US intelligence assessments seen by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal identified Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the heir to the Saudi throne, as the buyer of the Renaissance artist’s work.
Reports initially identified the buyer of Salvator Mundi, Italian for Saviour of the World, as Prince Bader bin Abdullah, an ally of Prince Mohammed but he is now believed to have been acting as an intermediary.
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism announced this week that it has acquired Leonardo da Vinci’s painting and that it will go on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Displaying the artwork in the Arab state will be controversial as Muslims believe Jesus is a prophet rather than the Saviour and some conservative scholars frown on or condemn the portrayal of God’s messengers in artwork.
The masterpiece has been hailed as one of the greatest artistic rediscoveries of the last 100 years.
At the time of the sale in November, the buyer was unidentified and was involved in a bidding contest, via telephone, that lasted nearly 20 minutes.
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