Portrait of Christ Leonardo da Vinci. Almost detective story: how was the picture of Leonardo da Vinci

Portrait of Christ Leonardo da Vinci. Almost detective story: how was the picture of Leonardo da Vinci
Portrait of Christ Leonardo da Vinci. Almost detective story: how was the picture of Leonardo da Vinci


The other day the auction was to take place, the most important lot on which the picture of Leonardo da Vinci "Savior of the World" became the most important lot. The canvas called the "biggest opening of the XXI century", "Male Mono Liza". The history of its detection can be called almost a detective.



Leonardo da Vinci wrote Salvator Mundi ("Savior of the World") about 1500. At first, it belonged to the king of England Carlo I, as evidenced by entries in the inventory books of the time. Then traces of the canvas were lost. The picture was discovered only in the middle of the twentieth century, but art historians in one voice stated that this is not the original Da Vinci, but the work of one of his disciples. The image of the face and hair of Jesus did not correspond to the technique of Leonardo.

Because of this, at the Kristis auction, this picture left the hammer for only 45 pounds. In 2004, Robert Simon - an expert and a connoisseur of vintage canvases became its new owner. It was from his doubts about the "Savior of the world".


Restorer Dianne Modestini recalls with what a thrill in 2007 she removed the upper layers of paint in the picture: "My hands trembled. I walked home and did not know if I was crazy ".

Expert in the field of painting Renaissance Martin Kemp noted: "It was quite clear that this is the same person who created Mona Lisa. This is such a supernatural whirlwind, as if the hair is a living, moving substance or water, so wrote Hair Leonardo ".


Picture "Savior of the world" in the Christie auction house "s. | Photo: dailymail.co.uk.



"Savior of the World" is the last picture of da Vinci, which is in a private, not a museum collection. The current owner of the painting Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev plans to rescue at least $ 100 million for it.

Leonardo da Vinci. Savior world. About 1500 G. Louvre in Abu Dhabi

At the end of 2017, the art historical world survived double shock. Work was put up for sale. And such an event can wait another 1000 years.

Yes, she was sold in almost half a billion dollars. This is unlikely to ever repeat.

But after these news, they did not all have time to consider the picture of the "Savior of the world" *. But she is full of very entertaining details.

Some of them say that the masterpiece really wrote Leonardo. Others, on the contrary, are forced to doubt that this genius created it.

1. Sphumato

As you know, Sphumato invented Leonardo. Thanks to him, the heroes of paintings evolved from painted dolls to almost living people.

He achieved this, realizing that there are no lines in the real world. So, in the picture they should not be either. The outlines of persons and hands from Leonardo became rustic, in the form of soft transitions from light to the shade. It was in this technique that his famous has been created.

In the Savior, Sphumato is also there. And it is hypertrophy. We see the face of Jesus as if in the fog.

Nevertheless, the "Savior" is called the Men's version of the "Mona Lisa". Partly due to similar features. Here you can agree. Looks like eyes, and nose, and upper lip.

And also because of the Sphumato. Although if you put them near, immediately striking that the Savior's face we see how through a thick fog.



Right: Mona Lisa (fragment). 1503-1519.

So this is the detail twofold. It seems she speaks about the authorship of Leonardo. But too intrusive. As if someone made up the master, but moved.

Something else unites "Mona Lisa" and "Savior."

Leonardo was inclined to give his heroes androgynic features. His male characters have female signs. Remember at least angel in the painting "Madonna in the rocks". At the Savior, the features of the face are also pretty soft.


Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna in the rocks (fragment). 1483-1486 Louvre, Paris

2. Ball as a symbol of our world

The brightest detail of the picture, besides the face of Jesus, is a glass bowl.

Someone the ball in the hands of the Savior may seem unusual. After all, before the discovery of the Columbus of America in 1492, people believed that the land was flat. Does new knowledge spread so quickly throughout Europe?

After all, if you take other "saviors" of that time, it becomes clear that the image is repeated. Both German artists and Dutch.


