The Discovery of a Masterpiece

Chapter 1 presents a first-person account of the discovery of the Salvator Mundi, from its appearance as a copy at an American auction to its establishment as the lost original painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Robert Simon presents a chronological account of his involvement with the acquisition, research, conservation, and scholarly verification of the work over the period from 2005 to 2011, when the painting was included in the landmark exhibition at the National Gallery, Leonardo da Vinci Painter at the Court of Milan. The modern provenance of the painting is reviewed, focusing on its tenure in the Cook Collection of Richmond, its sale in 1958, and its reappearance in New Orleans. The conservation of the painting by Dianne Dwyer Modestini is discussed, as well as the research process, and the introduction of the painting to art historians, Leonardo specialists, the press, and, eventually, the public.