The Easel

21st November 2017

Why Would Anyone Pay $450 Million for the ‘Salvator Mundi’? Because They’re Not Buying the Painting

Before reading the story, watch this video clip of the auction (7 min). It really is something! One expert hailed the sale as vindication of the Old Masters market. True, but surely it’s a bigger deal than that. “It’s like taking your dog out for its regular morning walk only for it to be snatched off the street by a pterodactyl. This was not just an acquisition. This was arguably the greatest socioeconomic flex the arts have ever seen”.

What You’ll See in the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Billion-Dollar Art Collection

Some Middle Eastern countries are looking to a future beyond oil. Abu Dhabi plans to create a cultural hub with several major art museums. Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first to open, houses a decade’s worth of aggressive buying.  Controversy lingers over use of the Louvre brand and treatment of construction workers, though there is no argument over the gorgeous architecture or the art. More images are here.