The Louvre Abu Dhabi postpones display of Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi

The painting titled Salvator Mundi attributed to Leonardo da Vinci was acquired by Saudi prince Bader al Saud for the staggering sum of 450 million dollars, making it the most expensive painting sold at auction in the history of art to date. The prince gave the work to the Louvre Abu Dhabi so it could be exhibited. Its unveiling had originally been scheduled for September 18, but a study that calls into question the origin of the painting seems to be the reason for the delay in showing the work. Nonetheless, local sources believe that it will be shown in November during the anniversary of the museum. Despite doubts about its authenticity, experts have attributed the work to Da Vinci, alluding to the compositional similitudes with Mona Lisa. It is believed that the painting was created by Da Vinci for King Louis XII of France around 1500. The work was kept for a while in one of the private rooms of Henrietta Maria of France, wife of King Charles I of England, disappearing in 1736 and reappearing in 1900, when Sir Charles Robinson acquired it believing that it belonged to one of Leonardo da Vinci's disciples. The painting was included in the exhibition titled "Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan, organized by the National Gallery in London in November of 2011, which established its acceptance as a legitimate work by Da Vinci after several years of research. In this manner, Salvator Mundi becomes the only work by Leonardo da Vinci to be part of a private collection.