The most expensive painting ever sold is Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, which fetched $450.3 million at a Christie's auction in 2017, making it the highest known price for a painting sold publicly. While its authorship and history are debated, it's considered the most valuable due to its connection to da Vinci, depicting Christ with a crystal orb, and is now believed to be owned by Saudi Arabia's Culture Ministry.
The record payment for a work is approximately US $450.3 million (which includes commission) for the work Salvator Mundi ( c. 1500) generally considered to be by Leonardo da Vinci, though this is disputed.
The $450 million painting, Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, was bought in 2017 by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though the purchase was made through an intermediary, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, acting as a proxy for the Kingdom. It became the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, intended for the Louvre Abu Dhabi but its current location remains unknown, according to reports.
The Mona Lisa is one of the most valuable paintings in the world. It holds the Guinness World Record for the highest known painting insurance valuation in history at US$100 million in 1962, equivalent to $1 billion as of 2023.
The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is widely considered the world's #1 most famous painting, renowned for its enigmatic smile, mysterious subject, and artistic mastery (sfumato), drawing massive crowds to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, and making it the most recognized artwork globally.
1) Leonardo Da Vinci's Salvator Mundi – $450 mil
A long-forgotten painting, it was authenticated in 2008 as a lost masterpiece of Leonardo Da Vinci by some of the world's greatest Da Vinci experts in London.
The Mona Lisa is owned by the French state, considered a national treasure, and housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris. King Francis I of France acquired the painting from Leonardo da Vinci after the artist's death in 1519, and it has remained part of French royal and then national collections ever since, making it inalienable public property.
Leonardo da Vinci: IQ 180–220
While IQ tests weren't around when Leonardo da Vinci was living, some have estimated that his score would have been between 180 and 220. Like other people considered geniuses, he had a wide range of skills, excelling in everything from art and science to music and architecture.
The art collection of the Nahmad brothers is generally considered to be one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, art collections in the world. Having built their wealth through their work in the gambling and investment banking industries, they started their foray into the art world in the 1960s.
The portion of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" that was accidentally cut out due to damage was the feet of Jesus. This damage occurred when a doorway was mistakenly cut into the wall of the convent. The painting remains a critical work of art and holds great historical significance despite this loss.
When Leonardo died in 1519, he had a bank fortune in Florence of 400 florins (1.5kg of gold). That is strikingly little, if this sum is held against the annual incomes of Leonardo. Because already in his Milan time he received according to traditional statement an annual wage of 2000 Florin (7kg gold).
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The 10 most famous artists of all time, according to the We Love Art community
Lady Gaga's IQ is widely rumored to be around 166, placing her in the "exceptionally gifted" or genius category, though this is an estimation often cited in celebrity lists, not a officially verified number from a public test. This high estimate is supported by her early academic achievements, like attending a summer program for the top 1% of students, and her demonstrated creative and musical genius as a composer and performer, notes Us Weekly and Brainmanager.io.
A new study from England concludes that Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci had the eye condition strabismus, and that it affected his vision and made art easier for him.
While Leonardo da Vinci never married and was accused of sodomy in his youth (though charges were dropped), most scholars believe he was likely gay or bisexual, evidenced by his intense relationships with male apprentices like Salai, his focus on male beauty in art, and his lifelong pattern of close male companionship, though the concept of "gay" as a modern identity didn't exist then, notes.
Probably the most famous painting in the world is Leonardo da Vinci's La Gioconda, better known as Mona Lisa. This painting is a portrait of Madame Gherardini, personifying the ideal woman of the Renaissance.
A New Home for the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. The Mona Lisa is about to have a space of her own. In early 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the Mona Lisa at the Louvre will be relocated to a specially designed room within the museum.
The asteroid, called 16 psyche, is made up almost entirely of iron and nickel, similar to the core of the Earth. What's crazy is, if someone were able to get a hold of this unimaginably expensive rock, it would completely crash the world's economy.
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