Before this, the highest absolute price paid for a painting was 8.1 million (20.4 million in 2021 currency) paid by the J. Paul Getty Museum for Andrea Mantegna's Adoration of the Magi at Christie's in London on 18 April 1985. But we ended up contacting others who we thought might know the work well, too. The role of most of these associates is unclear, leading to the question of Leonardos so-called apocryphal works, on which the master collaborated with his assistants. Simon's connection to the painting is that back in 2005, he and a colleague actually sort of rediscovered the painting, which was in terrible condition. What Gouzer may have meant is that buyers prepared to spend in excess of $100m on artwork exist in the modern and contemporary fields. for the highest price sold. 20 of Leonardo Da Vinci Most Famous Paintings - Iconic Artworks! One of the sources says the Louvre concluded that Leonardo merely "contributed to the painting," but that bin Salman would only approve the loan if the Salvator Mundi were labelled an authentic Leonardo. What was Leonardo da Vincis family like? At $28 million. The painting was consigned to Christies by Dmitry Rybolovlev, 50, a Russian fertiliser oligarch who has been at the center of an art-world scandal involving claims that a Paris-based dealer, Yves Bouvier, cheated the collector out of as much as $1bn on sales of 38 artworks, including the Leonardo. (crowd laughs) Good start. But there would, there are people in the world that would probably do that. As of 2023, Leonardo da Vinci's net worth is $320 million. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Before Rybolovlev, Salvator Mundi had been owned by a consortium of dealers including Alexander Parish, who had picked it up for $10,000 at an estate sale in the US in 2005, and had had it restored and authenticated. TINDERA: That's right. That he gave up both projects seems to indicate that he had deeper reasons for leaving Florence. The work of Leonardo is just as influential to the art that is being created today as it was in the 15th and 16th centuries, he said. PETERSON-WITHORN: Armand placed the winning bid and paid about $5.6 million for the Codex, which was less than the roughly $10 million that it was reported experts thought it might sell for. And flipping through this copy, I have to say, I cant read a word of this. Christies had also found placing the work, despite its celebrity, hard to fathom. Ludovicos fall in 1499 sealed the fate of this abortive undertaking, which was perhaps the grandest concept of a monument in the 15th century. Leonardo is sometimes credited as the inventor of the tank, helicopter, parachute, and flying machine, among other vehicles and devices, but later scholarship has disputed such claims. [11][12] Prices realised for just his nine paintings listed below, when adjusted for inflation to 2017, add up to over US$900million. They bought it from an auction in Louisiana for just over $1,000. Nineteen million on the telephone. Joining me for this is Chase Peterson-Withorn, an editor on the Forbes wealth team. However, we should probably note that it seems unlikely that as the owner of the Codex, Gates would actually do this. Unless new documentation surfaces (unlikely after all these centuries), or a new scientific method of authentication arrives (also tricky because the work has been so damaged), the mystery may prove eternal. She was universally considered to be the painter's sitter. They arrive in the wake of Ben Lewis's high-profile 2019 book, The Last Leonardo, and dozens of articles. Record private sales are believed to include $250m for a painting by Paul Czanne and $300m for a Paul Gauguin. I'll give everyone time. [6] Though the Louvre Museum had turned down the opportunity to purchase it for 100 million,[7] the painting was estimated to sell for $110 to $170 million. According to some sources, the painting had been sold by Argentinian art collector Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier for $300 million,[9] but the price was not confirmed by any of the parties involved.[10]. [5], The list is incomplete with respect to sales between private parties, as these are not always reported and, even if they are, details like the purchase price may remain secret. This portrait was painted in Florence from 1474 to 1478. Taking inflation into account, the 1962 value would be around US$900 million in 2021. Yves Bouvier, a Swiss art dealer, bought the painting from the New York dealers for $83 million, reportedly on behalf of his client, a Russian oligarch named Dmitry Rybolovlev, though this is disputed by Mr Bouvier. But no one thought it was still worth the $30.8 million Gates paid for it. And seeing these works enjoyed by people all over the world. Leonardo da Vinci Biography, Paintings, Family, Early Life It is Oil on wood and measures 168 x 130 cm (5 1/2 x 4 1/2 ft.). Bin Salman himself visited President Emmanuel Macron in Paris while the loan was dangling in the balance. And my background is as an art historian. Later in 2002, Thomson donated his private collection, including the Rubens, to the. He's the head of the Books, Maps and Manuscripts department at Freeman's Auction