christie’s auction for a mere $60 (equivalent to $510 in 2017, or R7 300).

After da Vinci painted the image of Jesus Christ at about the same time as the “Mona Lisa” – around 1500 – CNN reports it “adorned the walls of royal palaces before disappearing towards the end of the 18th century”.

However, by the time the painting resurfaced in 1900, its origins had been forgotten.

Then, in 2011, it was once again identified as a da Vinci piece:

Unveiled at Christie’s New York Auction house on Tuesday, the painting is expected to fetch about $100 million (R1,4 billion) when it goes on sale today:

“Salvator Mundi” (“Savior [sic] of the World”) is one of fewer than 20 known paintings by da Vinci, and the only one in private hands.

If you’re intrigued you should check out THESE five acts about the artwork.

Loic Gouzer, the Chairman of Post War and Contemporary Art at Christie’s in New York, explained that:

“‘Salvator Mundi’ is a painting of the most iconic figure in the world by the most important artist of all time. The opportunity to bring this masterpiece to the market is an honor that comes around once in a lifetime.

“No one will ever be able to fully grasp the wonder of Leonardo’s paintings, just as no one will ever be able to fully know the origins of the universe.”

Nothing like dropping a casual $100 million to own an original da Vinci.

[source:cnn]