1 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:21,259 [Music] 2 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:23,980 hello and welcome to the antique auction 3 00:00:29,159 --> 00:00:26,410 forum podcast we're recording live 4 00:00:31,979 --> 00:00:29,169 stream on YouTube and we're gonna be 5 00:00:35,369 --> 00:00:31,989 talking Leonardo today about the recent 6 00:00:38,009 --> 00:00:35,379 450 million dollar it actually shattered 7 00:00:40,319 --> 00:00:38,019 the world record previously was 300 8 00:00:41,490 --> 00:00:40,329 million for any artwork at auction so 9 00:00:44,670 --> 00:00:41,500 we're gonna be talking about that and 10 00:00:47,610 --> 00:00:44,680 before I introduce our guest just a 11 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:47,620 little bit about the show I started this 12 00:00:55,679 --> 00:00:52,210 podcast back in 2009 there are over 180 13 00:00:57,899 --> 00:00:55,689 free podcasts at antique auction forum 14 00:00:59,249 --> 00:00:57,909 calm and you're welcome to check those 15 00:01:01,619 --> 00:00:59,259 out there you can put them on iTunes 16 00:01:03,569 --> 00:01:01,629 your media player or whatever a lot of 17 00:01:05,580 --> 00:01:03,579 informational things there my background 18 00:01:07,649 --> 00:01:05,590 in a nutshell I'm second generation 19 00:01:10,230 --> 00:01:07,659 auctioneer antique and fine art 20 00:01:13,289 --> 00:01:10,240 appraiser and I've been loving what I 21 00:01:14,940 --> 00:01:13,299 have been doing since 1970 and that 22 00:01:16,609 --> 00:01:14,950 includes auctioneering appraising 23 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:16,619 estates corporate and institutional 24 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:19,930 collections and cataloging at auction 25 00:01:26,210 --> 00:01:22,690 houses all around the US my appraisal 26 00:01:29,790 --> 00:01:26,220 website is seaboard appraisals dot-com 27 00:01:33,060 --> 00:01:29,800 now about our gas Martin Kemp he has an 28 00:01:36,180 --> 00:01:33,070 amorous research professor in history of 29 00:01:39,630 --> 00:01:36,190 art at Oxford University he has written 30 00:01:42,300 --> 00:01:39,640 and broadcast extensively on imagery in 31 00:01:45,149 --> 00:01:42,310 art and science from the Renaissance to 32 00:01:47,550 --> 00:01:45,159 the present day Leonardo da Vinci has 33 00:01:50,609 --> 00:01:47,560 been the subject of his books written by 34 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:50,619 him including Leonardo 35 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:53,610 that's an Oxford University Press in 36 00:02:00,170 --> 00:01:55,930 2004 and you can find out more about 37 00:02:06,210 --> 00:02:00,180 martin at martin duck I should say WWE 38 00:02:08,669 --> 00:02:06,220 Martin J Kemp K EMP calm all right so 39 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:08,679 welcome to the show Martin a pleasure to 40 00:02:15,509 --> 00:02:12,010 be on yes and you were on before we 41 00:02:18,449 --> 00:02:15,519 talked about another discovery which is 42 00:02:21,809 --> 00:02:18,459 very I mean here like it's a once in a 43 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:21,819 hundred year experience discovering an 44 00:02:25,770 --> 00:02:24,370 unknown da Vinci but there is actually 45 00:02:27,629 --> 00:02:25,780 another one floating out there we'll 46 00:02:29,819 --> 00:02:27,639 talk about that later on if you want to 47 00:02:31,730 --> 00:02:29,829 or you know updates on that one quickly 48 00:02:35,420 --> 00:02:31,740 because you were on the show about that 49 00:02:36,710 --> 00:02:35,430 for at one time that's right yeah so 50 00:02:42,550 --> 00:02:36,720 we'll talk a little bit about that later 51 00:02:45,260 --> 00:02:42,560 on but for the listener can you just let 52 00:02:49,310 --> 00:02:45,270 us know how you got interested in the 53 00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:49,320 subject of da Vinci in the beginning it 54 00:02:53,630 --> 00:02:51,930 was kind of accidental in a way I didn't 55 00:02:56,030 --> 00:02:53,640 study him and I was doing postgraduate 56 00:02:59,300 --> 00:02:56,040 studies and in any detail I thought he 57 00:03:03,050 --> 00:02:59,310 looked big and difficult and it was a 58 00:03:05,390 --> 00:03:03,060 kind of accident a young TV producer of 59 00:03:07,340 --> 00:03:05,400 training with the BBC was going to do 60 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:07,350 his diploma program not to be 61 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:10,650 transmitted but just as a graduation 62 00:03:16,100 --> 00:03:13,050 program as it were and he chose to do it 63 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:16,110 alone others water drawings and clearly 64 00:03:20,450 --> 00:03:18,450 he went to the big people like ants gum 65 00:03:21,650 --> 00:03:20,460 brick and john sherman who as a student 66 00:03:23,770 --> 00:03:21,660 of and they weren't going to do a 67 00:03:26,540 --> 00:03:23,780 program that wasn't be transmitted and 68 00:03:27,860 --> 00:03:26,550 somewhere along the line they came to me 69 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:27,870 and they said would you help and I said 70 00:03:35,060 --> 00:03:30,570 yes not knowing even vaguely how I was 71 00:03:38,450 --> 00:03:35,070 going to do that and it's gone brick 72 00:03:41,710 --> 00:03:38,460 lent us his then unpublished paper on 73 00:03:44,450 --> 00:03:41,720 the form of movement in air and water 74 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:44,460 looking at all the vortex configurations 75 00:03:49,850 --> 00:03:47,210 and all these exciting drawings and 76 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:49,860 reading the gum brick paper I thought ah 77 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:53,130 I know what's happening here I felt like 78 00:03:57,830 --> 00:03:55,650 I was coming home in a way that my 79 00:04:01,790 --> 00:03:57,840 background and Natural Sciences at least 80 00:04:04,250 --> 00:04:01,800 meant I had and some feeling and sense 81 00:04:08,620 --> 00:04:04,260 of what was happening and in such things 82 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:08,630 and I did a geology also at Cambridge so 83 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:12,170 it just seemed to make sense and having 84 00:04:18,140 --> 00:04:15,810 worked on that program on on the known 85 00:04:20,180 --> 00:04:18,150 of drawings of water I don't know where 86 00:04:22,430 --> 00:04:20,190 they chose that I thought where do I 87 00:04:24,110 --> 00:04:22,440 begin with Leonardo I was mainly Natural 88 00:04:28,220 --> 00:04:24,120 Sciences so I started looking at their 89 00:04:31,670 --> 00:04:28,230 Anatomy and that is fascinating I mean 90 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:31,680 he I believe he dissected over or around 91 00:04:38,870 --> 00:04:35,010 30 humans but also animals as well right 92 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:38,880 yeah the lonardo later in life when he 93 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:41,250 was in the French Court he was visited 94 00:04:45,890 --> 00:04:43,530 by the Cardinal of Aragon's visiting 95 00:04:48,860 --> 00:04:45,900 party and the sect 96 00:04:50,230 --> 00:04:48,870 antonio j-bay artists looked at what 97 00:04:52,580 --> 00:04:50,240 learner had with him including 98 00:04:55,340 --> 00:04:52,590 anatomical drawings and Leonardo claimed 99 00:04:59,390 --> 00:04:55,350 to have detected large numbers of bodies 100 00:05:02,090 --> 00:04:59,400 I think he rolled in that a lot of 101 00:05:04,129 --> 00:05:02,100 animal dissections so I don't think we 102 00:05:06,110 --> 00:05:04,139 can literally take it that he detected 103 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:06,120 large numbers of human bodies human 104 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:08,970 material was very rare difficult to come 105 00:05:15,529 --> 00:05:11,970 by you had to have special protocols and 106 00:05:17,930 --> 00:05:15,539 and I don't think he did many full human 107 00:05:20,779 --> 00:05:17,940 dissections but animals were thought to 108 00:05:24,430 --> 00:05:20,789 be differently arranged