L'AUDACE

MBS Pressured France to Lie About Phony Da Vinci Painting

The Saudi Crown crown prince, who purchased the painting for $450 million, demanded it be presented as a “100 percent Leonardo da Vinci” despite an analysis that proved otherwise.

A new documentary will reportedly reveal that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressured the French government and Louvre museum to lie about the authenticity of the world’s most expensive painting, the “Salvator Mundi,” which he purchased in 2017. Set to debut next week, the documentary features officials alleging that Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian lobbied on behalf of the crown prince, who demanded the painting be displayed next to the Mona Lisa as a “100 percent Leonardo da Vinci” to save himself from the public embarrassment of having spent $450 million on a fake.

The Louvre’s technical lab had reportedly concluded that it was not a full Da Vinci painting in 2019, and immediately informed its owners of the verdict. President Emmanuel Macron ultimately rejected Saudi demands, and the painting was never exhibited at the Louvre.