Unknown Leonardo masterpiece, or "well thought-out marketing operation"?
ARTinvestment.RU   12 июля 2011

In late June, ARTnews magazine reported on the unexpected discovery of Leonardo da Vinci «Salvator Mundi» («The Savior of the world"), for many years considered lost. In pursuit of the sensational media often publish information not officially confirmed, but deserves attention is the message, especially considering that these days one of the owners of paintings, a New York dealer Robert Simon (Robert Simon), made the first official statement regarding the provenance, integrity and authorship of the work.

Message reads: "The picture from research scientists have come to a solid unanimous opinion that the work of" Savior of the World "was written by Leonardo da Vinci, and it is the only original picture, which was made a lot of copies. slightly Experts disagree about the dating of the work. Most believe that it was written in Milanese period Leonardo, in the late 1490's, at the same time, when the artist was finishing work on the "Last Supper." Others think that the "Savior of the World" was written a little later in Florence, where Leonardo moved in 1500, ie during the creation of the Mona Lisa ».

has recently become known for certain that the painting" The Saviour of the world "will participate in the exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci in London's National Gallery, which opens on November 9 and will run until February 5, 2012. Last year, an exhibition gallery has announced "Leonardo da Vinci: court painter of Milan, "as the most complete collection of rare works by the master, for which London will bring" Beautiful Ferroneru "from the Louvre," Madonna and Child "from the Hermitage, as well as" Saint Jerome "from the Pinakothek Vatican in Rome . The mere fact that the curators agreed to provide the "Savior of the world" in the walls near the recognized masterpieces of Leonardo, says a lot. The work will be shown to the public for the first time.

If the application is true, Robert Simon , then we have to deal with finding the century, because to have survived only about 15 paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. Among them are works that are attributed to the artist by most scientists, but not unanimously. For example, this painting "Lady with an Ermine" from the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow. This work is the same as the "Savior of the world", will be on display at the National Gallery. Curators gave 800 thousand dollars for her to borrow for three months in Krakow.

It would be desirable, of course, clarity about who exactly has confirmed the attribution of the painting "The Saviour of the world" by Leonardo da Vinci. While the present published to date information and opinions.

first known documented owner "Savior of the world," according to no one source of ARTnews, is an English King Charles I. After his death the painting passed to Charles II. Further traces of the lost almost two centuries. In the XIX century it was acquired by British collector Sir Francis Cook (1817-1901), in the collection of which were outstanding works by Fra Angelico (Fra Angelico), Filippo Lippi (Filippo Lippi), Jan van Eyck (Jan van Eyck), Velázquez (Velazquez) and Rembrandt (Rembrandt). In the late 1940s, the collection of Francis Cook was presented at the exhibition somewhere in England. Exhibited and "Savior of the world", in an explanatory card which stated only "The Milan school (around 1500)." In 1958 the owners collection of Cook sold the painting at Sotheby's in London for 45 pounds. In the auction catalog author student named Leonardo Giovanni Boltraffio (Giovanni Boltraffio).

Who was the happy owner of 45 pounds in 1958, unknown; finally in 2005 at the auction items from a certain collection of American art group bought it dealers. As Bloomberg reported citing two anonymous sources, the current owners are American paintings dealer Alex Parrish (Alex Parish) and at least another two people. ARTnews article in the owners also include dealer Robert Simon, who, quoting an anonymous source , first saw the work at the auction and decided to buy it. In an interview with Bloomberg himself, Simon says that "coordinates research and represents the interests of owners».

«Savior of the world" ("Salvator Mundi») - a fairly common theme in the iconography of Jesus Christ. came to him Jan van Eyck and Albrecht Durer, and many masters of the Italian Renaissance. Christ is depicted with a raised in a gesture of blessing with his right hand and power - the symbol of the Earth - on the left. The work, attributed to Leonardo, executed peanut butter on a board measuring approximately 65 by 45 inches.

told ARTnews a person close to the Met, Robert Simon brought a picture of the "Savior of the world" on the expertise of several curators and conservators of the museum a couple of years ago. According to the source, "now in the past were often tinted so it looked like a copy. The surface cracked and darkened. The work of ignorant people repeatedly cleaned. And one restorer covered it with a synthetic resin, which turned gray with age, and had to take it off with great difficulty. But when the extra colorful layers have been removed, appeared remarkably fine original paintings. All agreed that it is the hand of Leonardo ».

last year showed a picture of the specialists of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Curator of Painting Frederick Ilhman (Frederick Ilchman) declined to comment for ARTnews.

