Report: Saudi Prince Revealed as Mystery Buyer of da Vinci Painting
BUT WHY?
The painting sold for a record $450.3 million last month.
PETER NICHOLLS/REUTERS / Reuters
A Saudi prince has been revealed as the mystery buyer of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Salvator Mundi, or “Savior of the World,” at an auction last month. The New York Times reports the painting was sold—for a record $450.3 million—to Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud, who is not known to be an art collector. Bader is close with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who has been leading an anti-corruption purge in the country. The Louvre branch in Abu Dhabi will house the painting, the museum said.
