How did a painting that sold for 130,000 yen become worth 51 billion yen in 12 years?
Who determines the value of art, and how? Do value and price correlate?
"Salvator Mundi," the male version of the Mona Lisa, which garnered attention as the discovery of the last Leonardo da Vinci work and later became a sensation when it sold for a record-breaking 51 billion yen, is the subject of this book.
Tracing its mysterious history reveals the dark side of the art world. A shocking non-fiction!
Gallerists, auctioneers, collectors, restorers, critics, and the ultra-wealthy who secretly buy and sell paintings using free ports in tax havens—what did the various desires surrounding this 51 billion yen "masterpiece" reveal?
Includes numerous valuable color images, such as images of the painting in its "severely damaged" state before restoration, sketches drawn by Da Vinci for "Salvator Mundi," and reproductions by his disciples.
[Content] Interest in Leonardo da Vinci is growing 500 years after his death. His legendary masterpiece, "Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World)," initially sold for a mere $1,175 (approximately 130,000 yen) upon its reappearance on the art market after 100 years. However, 12 years later, in 2017, it was sold at Christie's auction for a record-breaking $450.3 million (approximately 51 billion yen), the highest price ever paid for a work of art.
Where was this masterpiece, Da Vinci's last privately owned work, which had been missing for so long? Who bought it? And is it even truly a genuine Da Vinci? The world was captivated by this enigmatic "male Mona Lisa."
This small painting of Christ, created around 1500, traces its history from the execution of King Charles I of England in 1649, through the hands of an unknown, benevolent American art lover in the 20th century, to its reappearance on the world stage.
After a "severely damaged" artwork was restored and deemed authentic, it was put up for auction again by its new owner, a Russian billionaire, and ultimately purchased by a mysterious figure in Saudi Arabia. Behind this "last Da Vinci" lies a complex web of history, economics, and politics, involving various individuals and organizations—like something out of a detective novel!
[Profile]
Author: Ben Lewis
Active primarily in his native Britain as an author, documentary filmmaker, and art critic.
His works include *Hammer and Tickle* (2008), a satire of communist regimes, and the documentary film and television series *Art Safari* (2003-05), which discusses contemporary art.
Translator: Hayato Uesugi
Translator (English-Japanese, Japanese-English), editor, and English/translation instructor. Graduated from Waseda University, Faculty of Education, Department of English Language and Literature, and completed the postgraduate course (the predecessor of the current graduate school). His translations include the complete Star Wars series (I-IX), Avengers: Endgame (Kodansha), and many others.
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