“Salvator Mundi” is the story that been on my mind the most this month – It’s about all I’m really interested in right now (I’m not even going to start on the “La Bella Princepessa” story nor the search for the “Battle of Anghiari”). It’s been an incredible year for Leonardo historians. Here’s a few links to share the wealth.
Three Pipe Problem has a summary of iconographic and provenance details
Here is a great video from CNN (I’m pretty sure). An interview with the conservator – Dianne Modestini
At the LA Times Christopher Knight weighs in with a small article (the likes of which you are going to start finding everywhere) asking the question, if DaVinci did in fact paint the “Salvator Mundi”. We know he painted one it has been copied by a number of artists over time – but is it this one?
In answer to the LA Times article Art Daily provides a good (if general) resource – here’s a snippet addressing Knights question. “Leonardo’s painting of the Salvator Mundi was long known to have existed, but was presumed to have been destroyed. The composition was documented in two preparatory drawings by Leonardo and more than 20 painted copies by students and followers of the artist, as well as a meticulous 1650 etching made after the original painting by the Bohemian artist Wenceslaus Hollar.”
Here are a couple of terms you might need to brush up on – since they are not really used in conversations about contemporary art, but I’ll assure you they are used in discussing Leonardo:
Pentimento (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentimento)
Sfumato (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sfumato)
Also Art Basel Miami Beach starts right after the holiday – hope to see you there. Here’s a pretty good map to everything you need to know and see from Boyd Level.