Did Leonardo da Vinci Paint Salvator Mundi? The Louvre Has an Answer.

The scientific study of Salvator Mundi by the Louvre and the Laboratoire de recherche des musées de France (C2RMF, Research Laboratory of the Museums of France) adds another chapter to the melodramatic tale of the painting ( editor's note: acquired at an auction in 2017 for $450,000,000 by Saudi Prince Mohammed Ben Salman ). The plot thickened when Hazan published the findings in December 2019, two months after the Louvre retrospective opened and in the painting’s absence. It had been immediately withdrawn, undoubtedly at the Saudis’ request, further intensifying the clouds of mystery that seem to surround the work. A stunning France 5 documentary denying the paper’s existence rekindled interest in the painting. The film claims that the Louvre classified Salvator Mundi as a studio work in which Leonardo’s participation was "minimal". The 47-page report denies the rumor. Confirmation Jean-Luc Martinez  clearly speaks for the Louvre when he writes in his preface: “The findings of the historical and scientific study presented in this book confirm the work’s attribution to Leonardo da Vinci.” He evokes the authority of the museum, custodian of "the…