but essentially 109 00:05:29,330 --> 00:05:24,440 the same and he need to sexy horses and 110 00:05:31,580 --> 00:05:29,340 and oxen and other animals now he was 111 00:05:34,490 --> 00:05:31,590 planning to do a treatise on human 112 00:05:36,409 --> 00:05:34,500 anatomy that he never was never 113 00:05:41,540 --> 00:05:36,419 completed is that is that right did I 114 00:05:46,460 --> 00:05:41,550 hear that yes he the earliest signs of 115 00:05:48,350 --> 00:05:46,470 latter in 1489 he he was in Milan and it 116 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:48,360 was in the court of Milan he really had 117 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:50,370 time and opportunity to pursue his 118 00:05:57,020 --> 00:05:53,970 intellectual pursuits and there's that 119 00:06:01,070 --> 00:05:57,030 that's the first mention of a book on on 120 00:06:03,740 --> 00:06:01,080 Anatomy as such it's difficult to see by 121 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:03,750 the end of his career that he could fit 122 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:06,930 everything he'd done into one book he 123 00:06:14,300 --> 00:06:09,930 said in 1510 I'm hoping to bring to 124 00:06:16,879 --> 00:06:14,310 conclusion all this Anatomy in scattered 125 00:06:19,730 --> 00:06:16,889 across all these many these many folios 126 00:06:23,210 --> 00:06:19,740 these many many books the many codices 127 00:06:25,070 --> 00:06:23,220 and so on but yeah it became an almost 128 00:06:27,050 --> 00:06:25,080 impossible task he could have written a 129 00:06:28,969 --> 00:06:27,060 treatise on the heart alone by the end 130 00:06:32,390 --> 00:06:28,979 of his life Wow Wow 131 00:06:35,899 --> 00:06:32,400 now how much of the that part of what he 132 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:35,909 was doing had to do with artwork did he 133 00:06:40,969 --> 00:06:38,610 want to I you know basically understand 134 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:40,979 the human body and how how it works as 135 00:06:46,750 --> 00:06:44,370 far as his his paintings in art work his 136 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:46,760 predecessors in Florence 137 00:06:52,939 --> 00:06:50,330 Antonio polyol over Akio his master 138 00:06:55,490 --> 00:06:52,949 Michelangelo to a degree they 139 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:55,500 concentrated on what lay under the 140 00:06:59,040 --> 00:06:57,570 surface the fresh that's to say the 141 00:07:01,170 --> 00:06:59,050 muscles and the bone 142 00:07:03,330 --> 00:07:01,180 they were interested in the structure 143 00:07:06,450 --> 00:07:03,340 and the movement where they're rather 144 00:07:07,890 --> 00:07:06,460 departs is he looks for deeper causes he 145 00:07:11,460 --> 00:07:07,900 wants to know how does the brain work 146 00:07:13,559 --> 00:07:11,470 how does the I see how does the 147 00:07:16,350 --> 00:07:13,569 circulation or not circulation but how 148 00:07:20,249 --> 00:07:16,360 does the movement of the blood work so 149 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:20,259 he saw that not literally serving 150 00:07:24,899 --> 00:07:22,210 painting in that very obvious way of 151 00:07:26,850 --> 00:07:24,909 saying I I can portray a figure much 152 00:07:31,020 --> 00:07:26,860 better if I know where the muscles are 153 00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:31,030 he said I really need to understand how 154 00:07:36,870 --> 00:07:34,240 a human being works and I can then make 155 00:07:40,770 --> 00:07:36,880 remake the human being in my pictures so 156 00:07:43,170 --> 00:07:40,780 his ambition is related to pictures and 157 00:07:45,149 --> 00:07:43,180 indeed painting is a supreme expression 158 00:07:48,689 --> 00:07:45,159 of Leonardo's knowledge of the natural 159 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:48,699 world but it's not functional and that 160 00:07:54,510 --> 00:07:51,370 more obvious sense he's going into very 161 00:07:58,170 --> 00:07:54,520 deep lying causes as to how a human 162 00:08:02,249 --> 00:07:58,180 being operates well yeah interesting so 163 00:08:04,559 --> 00:08:02,259 getting on to our topic today the what 164 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:04,569 it was a painting titled Salvatore 165 00:08:09,180 --> 00:08:07,210 Monday Savior of the world I believe 166 00:08:12,029 --> 00:08:09,190 that's what it translates to or close to 167 00:08:14,010 --> 00:08:12,039 it right indeed they laid out it was we 168 00:08:17,430 --> 00:08:14,020 will see transform something slightly 169 00:08:21,269 --> 00:08:17,440 different well I want to read quickly 170 00:08:24,089 --> 00:08:21,279 there an excerpt from an article in the 171 00:08:27,809 --> 00:08:24,099 New Orleans advocate quote the painting 172 00:08:30,659 --> 00:08:27,819 was sold again in 1958 then it was 173 00:08:33,420 --> 00:08:30,669 acquired in 2005 badly damaged and 174 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:33,430 partly painted over by a consortium of 175 00:08:40,199 --> 00:08:35,890 art dealers who paid less than $10,000 176 00:08:42,839 --> 00:08:40,209 80 for 45 euros at auction at an auction 177 00:08:45,269 --> 00:08:42,849 house in Louisiana unquote now why is 178 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:45,279 most of the press not that it matters 179 00:08:49,590 --> 00:08:47,890 any but why is most of the press saying 180 00:08:51,269 --> 00:08:49,600 that this has bought it in a state sale 181 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:51,279 and not an auction do you have any idea 182 00:08:59,850 --> 00:08:56,050 I don't know that my understanding is it 183 00:09:02,100 --> 00:08:59,860 was when Robert Simon Alexander parish 184 00:09:04,050 --> 00:09:02,110 in the to the two first dealers who are 185 00:09:07,350 --> 00:09:04,060 involved with it noticed I think it was 186 00:09:07,939 --> 00:09:07,360 in a sale in Louisiana yeah in an 187 00:09:12,990 --> 00:09:07,949 auction 188 00:09:14,879 --> 00:09:13,000 why 189 00:09:16,470 --> 00:09:14,889 the thing that the question that came to 190 00:09:21,809 --> 00:09:16,480 mind just being in the business that I 191 00:09:23,610 --> 00:09:21,819 am is why this $10,000 it's not really a 192 00:09:27,869 --> 00:09:23,620 lot to invest so why was there a 193 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:27,879 consortium involved to begin with there 194 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:31,569 wasn't really a consortium auctioneers 195 00:09:38,759 --> 00:09:35,050 now as you will know spend a lot of time 196 00:09:43,170 --> 00:09:38,769 combing catalogs online auction 197 00:09:45,150 --> 00:09:43,180 catalogues and they do that for the 198 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:45,160 smaller auctions and they are layoffs 199 00:09:49,319 --> 00:09:47,050 and bid without seeing the object if 200 00:09:50,639 --> 00:09:49,329 it's it's not going to be too expensive 201 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:50,649 and they think it's worth of hunters 202 00:09:58,079 --> 00:09:54,730 they say and they both they know they 203 00:10:00,449 --> 00:09:58,089 knew each other that they both noticed 204 00:10:03,509 --> 00:10:00,459 it independently and exchanged views on 205 00:10:05,910 --> 00:10:03,519 it and although it looked pretty 206 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:05,920 terrible it looked like what I described 207 00:10:11,730 --> 00:10:07,930 as drug-crazed hippies at that point it 208 00:10:13,860 --> 00:10:11,740 was heavily over-painted it was clearly 209 00:10:14,699 --> 00:10:13,870 fairly old it was painted on more than 210 00:10:17,759 --> 00:10:14,709 that panel 211 00:10:19,590 --> 00:10:17,769 therefore they thought well no though 212 00:10:21,569 --> 00:10:19,600 there are lots of versions of the summer 213 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:21,579 to Monday this is at least an old one 214 00:10:28,199 --> 00:10:24,370 let's um let's have a go at it if it 215 00:10:29,639 --> 00:10:28,209 proves not to be very much then in terms 216 00:10:32,490 --> 00:10:29,649 of the prices of old master paintings 217 00:10:34,350 --> 00:10:32,500 though they were