9781984819253_
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An epic quest exposes hidden truths about Leonardo da Vincis Salvator Mundi, the recently discovered masterpiece that sold for 450 millionand might not be the real thing.

In 2017, Leonardo da Vincis small oil painting the Salvator Mundi was sold at auction. In the words of its discoverer, the image of Christ as savior of the world is the rarest thing on the planet. Its 450 million sale 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 early 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. Ben Lewis takes us to Leonardos studio in Renaissance Italy; to the court of Charles I and the English Civil War; to Amsterdam, Moscow, and New Orleans; 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 six centuries. It is a twisting tale of geniuses and oligarchs, double-crossings and disappearances, in which 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.

Praise for The Last Leonardo

The story of the worlds most expensive painting is narrated with great gusto and formidably researched detail in Ben Lewiss book. . . . Lewiss probings of the Salvators backstory raise questions about its historical status and visibility, and these lead in turn to the fundamental question of whether the painting is really an autograph work by Leonardo.Charles Nicholl, The Guardian

As the art historian and critic Ben Lewis shows in his forensically detailed and gripping investigation into the history, discovery and sales of the painting, establishing the truth is like nailing down jelly. Michael Prodger, The Sunday Times

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