Da Vinci's £120m painting

A painting once sold for £45 (Dh265) at auction has been identified as a work by Leonardo Da Vinci and is estimated to be worth a world record £120 million. The oil on wood panel painting, Salvator Mundi, or Saviour of the World, depicts Christ with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding a globe. It was attributed to a pupil of Da Vinci. But now an international group of experts has established it was by the master himself. Milan-based Professor Pietro Marani paid a secret visit to the National Gallery in London to view it. He said: "We could tell at once that it was a work by Da Vinci and the documentation and analysis proved it beyond doubt. This is very significant and very exciting. The blues and the reds in the painting are very similar to those of Da Vinci's Last Supper." Da Vinci painted it 500 years ago following a commission from Louis of France in 1506. It came into the possession of Charles of England and stayed in London for 400 years under various owners. In 1958 it was sold by Sotheby's for £45. A source said: "On the open market the painting would easily fetch at least £120million it's unique." The painting measures 26in by 18in and is owned by Robert Simon Fine Art in New York. The highest fee for a painting is £96million for Jackson Pollock's No.5, sold by Sotheby's in 2006. From / Gulf News