Pierluigi Panza's Book Traces the Turbulent History of the Salvator Mundi

Journalist and critic Pierluigi Panza has published "L'ultimo Leonardo" (Utet, 2018), a meticulous investigation into the provenance and controversial attribution of the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold. The work, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, was auctioned by Christie's in New York on November 15, 2017, for $450 million. Panza traces the painting's journey from a 1958 Sotheby's sale as a "copy by Boltraffio" for £45 to its consecration as a Leonardo at the National Gallery in 2011. The book examines the lack of documentary evidence for Leonardo's authorship, the role of restorer Dianne Dweyer Modestini, and the painting's passage through the hands of dealer Robert Simon (who bought it for $10,000 in 2005), a Swiss businessman, and a Russian magnate. After the Christie's sale, it was revealed that the buyer was a Saudi prince, but later the UAE claimed ownership, planning to exhibit it at the Louvre Abu Dhabi on September 18, 2018—a display that never occurred. Panza describes the Salvator Mundi as a "bond," signaling a new era of hyper-mediated art market driven by sensationalism over historical truth.