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The average person may not be able to identify all of the artists on display at the local art museum, but most of us know at least a little bit about the great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. So when a couple of collectors discovered what could be a long-lost painting by da Vinci, the world took notice—and the story is explored in the documentary The Lost Leonardo.
The Lost Leonardo follows the journey of the Salvator Mundi, starting from its discovery by art dealer Alexander Parish, who purchased the piece with Robert Simon for just over $1,000. But when it was sent away to art restorer Dianne Modestini, what she uncovered beneath layers of attempted restorations suggested that it was painted not by a student of da Vinci but by the master himself. The painting became the subject of much debate and discussion as museums, experts, and critics fought over whether it could possibly be the real thing—or whether it was just a very good copy.
Whether you believe that the Salvator Mundi is a real da Vinci or a copy—or even if you just don’t care—its story is definitely a fascinating one. One day, it just came out of nowhere and popped up on an auction in the States, and it started stirring up all kinds of controversy in the art world. The painting’s journey over the last five centuries is a mystery, but its journey over the last decade or so is like something out of a big-screen caper.
The film is definitely full of viewpoints: those who are convinced that it’s authentic, those who find it impossible to believe that it’s a true da Vinci, and those who are just happy to cash in on whatever everyone else believes. And as more people get involved, as the price continues to rise, and as the opinions become more outspoken, the story of this painting grows into something far beyond just the art world. It becomes more about money—and even politics, too—until, eventually, it feels like a big, crazy, da Vinci circus, with a cast of characters featuring everyone from critics to crime bosses to Hollywood celebrities to royalty. And it definitely makes for an unbelievable—and outrageous—documentary.
You don’t have to be an art expert to enjoy the stranger-than-fiction story of this mysterious painting. It certainly tells a fascinating story—just don’t expect to get any solid answers in the end.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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