(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Now, ART News reported that it is believed to be stored in Geneva and its owner, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia, is reportedly planning to make it public once again.
Sources from the report suggest that the painting may eventually be displayed in a future museum in Riyadh, similar to the Mona Lisa's status at the Louvre.
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Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' to be Public Again
According to Euro News, the information was based on Saad al-Jabr, a senior Saudi security official with high-level connections. He then went further to reveal that the relocation of the painting into Geneva is part of the Crown Prince's plans in pushing for cultural and national development.
"MBS's purchase of Salvator Mundi was part of a larger effort to modernize Saudi Arabia." The success of this effort will reshape Saudi Arabia's global image when it comes to the art industry.
Speculations as to the location of Salvator Mundi included rumors of it being stored on MBS's yacht. But experts confirm that its true resting place is Geneva.
But Saudi's move is not the one in jeopardy. Scholars have mixed opinions on the authority of the Salvator Mundi painting. Critics argue that both the style and restoration of the painting put a question on whether the painting was genuinely made by da Vinci as the appearance does not cohere with his other works.
Representative of MBS and Saudi Arabia has declined to respond to these allegations.
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