Lost Leonardo da Vinci Painting Sells For $450 Million, Breaking World Records

At the beginning of October, Christie's unveiled their highly anticipated new find - a "lost" Leonardo da Vinci painting depicting Jesus Christ. Once owned by King Charles I, and believed to be produced in 1500, Salvator Mundi has been toted as "the Last da Vinci," the only of 16 known paintings still in private hands.

It's also been called the prototype of the Mona Lisa, so it's no wonder the piece broke records on Wednesday when it was auctioned off for $450.3 million, making it the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction. Until now, that title was held by Picasso's Women of Algiers, which went for $179.4 mil back in 2015.

The buyer, who has yet to be revealed, seems to have shrugged off any doubts concerning the painting's origins and condition. While some experts claim the surface has been over cleaned and compromised, others, like New York Magazine's Jerry Saltz, don't believe it was done by da Vinci at all.

Then again, maybe all that mystery just adds to its value.

[Photo via Christie's]