House in Philadelphia. It is believed to have been compiled between 1506 and 1510. (Maybe so, but in the films and other reproduced images it does have a more cloying look). On July 12, 2011, $75M was equivalent to 53M. On permanent display at the Louvre in Paris, the Mona Lisa was assessed at US$100 million on 14 December 1962. His father, Ser Piero, was a Florentine notary and landlord, and his mother, Caterina, was a young peasant woman who shortly thereafter married an artisan. "When we chose the title," Andreas Dalsgaard, a producer and a writer of The Lost Leonardo, tells BBC Culture, "the inspiration was partly that the painting is lost right now and the truth is lost, but it was also inspired by movies like the Indiana Jones movies that are full of treasures and treasure hunts.". Leonardo grew up on his fathers familys estate, where he was treated as a legitimate son and received the usual elementary education of the day: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Corrections? His father, Ser Piero, was a Florentine notary and landlord, and his mother, Caterina, was a young peasant woman who shortly thereafter married an artisan. The auction house would not reveal the identity of the buyer or even the region from which they came. Paintings are listed only once, i.e. He had an exceedingly inquisitive mind and made strenuous efforts to become erudite in languages, natural science, mathematics, philosophy, and history, among other subjects. And that's the number we're using to value it. And it was, you know, a thrilling project to be involved with. That boosted this forgotten painting into the limelight and kickstarted the. Like we did earlier in this episode, he considered the price that it sold for in 1980. The abrupt $20m and $30m jumps in price were indeed unusual, Cerutti confirmed. And how does that help us come up with a number for today? Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, military engineer and draftsman the epitome of a true Renaissance man. TINDERA: That's Gates talking for a video posted on his blog a few years ago, around the time that he exhibited the Codex Leicester in some museums in Europe. Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold At Auction Leonardo da Vinci paintings that is on public display in the Western Hemisphere. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to ourFacebookpage or message us onTwitter. Robert Simon told us that he thought it would not sell for less than $150 million. Moreover, he was no doubt enticed by Duke Ludovico Sforzas brilliant court and the meaningful projects awaiting him there. A Leonardo da Vinci the Size of a Post-it Sells for $12.2 Million So Gates sort of went out and bought the ultimate book. And to put into perspective, how much less art sold for 40 years ago, the sale of the Codex was the fifth-highest price for any piece of art sold at auction ever. CBS CLIP, CONNIE CHUNG: You know, you may be the richest man in America, or at least the second-richest man in America. TINDERA: But admittedly, Darren told us that he wasn't a da Vinci, or Codex expert and was hesitant to put a value on it out of the gate. This means the Codex is certainly one of the world's most valuable pieces of art. At one point, Pylkknen remarked: Historic moment, well wait as the the bidding went back and forth, pausing at just over $200m as it rose to break the auction record. $50 million through Sothebys in 1997. So next, we decided to try some sources who not only know Old Masters works, but they know da Vinci really well. Why do bad things happen to Early Life: Verrocchio's Pupil. PETERSON-WITHORN: Yeah, when I heard about that $12 million sale, I remembered that the Codex had about 360 illustrations inside of it. Last Supper (c. 1495-98) Leonardo da Vinci: Last Supper Images Group/REX/Shutterstock.com. The source says he advised the government that "exhibiting under the Saudi conditions would be like laundering a piece that cost $450 million". Its the last painting by Leonardo, the greatest of all Renaissance artists, and it had an appeal to collectors from all parts of the world., Every major scholar of Leonardos work accepts the picture and has for the past decade, he said, addressing questions over the paintings authenticity and condition, adding: Its not in flawless condition, its 500 years old and absolutely has the presence and condition of a true Leonardo.. One of my hats I wearI'm a capitalist. Whoever cut it up would be pilloried forever. He needed to do that because in order to pay the inheritance taxes on a previous Earl of Leicester, who died in 1976, they needed to sell off some stuff. An artist by disposition and endowment, he considered his eyes to be his main avenue to knowledge; to Leonardo, sight was mans highest sense because it alone conveyed the facts of experience immediately, correctly, and with certainty. PETERSON-WITHORN: Exactly. At $28 million it's away from the room now and on the telephone at $28 million. They reflected the importance of the painting and that some of the bidders were conscious that the price would go higher than their bids. Pierre-Auguste Renoir "Bal du moulin de la Galette" (1876): $154.7 million 