One of the many weird things about the sale of the Salvator Mundi for $450 million (£337 million) was the repeated claim of Christie’s that it was ‘the last Leonardo painting left in private hands’.

Christie’s, the British auction house, set the record for a painting sold in auction when it sold the last known work by Leonardo da Vinci held in private hands, Salvator Mundi.

“The word 'masterpiece' barely begins to convey the rarity, importance and sublime beauty of Leonardo's painting,” said Alan Wintermute from Christie's Once owned by King Charles I of England ...

Salvator Mundi, a $450 million painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, has not been seen publicly since it sold at Christie's in 2017, the year it became the most expensive artwork ever auction.

The New York Times reported that Saudi Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud was the buyer, citing documents it reviewed. Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” was sold ...