not go we're not going 218 00:10:36,660 --> 00:10:34,360 up very high in the scale of things 219 00:10:39,660 --> 00:10:36,670 could you hold on just a minute my front 220 00:10:43,889 --> 00:10:39,670 door isn't as can we just break for a 221 00:10:45,990 --> 00:10:43,899 moment yeah we are live so it's a man 222 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:46,000 has got all my dolls front and back 223 00:10:49,710 --> 00:10:47,410 doors off the hinges at the moment 224 00:10:53,429 --> 00:10:49,720 fitting all right that's fine all right 225 00:10:56,369 --> 00:10:53,439 so I'll talk a little bit so this this 226 00:11:00,540 --> 00:10:56,379 painting you know it's one of these 227 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:00,550 things where if you if if you saw this 228 00:11:05,009 --> 00:11:03,610 in an auction you know I'm sure a lot of 229 00:11:07,019 --> 00:11:05,019 people are kicking themselves because 230 00:11:09,389 --> 00:11:07,029 you know the pay day of this thing ended 231 00:11:11,850 --> 00:11:09,399 up being a world record four hundred 232 00:11:14,999 --> 00:11:11,860 fifty million dollars which is quite 233 00:11:16,740 --> 00:11:15,009 amazing and it just kind of the 234 00:11:18,629 --> 00:11:16,750 questions I'll be asking you know how 235 00:11:20,819 --> 00:11:18,639 many hands did this actually slip 236 00:11:23,069 --> 00:11:20,829 through by the time it actually hit the 237 00:11:27,490 --> 00:11:23,079 auction block on I think it was November 238 00:11:30,730 --> 00:11:27,500 15th I also want to find 239 00:11:34,750 --> 00:11:30,740 you know there's a lot of speculation 240 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:34,760 about who bought this and just today in 241 00:11:40,570 --> 00:11:37,370 the New York Times there was an article 242 00:11:42,820 --> 00:11:40,580 about about trying to find out trying to 243 00:11:45,460 --> 00:11:42,830 root out who the buyer was of this we'll 244 00:11:50,170 --> 00:11:45,470 be talking about that and a lot more and 245 00:11:51,700 --> 00:11:50,180 he's back so Martin so did you have any 246 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:51,710 more a continuation of what you were 247 00:11:58,990 --> 00:11:54,050 talking about or you want to keep moving 248 00:12:01,600 --> 00:11:59,000 on here yes basically they they bought 249 00:12:03,580 --> 00:12:01,610 it at that price and it was taken back 250 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:03,590 to New York and was put in Robert 251 00:12:08,890 --> 00:12:06,170 Simon's hands and it was he who then 252 00:12:11,620 --> 00:12:08,900 instigated the research and the cleaning 253 00:12:14,020 --> 00:12:11,630 of the picture the restoration of it now 254 00:12:18,970 --> 00:12:14,030 I have up on the screen right now some 255 00:12:20,950 --> 00:12:18,980 restoration images and I I guess the 256 00:12:22,060 --> 00:12:20,960 question I want to ask and I'm sure 257 00:12:25,860 --> 00:12:22,070 you've answered this a number of times 258 00:12:29,830 --> 00:12:25,870 but how far into the restoration process 259 00:12:31,810 --> 00:12:29,840 did did all of a sudden the light come 260 00:12:34,150 --> 00:12:31,820 on that you know I think we really have 261 00:12:35,260 --> 00:12:34,160 something here yeah I think it was 262 00:12:38,170 --> 00:12:35,270 pretty early 263 00:12:43,660 --> 00:12:38,180 Robert Simon took it to the modest 264 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:43,670 tina's and husband and wife and Diane 265 00:12:52,150 --> 00:12:48,410 who is about 90 that Diane was actively 266 00:12:55,270 --> 00:12:52,160 involved in conserving and he took it 267 00:13:02,380 --> 00:12:55,280 across New York in a bin liner believe 268 00:13:04,570 --> 00:13:02,390 it or not and they did she did a test 269 00:13:06,270 --> 00:13:04,580 clean just to see what was happening you 270 00:13:08,740 --> 00:13:06,280 know it's perfectly obvious that it was 271 00:13:11,020 --> 00:13:08,750 heavily over painted and that the other 272 00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:11,030 thing would come off relatively readily 273 00:13:15,790 --> 00:13:13,310 I think it's pretty soon in that they 274 00:13:17,890 --> 00:13:15,800 thought this is actually interesting 275 00:13:20,590 --> 00:13:17,900 they didn't think ah this is there 276 00:13:23,710 --> 00:13:20,600 another original it took much more than 277 00:13:25,450 --> 00:13:23,720 that but the the initial clean suggested 278 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:25,460 that there was a good and worthwhile 279 00:13:33,070 --> 00:13:28,010 painting underneath the the over think 280 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:33,080 now with infrared they saw the thumb of 281 00:13:39,730 --> 00:13:35,330 repositioning and that was kind of like 282 00:13:40,630 --> 00:13:39,740 an aha moment right the thumb became 283 00:13:45,220 --> 00:13:40,640 visible 284 00:13:49,750 --> 00:13:45,230 cleaning as as the over paint was 285 00:13:51,910 --> 00:13:49,760 cleaned off that area and paint becomes 286 00:13:54,670 --> 00:13:51,920 more translucent over time and often the 287 00:13:57,519 --> 00:13:54,680 pentimenti the regrets translate the 288 00:13:59,110 --> 00:13:57,529 word the the changes of mine sometimes 289 00:14:01,269 --> 00:13:59,120 become more apparent as they come 290 00:14:04,389 --> 00:14:01,279 through the upper layers and that 291 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:04,399 happened with the that happen with the 292 00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:07,250 thumb and Pentimento a change of mine 293 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:09,110 doesn't mean to say it has to be the 294 00:14:13,810 --> 00:14:11,690 original but it it helps a good deal as 295 00:14:16,990 --> 00:14:13,820 it says well it's not just a purely 296 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:17,000 mechanical copy back when you and I 297 00:14:23,170 --> 00:14:20,050 spoke about the La Bella principessa I 298 00:14:27,009 --> 00:14:23,180 remembered there was a gentleman named I 299 00:14:30,699 --> 00:14:27,019 believe Pascal and France that did some 300 00:14:34,210 --> 00:14:30,709 imagery that was fascinating I can't 301 00:14:35,949 --> 00:14:34,220 remember what the pixels were but was 302 00:14:39,759 --> 00:14:35,959 any of that done with this with this 303 00:14:42,250 --> 00:14:39,769 picture yeah this has been very it's 304 00:14:45,069 --> 00:14:42,260 been examined by x-rays by infrared 305 00:14:47,980 --> 00:14:45,079 reflectography which is a technique of 306 00:14:51,069 --> 00:14:47,990 bouncing infrared rays off the priming 307 00:14:53,910 --> 00:14:51,079 and you pick up and with any luck you 308 00:14:58,329 --> 00:14:53,920 pick up drawings and changes which are 309 00:14:59,980 --> 00:14:58,339 done in with carbon rich pigments yeah 310 00:15:02,410 --> 00:14:59,990 there's been fully scientifically 311 00:15:04,930 --> 00:15:02,420 examined and yeah there are some 312 00:15:07,329 --> 00:15:04,940 pentimenti some changes of mind around 313 00:15:09,990 --> 00:15:07,339 the top of the garment you can see that 314 00:15:13,180 --> 00:15:10,000 the the knot design has turned from a 315 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:13,190 curvy knot design into a rather angular 316 00:15:19,090 --> 00:15:14,930 not designed like you can see at the 317 00:15:21,460 --> 00:15:19,100 moment you could see particularly in 318 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:21,470 infrared where they're not who had 319 00:15:29,319 --> 00:15:25,370 pressed the heel of his right hand into 320 00:15:31,750 --> 00:15:29,329 the paint to soften the transitions 321 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:31,760 between lash and shades we know he did 322 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:33,170 that a lot and it's very characteristic 323 00:15:39,790 --> 00:15:36,290 of Leonardo the boys don't seem to have 324 00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:39,800 done that and the technical examination 325 00:15:44,829 --> 00:15:42,310 yet revealed a number of very very 326 00:15:47,699 --> 00:15:44,839 characteristic things they also found 327 