9780008313456_

In 2017 the Salvator Mundi was sold at auction for 450m. But is it a real da Vinci? In a thrilling narrative built on formidable research, Ben Lewis tracks the extraordinary journey of a masterpiece lost and found, lied and fought over across the centuries.

In 2017, Leonardo da Vincis small oil painting, the Salvator Mundi was sold at auction for 450m. In the words of its discoverer, the image of Christ as saviour of the world is the rarest thing on the planet by the greatest human being who ever lived. Its dazzling price also makes it the worlds most expensive painting.

For two centuries art dealers had searched in vain for the Holy Grail of art history: a portrait of Christ as the Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci. Many similar paintings of greatly varying quality had been executed by Leonardos assistants in the first half of the sixteenth century. But where was the original by the master himself?

In November 2017, Christies auction house announced they had it. But did they? The Last Leonardo tells a thrilling tale of a spellbinding icon invested with the power to make or break the reputations of scholars, billionaires, kings and sheikhs. Lewis takes us to Leonardos studio in Renaissance Italy; to the court of Charles I and the English Civil War; to Holland, Moscow and Louisiana; to the galleries, salerooms and restorers workshop as the painting slowly, painstakingly, emerged from obscurity. The vicissitudes of the highly secretive art market are charted across five centuries. It is a twisting tale of geniuses and oligarchs, double-crossings and disappearances, where were never quite certain what to believe. Above all, it is an adventure story about the search for lost treasure, and a quest for the truth.

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The Last Leonardo by Ben Lewis is not just a biography, its a thrilling journey into the world of artists, collectors, and the high stakes of the secretive art market. Its a tale of corruption, misconduct, and the relentless pursuit of the truth.

For fans of Anne Applebaum (Red Famine), Antony Beevor (The Battle for Spain), Matthew J. Goodwin (Values, Voice and Virtue), Peter Pomerantsev (Nothing is True and Everything is Possible), and Marcus Berkmann (How to Be a Writer).

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For fans of Anne Applebaum (Red Famine), Antony Beevor (Arnhem), Matthew J. Goodwin (Values, Voice and Virtue), Peter Pomerantsev (Nothing is True and Everything is Possible), and Marcus Berkmann (How to Be a Writer).

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The Last Leonardo: The Secret Lives of the Worlds Most Expensive Painting

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