The art historian and writer Ben Lewis tells Rachel Humphreys of his quest to chart the remarkable story of the painting, now believed to be in the collection of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
The painting has been described as a devotional counterpart to the Mona Lisa, Leonardo’s most famous work, and is said to have an “extraordinary, communicative presence”. But Lewis, the author of the acclaimed book The Last Leonardo, explains why questions remain about its origin. Last year the painting did not appear in the Louvre’s blockbuster Leonardo exhibition, prompting widespread speculation and the question: where is Salvator Mundi?