Left: Durer. Savior of the world (unfinished). 1505 Metropolitan Museum, New York. Right: Yos van der Beck. Savior world. 1516-1518. Louvre, Paris

The fact is that the sphericity of the earth was known to the ancient Greeks. Educated Europeans were also convinced of this in the Middle Ages, and in the Renaissance Epoch.

We mistakenly believe that only the travels of Columbus people realized their misconception. The theory of flat land existed always in parallel the theory of its sphericity.

Even now there are those who will convince you that the Earth is a quadril, covered with a dome.

Another remarkable item has a hand that holds a ball.

With close review, we can consider a penimension. This is when the artist's changes are visible to the unarmed look.

Please note that the palm was originally less, but the master was wider.


Leonardo da Vinci. Detail of the Savior of the world (glass ball). About 1500 G. Louvre in Abu Dhabi

Experts believe that the presence of a penimension always indicate authorship.

But this is a stick about two ends. It is possible that the hand wrote the student. And Leonardo only corrected it.

3. Composition of the Savior

This is just that item that speaks against the originality of the picture.

The fact is that you will not find any portrait of Leonardo, wherever he depict the hero in a clear face. His figures are always addressed to us in half turn. It does not matter if you take early work or the newest one.

Leonardo did it intentionally. A more difficult pose, he tried to breathe life into his hero, giving figures at least a little dynamics.



Left: Portrait of Ginevar Benchi. 1476 National Gallery of Washington. Right: Saint John the Baptist. 1513-1516. Louvre, Paris

4. Leonard skill

As an an anoma, Leonardo, the hands of the pictures were very well managed. The right hand is really written very skillfully.

Leonardov's clothing is shown. Naturally disclaimed folds of shirts and sleeves. Moreover, these parts coincide with the preliminary sketches of the wizard, which are stored in Windsor Castle.


Drawings Leonardo da Vinci. About 1500. Royal collection, Windsor Castle, London

It is enough to compare the "Savior" Leonardo with the work of his student. Mastery is immediately visible in contrast.


5. Leonardov colors

The National London Gallery stores the Leonard "Madonna in the cliffs". It was this museum first recognized the originality of the "Savior of the World". The fact is that the gallery staff had a good argument.

The analysis of the pigments of the "Savior" paint showed that it is absolutely identical to the paints of Madonna in the rocks.


Right: Fragment of the painting "Madonna in the rocks". 1499-1508 National London Gallery.

Yes, despite damage to the colorful layer, the colors and the truth is the masterfully chosen.

But the same fact easily proves another. The picture was created by a student Leonardo, which was quite logical to use the same paints as the master himself.

You can guess for a long time, if Leonardo "Savior" wrote "from and to". Or just corrected the brainchild of his student.

But for 500 years the picture was badly damaged. Yes, and the mountain-owners presented to Jesus a beard with a mustache. Apparently, they were not satisfied with the Androgic view of the "Savior".

As a result, in the middle of the 20th century, it was completely sold at auction for 45 dollars. It was crying so much.

But in the 2000s, the picture was restored. After 6 years of painstaking work. Having done everything possible to be again similar to Leonardo's creation.

Alas, in this case, it is rather the work of the restorer, and not the Master of the Renaissance.

* At the end of March 2019, the media appeared reports that the picture disappeared from the museum to Abu Dhabi. She is no longer exposed to everyone's review.

Leading world art historians express the deepest regret, as it is not to be able to see such a masterpiece - a big misfortune for art lovers.

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The painting "Savior of the World" was written by Leonardo da Vinci in 1499. The artist depicted Christ. With his right hand, he blesses all living, left hand holding a symbolic globe.
This is the only picture of Leonardo da Vinci heritage, located in the private collection.
During the 17th - 19th centuries, she was considered lost. He stated itself in 2004 at the "Christies" auction, and was acquired by a collector of ancient paintings by Robert Simon as the work of one of the students da Vinci.
In 2007, Simon appealed to the Metro Museum with a request to explore the details of its creation.
Experts concluded that this work belongs to the brush da Vinci.
After a thorough multiple rechecification, the assumption was confirmed.
In 2011, at the exhibition of works by Leonardo da Vinci, this picture first saw the public.
In 2013, the Savior of the world was again presented at the auction - he acquired an art dealer from Switzerland for the confident assured Leonardo da Vinci for 80 million dollars, immediately resold to the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlevu for 127, 5 million.
In November 2017, in New York at the public auction, the owner provided the opportunity to fight wishing for this picture. It was sold for 450 million 312 thousand 500 dollars. The buyer remained unknown.