About 18 months ago, "Savior of the world" brought to the National Gallery. Director Nicholas Penny (Nicholas Penny) and the curator of the upcoming exhibition of works by Leonardo Luke Syson (Luke Syson) have invited four experts on the great masters of painting. These were the curator of paintings and drawings of the Metropolitan Museum Bamba Carmen (Carmen C. Bambach); leading restorer of murals, "The Last Supper" in Milan by Pietro Marani (Pietro Marani); author numerous books on the history of the Renaissance, including biographies Boltraffio, Maria Teresa Fiore (Maria Teresa Fiorio); as well as professor emeritus of art history at Oxford University Camp Martin (Martin Kemp), who has spent 40 years studying the heritage of Leonardo da Vinci.

< p class = "mat1"> «Everyone was very excited - told a scientist about how to be examined - some people react more cautiously, but in general the work was accepted. Clothes of Christ written by the most delicate blue. The work was heavily damaged and tinted, which is not surprising to Old Master paintings, which restored many times. Many fragments of the original image is lost. The status of work is not flawless, but the picture still impresses ».

As we see, none of the scientists to prove the authenticity of the paintings, does not mention his name. In this presentation of ARTnews appear somewhat vague quote: it is unclear what conclusion has come each of these experts, conducted a chemical analysis of paint pigments and other.

It is not surprising that the message about "finding the century" has criticized the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. The publication on July 2, the whole history with the discovery of Leonardo's called "thought the marketing operation carried out with the approval of experts, who offered to put picture next to the universally recognized masterpieces in the National Gallery. "Writing is so confident conclusion, according to the Vatican, only after the spectrogram, and other laboratory studies, which is not a word was said.

L'Osservatore Romano calls "not chasing chimeras," and wait until it cleared up by itself. recollected in Rome, and on another version of the "Savior of the world," comes from the collection of French Marquis de Ghana, (Marquis de Ganay). In the early 1980s this work is also attributed to Leonardo monograph Joanne Snow-Smith (Joanne Snow-Smith), then it was exhibited in the town of Vinci and ten museums in the United States. But in the end a few years ago, the heirs sold the painting de Ghana at auction in New York in just a few hundred dollars. So, in that it is Leonardo, the new owner failed to convince.

And how much is "Savior of the world," Robert Simon? dealer does not disclose how much it paid for union art dealers in 2005. A certain scholar said that the co-owners have offered it for $ 100 million, but they declined, as expected for at least $ 200 million. If the "Savior of the World" was sold at that price, the work would soon become the most expensive work of art in the world. While the record at a public auction belongs to the "Nude on a background of green leaves and bust" Pablo Picasso (106.5 million dollars), while the most expensive work sold to the private, is a picture «№ 5, 1948" by Jackson Pollock (according to the New York Times, in 2006 it bought for $ 140 million). In any case, rumors that the painting "The Saviour of the world" may soon be put up for sale with an estimate of $ 200 million did not materialize. Robert Simon emphasizes that work does not intend to sell.

This seems to convince the dealer and the National Gallery, including the "Savior of the world" in its future exhibition. The fact that the museum protects its reputation and principally for the display does not accept works that are going to sell in the near future - so that leadership is not suspected of dishonest gain. "Any product, if it is put up for sale immediately removed from exposure and returned to the owner in accordance with standard procedure for the return of rented work", - says e-mail address at the National Gallery of Bloomberg.

The exhibition at the National Gallery will be half the picturesque heritage of Leonardo da Vinci - seven paintings. "Get to rent even a single work of Leonardo - a great achievement , bring the seven works - a real miracle, "- says the curator, Luke Syson.

Prepared Onuchina Maria, AI

Source: artnews.com , osservatoreromano.va , artinvestment.ru