6. Leonardo da Vincis parents were unmarried at the time of his birth near a small village named Vinci in Tuscany. In both films, Luke Syson, the curator of the show, stands by his decision. Quiz: Ancient Illustrations Showing Us the Way, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonardo-da-Vinci, Social Studies for Kids - Biography of Leonardo da Vinci, Humanities LibreTexts - Leonardo da Vinci, Art Encyclopedia - Biography of Leonardo Da Vinci, University of California Museum of Paleontology - Biography of Leonardo da Vinci, Web Gallery of Art - Biography of Leonardo da Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Leonardo da Vinci - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Art and accomplishment: Leonardo as artist-scientist, Art and accomplishment: Painting and drawing. TINDERA: Robert pointed out one other unique distinction. The sale of Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers was the first time a "modern" (in this case 1888) painting became the record holder, as opposed to the old master paintings which previously had dominated the market. 7 | The Macklowe Collection | | Sotheby", "Sale Offers a Reason for Relief at Sotheby's", "Ming Dynasty Scroll Sells for Record $77 Million at Auction", The Collection of Eleanore and Daniel Saidenberg, Francis Bacon (19091992) Portrait of George Dyer Talking, Francis Bacon Work Sells for $70 Million at Christies Auction, "sGallery: A Gauguin and a van Gogh Change Hands", Andy Warhol's "Four Marlons" auction results, "Magritte 'Masterpiece' Sells for Record-Breaking $79.8 M. During Sotheby's Sale", "China auction sees Qi Baishi painting sell for $65m", "The buyer of 422.5 Million Qi Baishi painting revealed", "What Are The Top 10 Al-Thani Family Art Acquisitions? She tells BBC Culture, "Since then, Dianne Modestini continued to work on it. How many Leonardo da Vinci paintings are there? When Leonardo was about 15, his father, who enjoyed a high reputation in the Florentine community, apprenticed him to artist Andrea del Verrocchio. PETERSON-WITHORN: The person who ended up winning the auction was Armand Hammer, the 82-year-old multimillionaire chairman of oil and gas giant Occidental Petroleum. Christie's billed the painting as an original work by Leonardo da Vinci himself. Four hundred million selling here at Christies. What was Leonardo da Vincis personality like? The Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold At Auctions 10. Salvator Mundi, the long-lost Leonardo da Vinci painting of Jesus Christ commissioned by King Louis XII of France more than 500 years ago, has sold at Christies in New York for $450.3m, including auction house premium, shattering the world record for any work of art sold at auction. But when I saw it, it didn't sit comfortably with me as an autograph Leonardo." A New York Times story on the sale remarked that it was the highest price ever paid at auction for a manuscript. The world's most expensive painting to sell at auction is Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, which sold for $450.3 million on November 15, 2017 at Christie's.Shattering previous records and exceeding auction expectations, the sale underscored market demand for the artist's rare auction appearances, and the competition among collectors to own a work of such caliber and distinction. Gifted with a curious mind and a brilliant. We asked Robert, if the Codex if it went up for sale again, could it compete with the Mundi's price? And so I think it's, you know, not so much, Let's look at it and see what would happen if we took scissors to it and divided it up. But just to say, Here we have something of such significance, partly because it has survived 500 years without, you know, being destroyed.. The first is da Vinci's "The Last Supper," painted during his time in Milan, from about 1495 to 1498. DETAILS BELOW Leonardo da Vinci (born April 15, 1452) is famous for being painter. The winning bidder would later be revealed to be Saudi Arabia's Prince. Simon has said that it took a couple of years after they bought the painting to become convinced himself that he was dealing with an original work by Leonardo. Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci. So, in discussing what the Codex might be worth today, Robert Simon brought up a recent sale of a da Vinci, which was of a teeny, tiny three-inch by three-inch drawing of a bear's head, which sold in July of this year for $12 million. Two of his most important worksthe Battle of Anghiari and the Leda, neither of them completedhave survived only in copies. Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art When asked whether Salvator Mundis involvement in the Rybolovlev-Bouvier case might overshadow its sale, Christies postwar and contemporary chairman, Loc Gouzer, who secured the work with a $100m guarantee, said: We cannot comment about sellers, but it has every passport, every visa.. Whereas Picasso and Warhol became wealthy men, van Gogh is known to have sold only one painting in his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, for 400 French francs (approximately $2,000 in 2018 dollars) in 1890, to the Belgian impressionist painter and heiress Anna Boch. TINDERA: So keeping all of those things in mind and knowing what he does about the Codex today. The documentary covers much of the same ground as The Lost Leonardo, but less stylishly, with too many stock establishing shots of cities. We reported that same year that Gates envied his friend Warren Buffett, because he had more time to spend reading than Gates did. The disciples, devastated by Christ stating one of them would cause his death, convey their feelings dramatically through their body language. So first, we looked to experts in the world of rare books and manuscripts to learn about the qualities that make a book valuable. CBS CLIP, BILL GATES: Well, that's simply based on taking the stock I own in Microsoft and doing some type of multiplication. Finding a new one is rarer than finding a new planet, he said. As a master artist, Leonardo maintained an extensive workshop in Milan, employing apprentices and students. He also did not apply himself to higher mathematicsadvanced geometry and arithmeticuntil he was 30 years old, when he began to study it with diligent tenacity. This painting depicted St. Anne, her daughter the Virgin Mary, and the infant Jesus. The painting, which dates to around 1500, was lost to history for more than 200 years, was damaged and badly restored, and was sold and resold as a minor work, probably by a Leonardo acolyte. SIMON: And if you look at the illuminated manuscripts that are from, you know, missiles, and you know, these are Renaissance manuscripts, many of them have been broken apart. The collector acquired it from Bouvier for $127m, who had in turn acquired it from Sothebys in a private sale in 2013 for about $50m less. In the film, the art historian Frank Zllner, who has compiled a catalogue raisonn of Leonardo's paintings, wryly calls the Salvator Mundi "a masterpiece by Dianne Modestini," who made it "more Leonardesque than Leonardo had done." That's because da Vinci wrote it backwards, which is what he did for much of what he wrote. So if Saudi Arabia decides that culture is going to be the way it opens up and the Salvator Mundi is going to be a key player in that strategy and the Louvre is offering to exhibit it, then all those things are tied up together.". Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Amidst all these delightfully tangled histories, nothing rivals the Salvator Mundi. Also of note is the decorative ceiling painting (1498) he made for the Sala delle Asse in the Milan Castello Sforzesco. In this episode, we're taking you inside the world of rare books, manuscripts, and Old Masters works to tell you about how we've estimated the value of one very special notebook, with ties to the world's most expensive painting ever sold at auction: the Salvator Mundi. For this notebook, we considered values ranging from $50 million, all the way up to $4 billion. Somewhere in Saudi Arabia, hidden away by order of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, is the world's most expensive painting, Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi. Now There's No Sign of It", "Leonardo da Vinci Painting 'Salvator Mundi' Sells for $450.3 Million", "Billionaire Griffin Pays $500 Million for Two Paintings", Welt-online: Das Rtsel vom teuersten Bild aller Zeiten, "Qatar Purchases Czanne's The Card Players for More Than $250 Million, Highest Price Ever for a Work of Art", "Lawsuit Reveals Gauguin Painting Was Not World's Most Expensive", "Gauguin Painting Is Said to Fetch Nearly $300 Million", "Russian Billionaire Seeks to Pull Sotheby's Into Art-World Fight", "The tangled history of Klimt's '$170m' Water Serpents", "The Billionaire, the Dealer, and the $186 Million Rothko", Portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit by Rembrandt, an exceptionnal acquisition exhibited at the Muse du Louvre, "Buyer of record-setting Picasso painting revealed", "Picasso and Giacometti Artworks Top $120 Million Each at Christie's Sale", "Netherlands to buy Rembrandt Standard Bearer self-portrait", "The Netherlands Is Ready to Spend $198 Million to Bring a Rembrandt Self-Portrait Back Home for Good", "Chinese Taxi Driver Turned Billionaire Bought Modigliani Painting", "With $170.4 Million Sale at Auction, Modigliani Work Joins Rarefied Nine-Figure Club", A Pollock Is Sold, Possibly for a Record Price, "Auction Sales Down at Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips, in a Challenging 2016", "Agnes Gund Sells a Lichtenstein to Start Criminal Justice Fund", "Steve Cohen buys Roy Lichtenstein's 'Masterpiece' for $165 million", Lauder Pays $135 Million, a Record, for a Klimt Portrait, $616 Million Poorer, Hedge Fund Owner Still Buys Art, "The Gustav Klimt Painting Oprah Reportedly Sold for $150M Has Quite a Story", "Francis Bacon triptych smashes art auction record", Buyer of $142.4 Million Bacon Triptych Identified as Elaine Wynn, "Bacon's Study of Freud Sells for $142.4 Million", "Qi Baishi Just Became the First Chinese Artist to Break the $100 Million Mark at Auction", An Art Mystery Solved: Mogul Is 'Scream' Buyer, "A $100 Million Mystery: A Russian, His Art, and His Big Losses", "Planting a Johns 'Flag' in a Private Collection", "Who Bought the Brody Picasso for $106m?