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Pattern Leonardo da Vinci Savior of the world: description, biography of the artist, customer reviews, other works of the author. Large catalog of Leonardo da Vinci paintings on the website of the online store BigArtShop.

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Leonardo da Vinci is an Italian scientist, inventor, artist, writer.

Born in the family of notary. Soon after the birth of the son, the father left the family, marrying a rich woman. Leonardo The first years of his life was brought up by his mother, a simple peasant, then his father took the boy to himself. When Leonardo turned 13 years old, stepmother died. Father married once again, and again became a widow. Son he wanted to see the successor of his business, but in Leonardo in his youthful age, the talent of the artist manifested itself, and his father still sends him to Florence to Andrea Verokko's workshop. In addition to class sculpture, drawing, modeling, Leonardo is mastered by humanitarian science, chemistry, drawing, metallurgy.

At 20, Leonardo da Vinci received the qualification of the master, assigned to him the guild of St. Luke. His teacher Andrea Del Verrocko trusts a talented student to take part in his work, allows you to accept orders for paintings.

The next period of the life of Leonardo is characterized by the hobby of Madonna.

In 1481, on the order of the monastery of San Donato, Leonardo starts work on the picture "Worshi". Suddenly interrupted the work (Leonardo was inclined to throw the job unfinished), the artist leaves Florence. The cause of the departure was the unfavorable attitude towards him of the Medici family, which was then in power.

Leonardo goes to Milan to the courtyard of Sforza. There he plays on the lute, becomes known as the inventor of weapons.

In Milan, Leonardo proceeds to the creation of a "treatise on painting". This work lasted until the death of the genius.

In 1483 he receives an order for the painting of the altar from the Franciscan fraternity of the immaculate conception. For three years fulfills it. Interesting is the fact that about the payment he had to go to court, the trial lasted 25 years.

Leonardo receives orders from Sforza: Becoming a court artist, writes portraits.

Yes Vinci invents rolling mill, the car for the production of files, the machine for the selection of Sukna. Also during this period, Leonardo creates sketches of temples, takes part in the construction of the Milan Cathedral. They developed a city sewer system, amelioration work was carried out.

From 1495 to 1498, Leonardo is working on the "Last Supper".

After the loss of the Sforce's power in 1499, Leonardo returns to Florence.

In 1502, Leonardo becomes an architect and chief engineer in the service of Cesare Bordjia. During this period, Da Vinci designs channels for drying the marshes, creates military maps.

In 1503, working on the portrait of Mona Lisa begins.

The next decade of Leonardo writes little, trying to give more time anatomy, mathematics and mechanics.

In 1513, Leonardo moves to Rome under the patronage of Juliano Medici. Here for three years, he studies the manufacture of mirrors, mathematics, explores the human voice and creates new formulations of paints.

In 1517, after the death of Medici, Leonardo becomes a court artist in Paris. Here it works on amelioration, hydrography and very often communicates with the king of Francis I.

At the age of 67, Leonardo da Vinci died. His body was buried in the church of Saint Florent-Ten, but the grave during perennial wars was lost.

The texture of the canvas, high-quality paints and widescreen printing allow our reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci do not yield to the original. Canvas will be stretched to a special subframe, after which the picture can be messed up in the chosen baguette.

The painting "Salvator Mundi" or "Savior of the World" - 500-year-old work, confidently attributed by Leonardo da Vinci, - sold on November 15, 2017 at Christie's auction in New York for $ 450 million, $ 40,100 (including a premium). The image of Jesus Christ, which was already dubbed by the "Male Mono Lisa", was not only a record holder among the picturesque works in public auctions, but the most expensive picture on the planet, "said Vlad Maslov's artistic artist on the art of" Arthive ". Now it is known only less than 20 pictures of the genius of the Renaissance, and the "Savior of the World" - the last remaining in private hands. Others belong to museums and institutions.

