Louvre Abu Dhabi Director Confirms Salvator Mundi Acquisition, Reports Record Attendance

In an interview with Artribune, Jean François Charnier, scientific director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, discussed the museum's first month since opening. Designed by Jean Nouvel, the museum attracted over 600 journalists from around the world during its opening. Charnier highlighted the enormous public attendance, noting that many visitors traveled specifically to Abu Dhabi to see the museum. He also addressed criticism that the exhibition layout appears as a miscellany without a clear cultural project. Most notably, Charnier confirmed the museum's purchase of Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi for $450 million at Christie's New York, ending speculation about a Saudi prince as buyer. The painting will arrive in Abu Dhabi in a few weeks and become the museum's most iconic work.