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:47,709 the priming was very extraordinary that 328 00:15:55,070 --> 00:15:52,490 they Nardo is he had a gesso priming ie 329 00:15:58,580 --> 00:15:55,080 plaster then he put white they don't 330 00:16:01,460 --> 00:15:58,590 and unusually learn are though sometimes 331 00:16:03,950 --> 00:16:01,470 tinted selected areas or the whole of 332 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:03,960 the areas and depending on what color 333 00:16:09,410 --> 00:16:06,930 was going to go on top and in this case 334 00:16:13,070 --> 00:16:09,420 it seems that he ground some glass up 335 00:16:14,810 --> 00:16:13,080 and put it in these priming layers which 336 00:16:17,450 --> 00:16:14,820 presumably was intended to give a kind 337 00:16:20,470 --> 00:16:17,460 of radiance in the picture so though 338 00:16:22,370 --> 00:16:20,480 that very eccentric technical 339 00:16:25,220 --> 00:16:22,380 experimentation which almost differs 340 00:16:28,270 --> 00:16:25,230 from picture to picture is again very 341 00:16:30,170 --> 00:16:28,280 characteristic of Leonardo and the 342 00:16:32,300 --> 00:16:30,180 followers in studio were more 343 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:32,310 conservative in that respect now I 344 00:16:37,690 --> 00:16:34,050 wonder why he chose a panel that had a 345 00:16:40,190 --> 00:16:37,700 knot in it which later caused the crack 346 00:16:42,950 --> 00:16:40,200 yuckle II around the face it didn't go 347 00:16:45,950 --> 00:16:42,960 through the face it's it's a walnut 348 00:16:49,460 --> 00:16:45,960 panel and he liked wound up panels for a 349 00:16:51,350 --> 00:16:49,470 smaller scale pictures at some see he 350 00:16:55,310 --> 00:16:51,360 felt it was a good surface to paint on 351 00:16:58,430 --> 00:16:55,320 but I think he obviously wouldn't have 352 00:17:01,640 --> 00:16:58,440 been aware that the it was going to walk 353 00:17:03,350 --> 00:17:01,650 in and crack in that way and indeed I 354 00:17:05,540 --> 00:17:03,360 think if it have been kept in better 355 00:17:09,140 --> 00:17:05,550 conditions one imagines that have been 356 00:17:12,500 --> 00:17:09,150 badly affected by an environment with 357 00:17:16,060 --> 00:17:12,510 huge changes of humidity it was 358 00:17:18,260 --> 00:17:16,070 certainly in written for some time and 359 00:17:20,210 --> 00:17:18,270 surviving in the British climate of 360 00:17:24,110 --> 00:17:20,220 humidity changes is rather different 361 00:17:27,740 --> 00:17:24,120 from surviving silly right right now 362 00:17:29,270 --> 00:17:27,750 about the rest cents were we're kind of 363 00:17:32,630 --> 00:17:29,280 talking about the restoration part of 364 00:17:36,110 --> 00:17:32,640 this these talk about only twenty 365 00:17:39,140 --> 00:17:36,120 percent or so of this painting is 366 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:39,150 original and you know the rest is 367 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:41,570 basically in painting in the restoration 368 00:17:47,510 --> 00:17:44,850 so and I know very very well done but in 369 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:47,520 your opinion at what point does a 370 00:17:52,730 --> 00:17:50,010 masterpiece not become you know 371 00:17:56,120 --> 00:17:52,740 considered the work of an old master 372 00:17:58,340 --> 00:17:56,130 well first of all the 20% is absolutely 373 00:18:03,560 --> 00:17:58,350 a hundred hundred percent misleading 374 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:03,570 okay if you say how much survives of the 375 00:18:08,930 --> 00:18:05,850 lonardo surface in its absolutely 376 00:18:13,820 --> 00:18:08,940 pristine condition then you might 377 00:18:15,590 --> 00:18:13,830 down to that kind of level but if you 378 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:15,600 look at the picture and it was stripped 379 00:18:22,940 --> 00:18:17,970 down and you you're back to original 380 00:18:25,850 --> 00:18:22,950 paint it's it's quite high I wouldn't 381 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:25,860 wish to quantify it very precisely but I 382 00:18:30,650 --> 00:18:28,170 would say about 80% of the panel is 383 00:18:34,130 --> 00:18:30,660 covered in paint that Leonardo put on 384 00:18:36,470 --> 00:18:34,140 some of that is under painting or lower 385 00:18:39,050 --> 00:18:36,480 layers some places and the top layers 386 00:18:41,450 --> 00:18:39,060 hasn't survived so it's quite a car it's 387 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:41,460 quite complicated I have to say if you 388 00:18:46,370 --> 00:18:44,610 saw all the pictures we now delight it 389 00:18:48,530 --> 00:18:46,380 and in galleries whether the 390 00:18:50,570 --> 00:18:48,540 Metropolitan Museum they Louvre or the 391 00:18:52,670 --> 00:18:50,580 National Gallery in London where if you 392 00:18:55,130 --> 00:18:52,680 saw them stripped down that is to say 393 00:18:57,650 --> 00:18:55,140 all the infilling all the restoration 394 00:19:01,280 --> 00:18:57,660 all the conservation work removes we 395 00:19:03,590 --> 00:19:01,290 we'd be quite I'm quite shocked by how 396 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:03,600 damaged a lot of these pictures are you 397 00:19:11,510 --> 00:19:09,570 know the percent is is a nonsense um if 398 00:19:14,060 --> 00:19:11,520 if it was literally 80 percent if you 399 00:19:16,220 --> 00:19:14,070 stripped off all the over painting you 400 00:19:17,450 --> 00:19:16,230 would only have 20 percent of the panel 401 00:19:20,660 --> 00:19:17,460 covered in paints and that's absolutely 402 00:19:22,940 --> 00:19:20,670 not the case I see so that is misleading 403 00:19:25,100 --> 00:19:22,950 in a lot of the articles that you see 404 00:19:25,490 --> 00:19:25,110 out there so I'm glad I'm glad to clear 405 00:19:29,510 --> 00:19:25,500 that up 406 00:19:31,610 --> 00:19:29,520 yeah people cite this it's sloppy and 407 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:31,620 journalists and they were looking for 408 00:19:35,690 --> 00:19:33,810 sensations tend to tend to be rather 409 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:35,700 sloppy and they pick up that figure as 410 00:19:41,330 --> 00:19:37,890 if some if it's got some Authority and I 411 00:19:44,230 --> 00:19:41,340 I don't know where it came from but as 412 00:19:45,980 --> 00:19:44,240 we know fake news gets repeated yeah 413 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:45,990 that's right 414 00:19:52,910 --> 00:19:50,010 so the question I have about this this 415 00:19:55,820 --> 00:19:52,920 thing was lost in time a couple of times 416 00:19:59,240 --> 00:19:55,830 and a couple of different stretches how 417 00:20:01,100 --> 00:19:59,250 does something like that happen well if 418 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:01,110 you look at the line Ardo paintings 419 00:20:05,750 --> 00:20:03,930 there is only one painting which has got 420 00:20:07,310 --> 00:20:05,760 an absolutely continuous provenance 421 00:20:09,710 --> 00:20:07,320 that's to say the history of its 422 00:20:12,890 --> 00:20:09,720 ownership and that's the Last Supper and 423 00:20:14,570 --> 00:20:12,900 that's on a wall so need to get lost 424 00:20:17,420 --> 00:20:14,580 probably unless it was covered up but 425 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:17,430 anyway it's only the Last Supper the 426 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:21,210 Mona Lisa has gaps in its history we 427 00:20:25,820 --> 00:20:22,290 don't know how it 428 00:20:28,820 --> 00:20:25,830 but into trances the first collection it 429 00:20:33,770 --> 00:20:28,830 was in Fontainebleau by 1550 but there 430 00:20:36,220 --> 00:20:33,780 now who died in 1519 so there's a there 431 00:20:39,470 --> 00:20:36,230 are there are gaps in the provenance 432 00:20:41,150 --> 00:20:39,480 yeah and the Cecilia gala Ronnie the 433 00:20:43,940 --> 00:20:41,160 wonderful painting of the lady with the 434 00:20:47,780 --> 00:20:43,950 ermine in crackles that really appeared 435 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:47,790 in the in the 19th century really Wow 436 00:20:53,900 --> 00:20:49,770 the Benoit Madonna and her massage 437 