達芬奇珍品以創紀錄價格拍賣成交

A 500-year-old masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci that once sold for a mere $60 smashed the world's record for an art auction Wednesday.

"Salvator Mundi," which depicts Christ raising his hand in a blessing, sold for $450 million at Christie's Auction House in New York.

The buyer who was not identified, made his bid by telephone, sending the audience into a frenzy as the price climbed higher and higher.

The seller is Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.

Only about 20 da Vinci works are known to exist and "Salvator Mundi" is the only one in private hands. The others are in museums or part of large public collections.

Art experts believe da Vinci painted "Salvator Mundi" in about 1500. It was once owned by England's King Charles I. It disappeared, resurfaced, and, at one time, was bought for just $60 by a collector who mistook it for a copy.

It took more than 50 years for art experts to restore it and authenticate it as a genuine da Vinci, although others still doubt it is the real thing.

Until Wednesday, the highest price paid for a painting at auction was $179 million for Pablo Picasso's "The Women of Algiers" in 2015.有500年曆史、曾經僅以60美元成交的一幅達芬奇畫作星期三在一個藝術品拍賣會上以創世界紀錄的高價售出。

在紐約佳士得拍賣公司的拍賣會上，耶穌舉手祝福的“救世主”達芬奇畫作以4億5千萬美元的價格成交。

買家通過電話參加拍賣會，沒有透露身份。一路升高的叫價令參加拍賣會的人瞠目結舌。

賣家是俄羅斯億萬富翁雷博諾夫列夫。

據信全世界只有大約20幅達芬奇的真跡作品。“救世主”是唯一在私人手中的達芬奇作品，其它作品都在博物館或公共機構收藏。

藝術專家認爲，達芬奇大約在1500年創作了這幅“救世主”。這幅畫曾被英國國王查理一世收藏，一度隱沒，後來重新出現。一位收藏者曾認爲它是贗品，以60美元的價格收購。

藝術專家用了50多年的時間修復這幅畫，並認定它是達芬奇的真跡。不過，仍有人懷疑它不是真品。

星期三的拍賣會之前，畫作的最高拍賣價是畢加索的“阿爾及爾女人”，2015年以1億7900萬美元拍賣成交。