有500年历史、曾经仅以60美元成交的一幅达芬奇画作星期三在一个艺术品拍卖会上以创世界纪录的高价售出。
在纽约佳士得拍卖公司的拍卖会上，耶稣举手祝福的“救世主”达芬奇画作以4亿5千万美元的价格成交。
买家通过电话参加拍卖会，没有透露身份。一路升高的叫价令参加拍卖会的人瞠目结舌。
卖家是俄罗斯亿万富翁雷博诺夫列夫。
据信全世界只有大约20幅达芬奇的真迹作品。“救世主”是唯一在私人手中的达芬奇作品，其它作品都在博物馆或公共机构收藏。
艺术专家认为，达芬奇大约在1500年创作了这幅“救世主”。这幅画曾被英国国王查理一世收藏，一度隐没，后来重新出现。一位收藏者曾认为它是赝品，以60美元的价格收购。
艺术专家用了50多年的时间修复这幅画，并认定它是达芬奇的真迹。不过，仍有人怀疑它不是真品。
星期三的拍卖会之前，画作的最高拍卖价是毕加索的“阿尔及尔女人”，2015年以1亿7900万美元拍卖成交。
A 500-year-old masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci that once sold for a mere $60 smashed the world’s record for an art auction Wednesday.
“Salvator Mundi,” which depicts Christ raising his hand in a blessing, sold for $450 million at Christie’s Auction House in New York.
The buyer who was not identified, made his bid by telephone, sending the audience into a frenzy as the price climbed higher and higher.
The seller is Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.
Only about 20 da Vinci works are known to exist and “Salvator Mundi” is the only one in private hands. The others are in museums or part of large public collections.
Art experts believe da Vinci painted “Salvator Mundi” in about 1500. It was once owned by England’s King Charles I. It disappeared, resurfaced, and, at one time, was bought for just $60 by a collector who mistook it for a copy.
It took more than 50 years for art experts to restore it and authenticate it as a genuine da Vinci, although others still doubt it is the real thing.
Until Wednesday, the highest price paid for a painting at auction was $179 million for Pablo Picasso’s “The Women of Algiers” in 2015.