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:53,910 appeared early 20th century so yeah 438 00:20:57,650 --> 00:20:55,770 things things disappear they get 439 00:21:03,470 --> 00:20:57,660 neglected they get over painted or 440 00:21:06,190 --> 00:21:03,480 they're in in obscure collections which 441 00:21:09,170 --> 00:21:06,200 haven't been visited by people who are 442 00:21:12,860 --> 00:21:09,180 recording the works of art or whatever 443 00:21:14,810 --> 00:21:12,870 yeah it's common enough you just 444 00:21:16,850 --> 00:21:14,820 mentioned the painting and I forget what 445 00:21:19,970 --> 00:21:16,860 the animals call it looks like a ferret 446 00:21:23,380 --> 00:21:19,980 what's that it's an element it's her 447 00:21:26,300 --> 00:21:23,390 it's it's a it's an oversized ermine hon 448 00:21:29,060 --> 00:21:26,310 neoman is a symbol of purity and 449 00:21:31,580 --> 00:21:29,070 moderation I think that's actually just 450 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:31,590 that's my favorite painting oh yeah 451 00:21:38,450 --> 00:21:34,890 beautiful yeah yeah it's just wonderful 452 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:38,460 but okay back to this one so this was 453 00:21:45,470 --> 00:21:40,890 lost there is a picture I believe it's 454 00:21:48,350 --> 00:21:45,480 1908 or something like that and that was 455 00:21:50,300 --> 00:21:48,360 the last time it had surfaced 456 00:21:53,350 --> 00:21:50,310 is that correct and then it and it 457 00:21:55,580 --> 00:21:53,360 became lost from there for a while yeah 458 00:21:59,630 --> 00:21:55,590 there's a question of the earlier 459 00:22:02,000 --> 00:21:59,640 provenance and I'm right with Robert 460 00:22:03,830 --> 00:22:02,010 Simon who's a crime discoverer of the 461 00:22:05,330 --> 00:22:03,840 picture and Margaret de laval one of my 462 00:22:09,590 --> 00:22:05,340 former students who are writing a book 463 00:22:13,130 --> 00:22:09,600 on it a margaret de laval has who's got 464 00:22:14,780 --> 00:22:13,140 a loss of the the provenance of it when 465 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:14,790 it was in the collections of Charles the 466 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:17,610 first in the interregnum after Charles 467 00:22:22,430 --> 00:22:20,610 the first have been beheaded in Charles 468 00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:22,440 the second and then Duke of Buckingham 469 00:22:29,660 --> 00:22:25,020 so she's got a bit of the middle of the 470 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:29,670 provenance as it were getting it from in 471 00:22:33,350 --> 00:22:31,410 our doubts at that point there's a gap 472 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:33,360 and then there's a gap when it appears 473 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:36,090 in the in the cook collection and 474 00:22:42,260 --> 00:22:38,970 book was a major English tractor 475 00:22:44,990 --> 00:22:42,270 particularly collected Italian paintings 476 00:22:48,380 --> 00:22:45,000 this was late 19th early 20th century 477 00:22:50,090 --> 00:22:48,390 and it was in his collection and by that 478 00:22:52,370 --> 00:22:50,100 time it was obviously not in good 479 00:22:54,860 --> 00:22:52,380 condition and it was described as baltra 480 00:22:59,000 --> 00:22:54,870 Theo or school of baltra Theo Welsh 481 00:23:00,529 --> 00:22:59,010 raffio was alone our doe pupil and so it 482 00:23:04,460 --> 00:23:00,539 was it was known to be in that 483 00:23:07,669 --> 00:23:04,470 collection and it was sold in the 1940s 484 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:07,679 so one of the last dribs and drabs of 485 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:09,090 things to be sold from the cook 486 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:12,090 collection and wasn't it at a sum or am 487 00:23:18,740 --> 00:23:15,330 i thinking of a later in 1958 something 488 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:18,750 like 45 yeah that's right yeah so for 489 00:23:23,570 --> 00:23:21,570 some pretty derisory some and if you'd 490 00:23:26,029 --> 00:23:23,580 seen if there was a black-and-white 491 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:26,039 photograph of it when it was in the in 492 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:28,370 the cook collection and it looked awful 493 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:31,110 yeah there was a beard added to like a 494 00:23:36,470 --> 00:23:33,570 little mustache and right yes well 495 00:23:39,260 --> 00:23:36,480 there's a droopy beard and they the eyes 496 00:23:41,389 --> 00:23:39,270 look completely glazed as if someone has 497 00:23:45,789 --> 00:23:41,399 been sniffing noxious substances you 498 00:23:48,919 --> 00:23:45,799 know all right so this this appears in 499 00:23:51,980 --> 00:23:48,929 2005 it comes up we talked about earlier 500 00:23:57,620 --> 00:23:51,990 at a an auction in Louisiana that comes 501 00:24:00,440 --> 00:23:57,630 up now what what what happens then and 502 00:24:02,539 --> 00:24:00,450 who how many hands does it go through 503 00:24:08,930 --> 00:24:02,549 before it actually hits the auction 504 00:24:11,269 --> 00:24:08,940 block well the two dealers have invested 505 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:11,279 in it not huge sums of money but they 506 00:24:14,899 --> 00:24:12,330 were invested in it 507 00:24:19,149 --> 00:24:14,909 Robert is directing the cleaning of it 508 00:24:22,580 --> 00:24:19,159 and at a certain point they think well 509 00:24:24,380 --> 00:24:22,590 you know this is actually the real thing 510 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:24,390 they got the Pentimento they got 511 00:24:29,180 --> 00:24:26,730 scientific examination they've they've 512 00:24:31,159 --> 00:24:29,190 seen this absolutely wonderful handling 513 00:24:32,779 --> 00:24:31,169 the best preserved bits of the picture 514 00:24:36,049 --> 00:24:32,789 are just spectacular 515 00:24:40,250 --> 00:24:36,059 they really kind of physic vitality and 516 00:24:47,450 --> 00:24:40,260 with Leonardo's very remarkable and way 517 00:24:49,940 --> 00:24:47,460 of conjuring up light on form and and it 518 00:24:52,370 --> 00:24:49,950 then becomes caught up in the 519 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:52,380 what to do with it they need to get it 520 00:24:56,269 --> 00:24:54,090 out into the public domain and the 521 00:24:58,340 --> 00:24:56,279 National Gallery in London is devising 522 00:25:02,240 --> 00:24:58,350 it show of lair now do at the court of 523 00:25:04,149 --> 00:25:02,250 Milan and they obviously put it in the 524 00:25:06,980 --> 00:25:04,159 direction of the National Gallery and 525 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:06,990 Luke's Ison the curator is working on 526 00:25:10,820 --> 00:25:08,730 the show and Nick penny who's the 527 00:25:12,769 --> 00:25:10,830 director of the National Gallery and an 528 00:25:17,389 --> 00:25:12,779 expert on Italian art amongst other 529 00:25:19,610 --> 00:25:17,399 things it was taken across to them and I 530 00:25:22,310 --> 00:25:19,620 received an email from Nick Penney 531 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:22,320 saying we've got something in the 532 00:25:27,350 --> 00:25:23,730 gallery which I think you might like to 533 00:25:31,100 --> 00:25:27,360 see and I went up to the gallery in 534 00:25:33,379 --> 00:25:31,110 London Pietro Mirani the great Leonardo 535 00:25:35,889 --> 00:25:33,389 scholar for Milan was there Maria Teresa 536 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:35,899 Fiore oh the sovereign ten dente 537 00:25:44,379 --> 00:25:38,690 superintendent of Milanese paintings was 538 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:44,389 was there and common ban back from the 539 00:25:50,779 --> 00:25:47,490 great joy joy expert on Leonardo 540 00:25:53,870 --> 00:25:50,789 drawings was there from the Metropolitan 541 00:25:56,419 --> 00:25:53,880 and we saw it in the conservation 542 00:25:59,450 --> 00:25:56,429 studios beside the virgin of the rocks-- 543 00:26:03,590 --> 00:25:59,460 which was being considered for cleaning 544 00:26:05,509 --> 