What is the most expensive painting ever sold at auction?

The most expensive painting ever sold at auction is *Salvator Mundi*.

The panel depicts Jesus Christ as the “Saviour of the World,” raising his right hand in blessing while holding a transparent crystal orb in his left. It is generally dated to around 1500 and is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, although the extent of workshop assistance and Leonardo’s authorship remain subjects of debate among specialists.

At Christie’s in New York on November 15, 2017, the painting sold for $400 million before fees. With the buyer’s premium, the final price was $450,312,500, setting the public-auction record for a painting and, more broadly, for any artwork sold at auction. The winning bidder was identified as Prince Badr bin Abdullah, amid reports that he acted for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Its dramatic price partly reflects the extreme rarity of a Leonardo painting appearing on the market. The work also had a remarkable modern history: once heavily restored and treated as a copy, it was reidentified and promoted as a Leonardo before the record sale. It should not be confused with the *Mona Lisa*, which is not publicly available for auction.