Salvator Mundi had been bought and sold for a few thousand dollars decades earlier, before extensive restoration and scholarly debate led some experts to attribute it to Leonardo da Vinci — one of fewer than twenty paintings credited to the Renaissance master.
The rediscovery story alone turned it into one of the most closely watched sales in art history.
Christie's sold it in 2017 for $450.3 million, reportedly to a buyer acting on behalf of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The painting has not been publicly exhibited since, prompting years of speculation about where, exactly, the most expensive painting on Earth is actually hanging.
Ad space