00:26:03,600 in in advance of the show and at that 545 00:26:08,389 --> 00:26:05,519 point had it been restored to the 546 00:26:10,940 --> 00:26:08,399 condition it is now there was still a 547 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:10,950 bit of work on the background and and 548 00:26:16,220 --> 00:26:14,610 the the the the the second thumb as it 549 00:26:18,710 --> 00:26:16,230 were the change of position of a thumb 550 00:26:21,289 --> 00:26:18,720 hadn't at that point as I recall beam 551 00:26:25,399 --> 00:26:21,299 painted over but yeah it was 552 00:26:28,539 --> 00:26:25,409 substantially like it is now and so how 553 00:26:35,539 --> 00:26:32,659 Leonardo's have a presence and you will 554 00:26:37,970 --> 00:26:35,549 know any you've seen and you talked 555 00:26:39,500 --> 00:26:37,980 about the Julia gallery lady the crack 556 00:26:43,220 --> 00:26:39,510 off in ermine they have an extraordinary 557 00:26:45,350 --> 00:26:43,230 kind of living presence some artists can 558 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:45,360 do that Rembrandt does that with 559 00:26:49,669 --> 00:26:47,370 self-portraits Michelangelo can do it 560 00:26:52,009 --> 00:26:49,679 the marble they have that kind of living 561 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:52,019 presence as if they're not just made out 562 00:26:57,799 --> 00:26:54,450 of pigment or stone in the case of 563 00:27:00,350 --> 00:26:57,809 Michelangelo sculpture it's and it was 564 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:00,360 immediately apparent that it was a 565 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:03,690 strange picture it has this uncanny 566 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:05,730 see to it which particularly the later 567 00:27:10,820 --> 00:27:08,850 Leonardo's tend to have but I mean 568 00:27:14,259 --> 00:27:10,830 that's not enough to search by Leonardo 569 00:27:18,049 --> 00:27:14,269 but it's a it's a good starting point so 570 00:27:23,389 --> 00:27:18,059 yeah you tend to I thought what do I do 571 00:27:25,549 --> 00:27:23,399 i played it rather cool and said hello 572 00:27:29,450 --> 00:27:25,559 to the other people and and then looked 573 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:29,460 at it carefully and one of the things I 574 00:27:36,999 --> 00:27:32,090 observe straight away is that the sphere 575 00:27:43,039 --> 00:27:39,470 you think well that's a glass sphere but 576 00:27:45,289 --> 00:27:43,049 it's not glass and typical Salvator 577 00:27:47,330 --> 00:27:45,299 Mundi have brass spheres that they're 578 00:27:48,919 --> 00:27:47,340 holding sometimes they do glass 579 00:27:51,889 --> 00:27:48,929 particularly in Venice which was a major 580 00:27:55,629 --> 00:27:51,899 center for glass but this is not a glass 581 00:27:59,960 --> 00:27:55,639 sphere I could see that it was full of 582 00:28:02,600 --> 00:27:59,970 little gaps or not a Yaqui bubbles in 583 00:28:05,019 --> 00:28:02,610 the case of MI having glass but there 584 00:28:07,730 --> 00:28:05,029 are little internal marks in the sphere 585 00:28:08,450 --> 00:28:07,740 and I remembered as nuff of my Cambridge 586 00:28:12,769 --> 00:28:08,460 geology 587 00:28:15,769 --> 00:28:12,779 I think that's rock crystal and rock 588 00:28:17,930 --> 00:28:15,779 crystal sphere with what are technically 589 00:28:19,940 --> 00:28:17,940 called inclusions these little faults 590 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:19,950 sometimes they have cleavage planes this 591 00:28:28,669 --> 00:28:23,970 one didn't have cleavage planes but as I 592 00:28:30,259 --> 00:28:28,679 said that's rock crystal without without 593 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:30,269 very much evidence for it but it's just 594 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:32,850 an instinctive reaction and that becomes 595 00:28:39,019 --> 00:28:35,850 interesting then because why just learn 596 00:28:40,279 --> 00:28:39,029 how to use rock crystal and he was 597 00:28:42,710 --> 00:28:40,289 considered an expert in these 598 00:28:46,820 --> 00:28:42,720 semi-precious materials but why did he 599 00:28:49,129 --> 00:28:46,830 use it in the painting and it's clear 600 00:28:52,580 --> 00:28:49,139 that he's altering the iconography the 601 00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:52,590 subject matter of the picture that the 602 00:28:57,919 --> 00:28:55,110 crystalline sphere has known at the time 603 00:29:03,100 --> 00:28:57,929 was with the sphere of the fixed stars 604 00:29:06,230 --> 00:29:03,110 so the fixed stars the constellations 605 00:29:09,919 --> 00:29:06,240 like Bao and Big Dipper or whatever and 606 00:29:13,430 --> 00:29:09,929 which go round and seem to circulate in 607 00:29:17,020 --> 00:29:13,440 a you know sort of orbit you know in a 608 00:29:21,190 --> 00:29:19,020 that was in the relations called 609 00:29:24,370 --> 00:29:21,200 following Ptolemy in classical antiquity 610 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:24,380 was called the crystalline sphere of the 611 00:29:29,530 --> 00:29:27,530 fixed stars so what he's doing is saying 612 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:29,540 the Christ isn't just savior of the 613 00:29:35,070 --> 00:29:31,490 earth he is Savior of the cosmos and 614 00:29:37,930 --> 00:29:35,080 Savior of the whole planetary 615 00:29:39,370 --> 00:29:37,940 cosmological system I was wondering what 616 00:29:42,310 --> 00:29:39,380 that represented I was gonna ask you 617 00:29:44,790 --> 00:29:42,320 that now how come you know I mean the 618 00:29:47,170 --> 00:29:44,800 the little bubbles or inclusions are 619 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:47,180 really something when you look at it 620 00:29:52,570 --> 00:29:50,090 closely but how comes the robe is not 621 00:29:54,100 --> 00:29:52,580 distorted with the light refraction like 622 00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:54,110 it should be do you think that was 623 00:30:01,060 --> 00:29:56,510 purposeful yeah I said it's absolutely 624 00:30:03,190 --> 00:30:01,070 deliberate the what would happen with 625 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:03,200 the sphere there is according to how far 626 00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:05,570 you read it away from the draperies but 627 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:08,710 if it's being held by his arm some way 628 00:30:16,330 --> 00:30:12,770 some way out from the from the draperies 629 00:30:18,430 --> 00:30:16,340 themselves what would happen there you'd 630 00:30:21,220 --> 00:30:18,440 really do careful experiment that you 631 00:30:24,550 --> 00:30:21,230 get a lot of very you get inversion and 632 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:24,560 a lot of three strong curvilinear 633 00:30:27,370 --> 00:30:25,730 Distortion 634 00:30:30,460 --> 00:30:27,380 now then out is not going to do that 635 00:30:32,740 --> 00:30:30,470 it's going to dominate the whole picture 636 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:32,750 and make it look very peculiar yeah we 637 00:30:37,990 --> 00:30:34,970 draw your eye to it wouldn't it yeah he 638 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:38,000 wouldn't for instance in the baptism of 639 00:30:43,510 --> 00:30:40,370 Christ show Christ's legs as refracted 640 00:30:44,830 --> 00:30:43,520 in water and no artist would do that and 641 00:30:48,010 --> 00:30:44,840 there were lots of effects visual 642 00:30:50,650 --> 00:30:48,020 effects that there now who said were for 643 00:30:52,390 --> 00:30:50,660 the specular Tory for the Philosopher's 644 00:30:54,610 --> 00:30:52,400 for the people who think about natural 645 00:30:58,000 --> 00:30:54,620 things he knew that if something moved 646 00:31:02,500 --> 00:30:58,010 fast it was blurred but he wouldn't a 647 00:31:06,130 --> 00:31:02,510 blur in a picture yes so there were 648 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:06,140 visual effects which would be violate 649 00:31:10,830 --> 00:31:08,330 decorum that's to say the good manners 650 00:31:13,150 --> 00:31:10,840 which you would expect to observe 651 00:31:18,550 --> 00:31:13,160 particularly in