Leonardo da Vinci. Savior of the world (Salvator Mundi). 1500, 65.7 × 45.7 cm

The work is called the "greatest artistic discovery" of the last century. Almost a thousand collectors, antiques, advisers, journalists and spectators gathered for trading in the main auction hall of the Rockefeller Center. A few more thousands watched selling live. Battle of rates began with $ 100 million and lasted less than 20 minutes. After the price from 332 million dollars in one step increased to 350 million, the battle was only two applicants. The price of 450 million, called the buyer by phone, became final. At the moment, the identity of the new owner is the historical picture - including the floor and even the region of residence - are preserved in secret.

The previous record at open auction was set by the Pablo Picasso Picasso Picasso cloth (ON) - $ 179.4 million on the sale of Christie's in New York in 2015.

The highest price for the work of any of the old masters was paid at Sotheby's auction in 2002 - $ 76.7 million for the "beating of babies" Peter Paul Rubens. The canvas belongs to a private collector, but exhibited in the art gallery Ontario in Toronto.

And the most expensive work of Da Vinci himself became a drawing of a silver needle "Horse and Rider" - $ 11.5 million for sale in 2001.

Although the current owner of the "Savior of the world" still keeps incognito, the seller's name is known. This is a billionaire of Russian origin Dmitry Rybolovlev - the Chief of the Football Club as Monaco. In the study of Provenance, the experts managed to find out that the "Savior of the world" was sold in 1958 as an estimated copy of only 45 pounds of sterling (60 dollars at current prices). After that, he disappeared for decades and reappeared at the US Regional Auction in 2005 without attribution. Presumably, the price was less than 10 thousand dollars. In 2011, many years of research and restoration, the picture appeared at the exhibition in the National Gallery in London, which finally secured the authorship of Leonardo da Vinci.

In 2007 - 2010, the Savior of the World Restored Diana Modestini from New York. "Roughly superimposed and distorting late layers were removed, and damaged fragments carefully and scrupulously restored," Christie's experts write, adding that such losses are "expected in most paintings over 500 years old."

What other secrets have encrypted the legendary master in their works?

website It offers to discover the amazing world of the Great Artist.

1. Error in the picture of Salvator Mundi ("Savior of the world")


If you look at the picture, you can see that the sphere in the hands of Jesus is transparent. But who, as not Leonardo, who studied optics along and across, was to know that the background behind the crystal sphere could not be such. It should increase and become fuzzy. Why did the great artist allowed such a mistake, it is not known for sure.

2. Amazing fact about the "Last Evening"




What can be united by Judas and Jesus in this canvase? There is a parable, according to which the same man had the same person for both. Unfortunately, who it was for sure, did not come to this day.

However, according to the legend, Da Vinci found his Jesus in the church choir, where he served as singers. Later, when the fresco was almost completed and the Master could not find anyone for the image of Judas, Leonardo noticed a very drunk man in a ditch with traces of a rampant life on his face. When Da Vinci completed the image of Judah, the fitter admitted that he was familiar to this image and he posed an artist 3 years ago as Jesus.

3. Another amazing fact about the "secret evening"




Another interesting nuance of this frescoes. Next to Juda lies tilted solonka. Interestingly, this fact may be a visual example of believing that the salt was bred to trouble. After all, a moment is depicted on the canvas when Jesus says that one of the gathered betrayed him.

4. Did this work picture of Leonardo da Vinci?


A picture "Portrait of Isabella d'Esthe" was found, which, according to scientists, belongs to the brush of a genius artist. This indicates the pigment and primer, identical to other pictures of Leonardo, as well as the image of a woman, incredibly similar to Mono Lisa (in particular a smile).

5. Lady with ermine?



"Lady with the mountain" passed through the new scanning technique and surprised scientists by the fact that it turns out, it was not always with the ermine. At least 2 options for the paintings were drawn on the same canvas, before it took the view known to us now. The first option is without ermine, and the second is with a completely different animal.

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