Mystery Solved: Saudi Prince Is Buyer Of $450M DaVinci Painting

World's most expensive painting is ‘lost’ after Saudi Crown Prince bought the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece for £450m
Salvator Mundi hasn't been seen in public since it was 'acquired' last yearWas bought by Louvre Abu Dhabi via Saudi crown

A Leonardo Da Vinci painting which sold for £450million last year is 'lost', prompting art lovers to plead with the Saudi Royals to confirm its location.

'Salvator Mundi' by the great artist hasn't been seen in public since it was 'acquired' by Louvre Abu Dhabi via the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Professor Martin Kemp, the Da Vinci scholar who helped authenticate the piece a decade ago, told The Times: 'Nobody outside the immediate Arab hierarchy knows where it is.'

In 2005, the painting was acquired for less than $10,000 (£7,809) at an auction in New Orleans by a consortium of art dealers that included Robert Simon, a specialist in Old Masters.

When asked where the 500-year-old painting might be, he rather worryingly responded: 'I have no idea. The mystery of its location is, of course, disturbing.'

Salvator Mundi,' which means 'Savior of the World,' went on public display in 2011 in a dramatic unveiling at The National Gallery in London, where the work was declared to be the first newly discovered Da Vinci painting in a century.

It is one of fewer than 20 paintings generally accepted as being from the Renaissance master's own hand, according to Christie's.

It had sold for a mere 45 British pounds in 1958, when the painting was thought to have been a copy, and was lost until it resurfaced at a regional auction in 2005.

The painting was due to be shown the new Louvre in September this year but recently announced that they are postponing the unveiling, further worrying art experts.

The gallery and its Parisian version have declined to comment with further comment ever since.

Simon, the former owner of Salvator Mundi, is worried too, he told The Times: 'I am concerned about its condition, its wellbeing