Who bought Leonardo da Vinci's priceless painting of Jesus Christ? The answer to that question was finally revealed by Christie's in New York on Friday after speculations began swirling that it was Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who acquired it.
The painting, called Salvator Mundi, was purchased for a record-breaking $450 million (or £335 million) by Abu Dhabi's department of culture and tourism.
"Christie's can confirm that the department of culture and tourism, Abu Dhabi, is acquiring Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci," the auction house said in a statement. "We are delighted to see that this remarkable painting will be available for public view at the Louvre Abu Dhabi."
The bidding for the painting, which lasted for 20 minutes, finally came to a close after an unidentified bidder offered the winning amount via telephone. It was linked to Bin Salman by the New York Times after it was revealed that a little-known Saudi prince, Badr bin Abdullah al Saud, was authorized by him to act as an intermediary.
However, the Louvre Abu Dhabi set the record straight and said that it was actually the country's culture ministry that acquired the painting. The museum announced this week that the famed painting will go on display there.
Da Vinci painted Salvator Mundi possibly for King Louis XII of France and his consort, Anne of Brittany, according to Christie's. However, the exact date of its commission remains vague, although many believe it was done so right after the country's conquests of Milan and Genoa.
Some believe the painting was done sometime in the later 1490s, close to the time Da Vinci created The Last Supper. On the other hand, some believe the painting was finished near the time of the Mona Lisa and was painted in Florence, where the artist moved in 1500.
