From Leonardo to Raphael: Art World's Obsession with Old Masters Continues

The article reflects on the aftermath of the 'Leonardo Year' and the controversies surrounding the Salvator Mundi, which was acquired by the UAE in 2017 but failed to appear at the Paris Leonardo exhibition, replaced by a workshop version. The Mona Lisa's temporary relocation to the Louvre's Rubens gallery disrupted the viewing of Rubens' Medici cycle, prompting New York Times critic Jason Farago to propose moving the painting to an external pavilion. False attributions included a 16th-century portrait from Château de Valençay falsely claimed as Leonardo's portrait of Machiavelli. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni controversially claimed Leonardo's Italianness, despite his universal stature. Positive Leonardo events included the Ambrosiana drawing exhibition, the Verrocchio show at Palazzo Strozzi, and the new Leonardo galleries at Milan's Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia. The article anticipates the upcoming Raphael exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in 2020, noting its impressive loan list, and humorously suggests a Caravaggio or Cimabue discovery might follow.