Film Review: Savior for Sale
Savior for Sale, Courtesy of Zadig Productions
SAVIOR FOR SALE: DA VINCI’S LOST MASTERPIECE? (2021) DIR. ANTOINE VITKINE
Written by Belle McIntyre
It is not surprising that the rumors of an unknown painting by the most famous artist in the history of art would cause a feeding frenzy of curiosity in the art world among historians, curators, experts, museums, dealers, and collectors. The origin of a painting of a Christ figure on a wooden panel found in an auction house in New Orleans and bought for under $2000 in 2005 by a New York art dealer is not as auspicious as the journey which brought it to auction for 450 million dollars in 2017, making it the most expensive painting ever sold at auction.
Savior for Sale, Courtesy of Zadig Productions
The film takes us along for the ride as an unravelling mystery as to the authenticity of what is surely a strange looking painting, yet remarkably similar to Da Vinci’s most famous work, the Mona Lisa. The cast of characters and institutions who felt compelled to weigh in on the work are a varied and colorful lot with a wide range of motivations. It was simultaneously alluring and high-risk. We are introduced to the erudite, the pompous, and earnest experts and curators, the dedicated scientists, and restorers. The least savory of this lot are the dealers lured by the prospect of profit and the merchants, who shamelessly promoted the work in unseemly ways.
Savior for Sale, Courtesy of Zadig Productions
Savior for Sale, Courtesy of Zadig Productions
The painting was first shown at the National Gallery in 2011 included in a Da Vinci exhibition. But questions were still swirling and the painting remained unsold until the brash Loïc Gouzer of Christies organized a blockbuster exhibition of the painting which brazenly pandered to everyman. The crowds came in droves to be moved by the dramatic presentation which brought many to tears of ecstasy. Unknown to the viewers, their reactions were being filmed as part of the promotion. Anyway, it worked. The painting was sold via a sleazy Russian oligarch to the ultimate client, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Muhammad bin Saud under a veil of deepest secrecy.
Savior for Sale, Courtesy of Zadig Productions
The painting only surfaced when it was offered to the Louvre for a Da Vinci Exhibit in 2019. The demands by the prince that it be shown next to the Mona Lisa were hugely controversial and ultimately rejected, with President Macron weighing in on the decision, calling the authenticity into question. It was returned and will probably have its next viewing in the grandiose Al-Ula Cultural Development being planned by the Prince in Saudi Arabia. Until then, it is rumored to be stored on the Prince’s yacht. What a long, strange trip it has been and the mystery lingers on.
Savior for Sale, Courtesy of Zadig Productions