a devotional subject of 652 00:31:20,470 --> 00:31:18,560 this sort so yeah he if people assume 653 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:20,480 that he's going to follow the optical 654 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:22,970 truth of the picture down to the very 655 00:31:27,550 --> 00:31:24,890 end this is not what he does he's making 656 00:31:30,649 --> 00:31:27,560 functional pictures I see now let's talk 657 00:31:31,669 --> 00:31:30,659 about the emotional part of this 658 00:31:34,519 --> 00:31:31,679 because I think that's really 659 00:31:36,589 --> 00:31:34,529 interesting there's a video that shows 660 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:36,599 you know people looking at it for the 661 00:31:42,409 --> 00:31:39,690 first time did you feel as though this 662 00:31:45,710 --> 00:31:42,419 painting also had an emotional quality 663 00:31:49,749 --> 00:31:45,720 when you saw it in person it has this 664 00:31:52,580 --> 00:31:49,759 quality in a way the Mona Lisa has that 665 00:31:54,799 --> 00:31:52,590 there is an emotion there there's a 666 00:31:58,700 --> 00:31:54,809 sense that the figure is looking at you 667 00:32:01,849 --> 00:31:58,710 and reacting and you're reacting but 668 00:32:05,899 --> 00:32:01,859 it's it's not clearly defined it's a 669 00:32:11,529 --> 00:32:05,909 it's a very elusive emotion it's not 670 00:32:14,629 --> 00:32:11,539 simply something that is saying I am 671 00:32:18,799 --> 00:32:14,639 asserting my sovereignty over you or I'm 672 00:32:20,930 --> 00:32:18,809 inviting you or I'm smiling at you in an 673 00:32:24,529 --> 00:32:20,940 accessible way it's got that mysterious 674 00:32:28,279 --> 00:32:24,539 quality it's it's about the ineffable 675 00:32:30,529 --> 00:32:28,289 about something which is there in our 676 00:32:33,409 --> 00:32:30,539 space but can't be fully understood and 677 00:32:35,479 --> 00:32:33,419 Christ after all comes from heaven so 678 00:32:37,999 --> 00:32:35,489 although he's incarnate he's turned into 679 00:32:41,779 --> 00:32:38,009 flesh and blood like you and me he 680 00:32:46,580 --> 00:32:41,789 remains this ultimate spiritual figure 681 00:32:48,950 --> 00:32:46,590 and ultimately not Noble in a very 682 00:32:52,999 --> 00:32:48,960 literal sense by our limited human mind 683 00:32:56,779 --> 00:32:53,009 so it's an exercise in Indian ethical in 684 00:32:59,719 --> 00:32:56,789 the in the spiritual mean accessible as 685 00:33:01,820 --> 00:32:59,729 well as something we can see yeah yeah 686 00:33:04,249 --> 00:33:01,830 and really interesting you know I think 687 00:33:07,669 --> 00:33:04,259 we skipped around I want to walk it back 688 00:33:11,149 --> 00:33:07,679 just a little bit too I asked you about 689 00:33:13,310 --> 00:33:11,159 how you know the hands changed I don't 690 00:33:17,690 --> 00:33:13,320 think we quite finished that part of it 691 00:33:20,659 --> 00:33:17,700 when it when it went to auction how many 692 00:33:23,450 --> 00:33:20,669 different ownerships had it had before I 693 00:33:26,180 --> 00:33:23,460 mean since 2005 when it was first does 694 00:33:27,019 --> 00:33:26,190 rediscovered we which auction do you 695 00:33:29,089 --> 00:33:27,029 mean sorry 696 00:33:32,899 --> 00:33:29,099 the auction Louisiana it was it was 697 00:33:34,849 --> 00:33:32,909 found in yeah in in 2005 but I just 698 00:33:37,549 --> 00:33:34,859 wanted to know until it went to auction 699 00:33:40,879 --> 00:33:37,559 and brought the record price you know 700 00:33:43,310 --> 00:33:40,889 the ownership how many times how many 701 00:33:44,150 --> 00:33:43,320 times had to change hands well this is a 702 00:33:47,030 --> 00:33:44,160 gap 703 00:33:52,250 --> 00:33:47,040 it being in Leonardo's possession in the 704 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:52,260 possession of his pupil cell I and we 705 00:33:57,950 --> 00:33:54,930 don't then know certainly what happened 706 00:34:01,370 --> 00:33:57,960 to it who owned it before it ended up in 707 00:34:07,100 --> 00:34:01,380 the collection of Charles the first in 708 00:34:08,180 --> 00:34:07,110 the 1630s say so there's that big gap we 709 00:34:10,850 --> 00:34:08,190 don't know how many hands it passed 710 00:34:14,240 --> 00:34:10,860 through I'm sorry I'm sorry for the 711 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:14,250 confusion no I meant in 2005 who was 712 00:34:20,300 --> 00:34:18,330 bought by some dealers and today they 713 00:34:22,070 --> 00:34:20,310 sold it it sold like two other times 714 00:34:25,879 --> 00:34:22,080 before it went to auction is that right 715 00:34:27,740 --> 00:34:25,889 no it's not known it was in the in the 716 00:34:29,770 --> 00:34:27,750 sale of the Cooke collection it was 717 00:34:33,500 --> 00:34:29,780 knocked down to somebody called 718 00:34:38,810 --> 00:34:33,510 which made simply the sort of made up 719 00:34:41,540 --> 00:34:38,820 name for the sake of and then appears in 720 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:41,550 Louisiana and we don't know what there 721 00:34:45,350 --> 00:34:43,530 are designer as far as I know there are 722 00:34:48,050 --> 00:34:45,360 no intermediate stages that we know 723 00:34:49,550 --> 00:34:48,060 about it could have been in in the same 724 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:49,560 collection the whole time it could have 725 00:34:52,720 --> 00:34:51,810 changed hands once twice three times for 726 00:34:57,230 --> 00:34:52,730 all I know 727 00:34:58,100 --> 00:34:57,240 okay now there is always when it comes 728 00:35:00,680 --> 00:34:58,110 to da Vinci 729 00:35:03,110 --> 00:35:00,690 there's always conspiracies you know Dan 730 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:03,120 Brown I think may have helped that along 731 00:35:09,230 --> 00:35:06,530 in his books what have you heard about 732 00:35:14,090 --> 00:35:09,240 conspiracies I'm sure you're you've been 733 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:14,100 contacted about yeah less than with some 734 00:35:19,190 --> 00:35:16,530 pictures own the Mona Lisa is a field 735 00:35:22,940 --> 00:35:19,200 day for the for the brown type people I 736 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:22,950 get sent things about potion script and 737 00:35:27,770 --> 00:35:24,810 in the Mona Lisa talking about 738 00:35:29,690 --> 00:35:27,780 Nostradamus prophecies etc etc and there 739 00:35:32,330 --> 00:35:29,700 are there are lions and there are 740 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:32,340 monkeys and alligators and the landscape 741 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:36,090 etc etc and there's less of that but 742 00:35:42,290 --> 00:35:39,930 I've been sent things about using 743 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:42,300 mirroring techniques to compare the 744 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:44,370 sides of the face and to come up with 745 00:35:49,550 --> 00:35:46,370 elaborate conclusions about 746 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:49,560 psychological mysteries or statements 747 00:35:55,450 --> 00:35:51,330 about the duality of the human condition 748 00:35:57,770 --> 00:35:55,460 and so on that so far 749 00:36:00,470 --> 00:35:57,780 what up so far I've had 750 00:36:04,130 --> 00:36:00,480 relatively fewer of conspiracy theories 751 00:36:06,710 --> 00:36:04,140 and then I might expect but no doubt it 752 00:36:09,110 --> 00:36:06,720 takes some time for the two the secrets 753 00:36:11,090 --> 00:36:09,120 and inverted commas to emerge yeah I 754 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:11,100 figured someone who would read something 755 00:36:16,550 --> 00:36:12,810 in the embroidery work or something like 756 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:16,560 that I haven't done so so sorry yep the 757 00:36:23,090 --> 00:36:19,770 the the knot pattern is interesting it's 758 00:36:26,030 --> 00:36:23,100 almost certainly post Venice because in 759 00:36:29,170 --> 00:36:26,040 an earlier learn how to putt patterns he 760 00:36:32,900 --> 00:36:29,180 was interested in these curving shapes 761 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:32,910 and in Venice he saw