Lost Leonardo: Questioning the Consensus

Since 2010, my ladyfriend (who has a degree in Art History) and I have collaborated on a project to determine the truth about Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi. At that time, many thought that the "red" version -- often called the de Ganay version -- was the likeliest to have come from the master's hand. In 2012, a "blue" Salvator Mundi, which used to be known as the Cook version, was identified as the genuine work by Leonardo.

The Cook version was purchased a few years ago by Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, whose name has cropped up in certain discussions of the ongoing Trump/Russia scandal. Yesterday, that same painting was sold in a Christie's auction to an unknown buyer for a record price: $450 million. Our understanding is that the version previously owned by the de Ganay family was sold (for a much lower price) to a museum in Brazil.

We believe that both versions -- the red and the blue -- originated in Leonardo's studio, that both derive from the same cartoons (note that plural), that neither one was entirely painted by Leonardo, and that the de Ganay version has the best claim to be the prime version -- the original.

In 2013, we prepared a documentary to explain our findings. The film is unfinished. The final version -- if ever we do complete it -- will be some ten or fifteen minutes longer. Of the missing final act, I can say this: In 2010, my ladyfriend presented her findings to professors and colleagues at the University of California at Riverside, and the Renaissance specialist at UCR declared her work to be "inarguable." (Let us be clear: He said that about the material which is not yet included in our film.)

Many of you will feel that this film ends "just when it was getting good." Apologies! Perhaps a complete version will appear soon.

The press has given the public a great deal of misinformation about these two works. I believe that this video will give audiences a much fuller understanding of the history and provenance of these two paintings. If you watch this video in a calm and objective frame of mind, you too may come to the conclusion that both paintings came from Leonardo's studio, and that the de Ganay should be considered the "prime" version. We invite viewers to double-check our sources and we welcome any and all serious counter-arguments.

Nota bene: It is my custom to edit video to a temp track. This technique allows greater freedom to rewrite and to rework sections of the film. The final version of this film will be narrated by my ladyfriend.

You may be wondering why we did not finish the film in 2013. To be honest, we are both a bit puzzled ourselves! We took a break from the project at a time when we could not determine the ownership of both paintings. (We knew that the de Ganay had been sold, but we did not know to whom.) After a while, we became diverted by...well, by life. My ladyfriend took a job at a local museum, and her duties have proven rather demanding.

This video was placed on YouTube quite a while ago, but was marked "private" until yesterday. We have decided to place it before the public because the record-smashing sale put the Salvator Mundi in the news.

Видео Lost Leonardo: Questioning the Consensus канала Strange Tales: A Critical Look