A look into the apparently unstoppable Leonardo da Vinci-industrial complex

Oct 17, 2024 123

BY: Elizabeth Lev

No name in art sells like Leonardo da Vinci. Even Banksy’s pranks and Damien Hirst’s provocations can’t seem to shake Leonardo’s exalted status in the hearts (and the wallets) of today’s image-consumers. His Mona Lisa alone keeps the Louvre afloat, the highlight of the hasty tours that shuffle visitors through miles of master pieces only to have them turn away from Leonardo’s iconic portrait for a selfie.

The Brera gallery in Milan, once Napoleon’s overflow room for looted art destined for the Louvre , stands virtually empty, ignored by 300,000 tourists who spend up to 100 euros a head for a 15-minute glimpse of The Last Supper. Meanwhile, Dan Brown enjoys early retirement thanks to his fictional thriller The Da Vinci Code, and Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi, despite debate about its attribution, remains the world’s most expensive painting since its purchase in 2017 for $450 million by Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

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SOURCE: https://catholicherald.co.uk

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