There's even more controversy surrounding the $450 million Leonardo da Vinci painting — and it's getting nasty
November 22, 2017 | In the PressFrom TheInsider.com (http://www.thisisinsider.com/leonardo-da-vinci-painting-salvator-mundi-instagram-controversy-price-conservation-2017-11)
Even before "Salvator Mundi" — a "lost" painting by Leonardo da Vinci — sold November 16 for a record-shattering $450 million at Christie's, it was already mired in controversy as some critics, including New York Magazine's Jerry Saltz, questioned its authenticity.
Now another storm is brewing around the work, a portrait of Christ that was "rediscovered" in 2005 and authenticated as real several years later.
Thomas Campbell, the embattled former director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art — the biggest art museum in the Western Hemisphere — and one of the painting's previous co-owners, art dealer Robert Simon, are arguing about the painting on Instagram.
"450 million dollars?! Hope the buyer understands conservation issues," Campbell wrote in an Instagram postshortly after the painting sold.
Robert Simon, one of the painting's previous owners, commented on Campbell's post that he found the post "disrespectful."
"This is an incredibly ill-informed and mean-spirited comment about one of the most respected painting conservators in the world, one who incidentally spent many years diligently working at your former institution," Simon wrote.
Some art world observers find the spat less about conservation and more about the enormous sum of money spent the painting, which was sold by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev and sold to an anonymous buyer. The work went for more than twice the price of the next-most expensive painting sold at public auction. It was also the first time a third-party marketing agency was used to promote a sale.
"The art world is all about social media presence and marketing now," an employee at a major New York gallery told INSIDER. "So for the Met director to throw shade on Instagram seems pretty on par with how the art world is going."
There is a legitimate concern over how the painting will be preserved.
The conservation of "Salvator Mundi" is a major concern in the art world. Conserving paintings is expensive, especially when they're 500 years old and in delicate condition.
Often, art owners will put work on "permanent loan" to a museum in exchange for the museum covering the cost of the work's upkeep.
But the identity of the painting's new owner has not been unmasked yet, and it's not clear how the work will be conserved or displayed.
The conservation of the painting under Simon's co-ownership (along with art dealers Alex Parish and Warren Adelson) was in the hands of Dianne Modestini, a conservationist and researcher at New York University.
The painting was in poor condition when it was discovered in 2005, and went through an extensive restoration by Modestini. Christie's ended up categorizing it as "Post-War and Contemporary Art."
In his comment, Simon defended Modestini's work.
"I personally observed the conservation process on the Salvator Mundi and can attest to the absolute honesty, modesty, and respect that Dianne Modestini brought to her work on the painting—carried out at the highest ethical standards of the profession," Simon wrote. "Given the prevalence of so many foolish remarks in both serious and social media, I have refrained from responding, but feel compelled to do so now."
In the same thread, Campbell dismissed Simon's concerns.
"I have [the] greatest respect for Modestini," Campbell wrote. "Was simply remarking, as so many others have, on extensive amount of conservation. Seems to be a lot of over-sensitivity out there."
Loic Gouzer, an executive at Christie's, also joined the fray. While there's no public post from him on the Instagram thread (The Art Newspaper surmises it may have been in a direct message), Campbell wrote a response to Gouzer criticizing his "abusive bullying."
"My comment was a legitimate response to an extraordinary price," Campbell wrote. "Christie's doesn't need your abusive bullying to defend itself. And my comment certainly wasn't an attack on a highly competent conservator. If you don't enjoy my occasional Instagram posts then don't follow me."
Even in the upper echelons of the art world, no one is immune to Instagram spats.
Gouzer, Campbell, and Simon didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.
