Starring:
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Runtime: 96 mins. Reviewed in Dec 2021
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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The mystery surrounding the Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World), the first painting by Leonardo da Vinci to be discovered for more than a century, which has now seemingly gone missing.
The painting in question is Salvator Mundi, Saviour of the World, allegedly by Leonardo da Vinci.
For audiences who follow the art world, the information provided in this film will be familiar. However, it provides an effective summary of the events, the great range of talking heads from experts on da Vinci, experts on art restoration, seekers for ‘sleepers’ (significant works of art that seem to have disappeared), art dealers, gallery directors, and FBI art investigation fraud experts.
For audiences who are not familiar with this story (including this reviewer), it plays as a detective story, a tangled investigation involving many opinions and conflicts, and, eventually, an entry into the world of politics, especially between France and Saudi Arabia.
A ‘sleeper’ came across the painting in New Orleans, contacted a friend, paid $1100 for the painting and was struck by the similarities to da Vinci’s work. This led them to art experts, especially Diane Modestino, who, with her husband, is an art restorer. She did a restoration of the painting.
The first part of the film shows us the workings of the art world. There are some who are taken by the resemblances to da Vinci’s work leading them to claim that it is his lost Saviour of the World. There are many naysayers, one particularly obnoxious art critic, Jerry Saltz, who comes across as a loquacious mocking American, ridiculing the whole enterprise. However, the director of the National Gallery in London affirms the authenticity and fosters an exhibition, drawing crowds. As with later exhibitions in New York City, a wry comment is made that the crowds came not to see the painting but to have a reputation of having seen the painting.
A second part of the film is world of business, a dizzying experience with the range of international dealers, the world of auctions, not very flattering presentation of the business interests of Christie’s auctions, wheeling and dealing, commentaries by journalists…
The third part of the film takes into the world politics, the investigation as to who paid $450 million anonymously at a Christie’s auction for the painting, took ownership of it – and the painting disappearing. It emerges that it is the Saudi Prince, with speculation about his intentions.
So, a world beyond our everyday experience, the authenticity of art and the provenance of the painting, restoration, the increasing evaluation of the price, auctions, private ownership, exhibition. The film is an excursion into this world beyond.
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