Islamic patterns he 762 00:36:40,850 --> 00:36:36,090 was in Venice briefly in 1500 after 763 00:36:43,370 --> 00:36:40,860 Milan and the the pattern on this on 764 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:43,380 these stalls on the bands across his 765 00:36:52,460 --> 00:36:46,050 chest these are essentially Islamic 766 00:36:55,910 --> 00:36:52,470 rectilinear patterns so the picture it's 767 00:36:57,860 --> 00:36:55,920 being painted after 1500 all right so 768 00:36:59,510 --> 00:36:57,870 we're gonna be talking in a little bit 769 00:37:03,200 --> 00:36:59,520 about the auction you know what happened 770 00:37:05,750 --> 00:37:03,210 at auction about the rumored buyer where 771 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:05,760 it may end up all that but before that 772 00:37:11,660 --> 00:37:08,610 let's talk about the authentication of 773 00:37:15,020 --> 00:37:11,670 this painting and I know there's an art 774 00:37:19,220 --> 00:37:15,030 critic named Jerry Saltz he has a lot to 775 00:37:21,490 --> 00:37:19,230 say our was this a difficult piece as 776 00:37:24,980 --> 00:37:21,500 it's still ongoing as far as the 777 00:37:27,710 --> 00:37:24,990 authenticity of this and does the huge 778 00:37:30,410 --> 00:37:27,720 price tag play into what's happening as 779 00:37:32,390 --> 00:37:30,420 far as that discussion goes yeah what 780 00:37:35,180 --> 00:37:32,400 happened was that it was handled 781 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:35,190 initially very sensibly it was shown to 782 00:37:41,060 --> 00:37:37,970 a number of Leonardo specialists and 783 00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:41,070 privately to give them a chance to 784 00:37:47,590 --> 00:37:44,730 examine this and so on and the majority 785 00:37:50,210 --> 00:37:47,600 of Leonardo specialists accepted it 786 00:37:52,340 --> 00:37:50,220 Frank Zollner didn't but he was in 787 00:37:55,910 --> 00:37:52,350 Germany and hadn't seen you original but 788 00:37:58,910 --> 00:37:55,920 now he has and the the objections have 789 00:38:00,830 --> 00:37:58,920 come from people who don't understand 790 00:38:03,310 --> 00:38:00,840 Leonardo don't understand Renaissance 791 00:38:07,430 --> 00:38:03,320 painting don't understand the rules that 792 00:38:10,940 --> 00:38:07,440 pertain and got column issues by 793 00:38:11,690 --> 00:38:10,950 rubbishing something which is which went 794 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:11,700 for the wine room 795 00:38:16,370 --> 00:38:13,290 a few million pounds so there's a very 796 00:38:18,890 --> 00:38:16,380 strange dynamic at it absolutely wasn't 797 00:38:21,950 --> 00:38:18,900 heavily questioned by Leonardo experts 798 00:38:25,069 --> 00:38:21,960 apart from Carla Peretti who has never 799 00:38:29,599 --> 00:38:25,079 seen it and seems not to be aware of it 800 00:38:32,300 --> 00:38:29,609 in its post restoration form but no 801 00:38:34,970 --> 00:38:32,310 there are a number a number of critics 802 00:38:35,660 --> 00:38:34,980 got good column inches by saying very 803 00:38:39,940 --> 00:38:35,670 silly things 804 00:38:42,710 --> 00:38:39,950 now this there's so many similar copies 805 00:38:45,700 --> 00:38:42,720 made of this piece at one time there was 806 00:38:51,829 --> 00:38:45,710 a an example that was thought to be by 807 00:38:54,530 --> 00:38:51,839 Leonardo and the question I have for you 808 00:38:57,650 --> 00:38:54,540 was this like the school of Leonardo I 809 00:38:59,870 --> 00:38:57,660 mean who who are copying these pieces to 810 00:39:01,880 --> 00:38:59,880 begin with laid out who is massively 811 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:01,890 carpet even the Mona Lisa which is a 812 00:39:06,980 --> 00:39:04,170 portrait of a private person was copied 813 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:06,990 a lot relatively early the devotional 814 00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:09,450 pictures were copied both in the studio 815 00:39:14,930 --> 00:39:12,530 the studio boys used the resource 816 00:39:18,380 --> 00:39:14,940 resources in the studio for producing 817 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:18,390 additional Madonna's and so on and lo 818 00:39:22,309 --> 00:39:20,490 now there was a brand in Milan he was 819 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:22,319 very much copied to the people who 820 00:39:28,220 --> 00:39:24,810 turned out their Nardo like paintings 821 00:39:30,500 --> 00:39:28,230 and I think the Robert Simon has been 822 00:39:33,650 --> 00:39:30,510 sort of blogging at these and at one 823 00:39:36,260 --> 00:39:33,660 point he was over forty coppers and the 824 00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:36,270 one which was probably the most striking 825 00:39:41,270 --> 00:39:38,910 was in formerly in the gigantic 826 00:39:44,690 --> 00:39:41,280 collection and owned by the contest of 827 00:39:48,829 --> 00:39:44,700 the hog before that rather a strapping a 828 00:39:50,839 --> 00:39:48,839 striking picture which an American 829 00:39:53,059 --> 00:39:50,849 scholar claimed was the original for a 830 00:39:54,859 --> 00:39:53,069 whole series of reasons it's it's not 831 00:39:57,760 --> 00:39:54,869 the original the technical examination 832 00:40:00,740 --> 00:39:57,770 reveals Lanza drawing not like Leonardo 833 00:40:03,500 --> 00:40:00,750 the anatomical feeling of the hand isn't 834 00:40:07,250 --> 00:40:03,510 very good etc etc but that was the 835 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:07,260 highest quality one it never got the 836 00:40:12,829 --> 00:40:10,410 acceptance amongst Leonardo scholars or 837 00:40:15,950 --> 00:40:12,839 more generally in the in the world of 838 00:40:18,319 --> 00:40:15,960 art history so that there was one prime 839 00:40:22,220 --> 00:40:18,329 version but it didn't shade up as the 840 00:40:24,500 --> 00:40:22,230 original I see now what about Leonardo's 841 00:40:25,940 --> 00:40:24,510 religious views and how does this 842 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:25,950 painting of 843 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:28,650 Christ fit in with that yeah 844 00:40:32,210 --> 00:40:30,570 can I interrupt just again the man doing 845 00:40:34,670 --> 00:40:32,220 my door is about to go and I need to 846 00:40:38,690 --> 00:40:34,680 bathe it sorry that's okay 847 00:40:44,270 --> 00:40:38,700 all right so again this is live so we 848 00:40:45,380 --> 00:40:44,280 have to move on here and the one of the 849 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:45,390 questions I was thinking about asking 850 00:40:55,340 --> 00:40:50,010 him is mmm the fresco of the Last Supper 851 00:40:59,180 --> 00:40:55,350 I can recall it seemed like only 20 or 852 00:41:02,900 --> 00:40:59,190 25 years ago when they were restoring 853 00:41:07,250 --> 00:41:02,910 that and it was a major restoration and 854 00:41:10,190 --> 00:41:07,260 now I see I see recent images of it and 855 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:10,200 it looks like it is in total disrepair 856 00:41:15,050 --> 00:41:12,570 like it needs restoration again so 857 00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:15,060 that's a question I had wondering how 858 00:41:24,580 --> 00:41:19,910 this happened also another thing is in 859 00:41:27,230 --> 00:41:24,590 the Florence Town Hall there was a 860 00:41:30,140 --> 00:41:27,240 there's a question whether there is a 861 00:41:31,490 --> 00:41:30,150 hidden Leonardo behind one of the walls 862 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:31,500 that were constructed oh you're back 863 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:35,850 already yeah yeah no they've been had my 864 00:41:40,820 --> 00:41:38,370 doors back and front off the hinges to 865 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:40,830 fit draught excluders much needed in 866 00:41:45,260 --> 00:41:42,810 this weather and being an old house it's 867 00:41:48,860 --> 00:41:45,270 taken twice as long as expected and 868 00:41:51,740 --> 00:41:48,870 you're right you're are you you're in 869 00:41:55,250 --> 00:41:51,750 England where are you in England I'm in 870 00:41:57,080 --> 00:41:55,260 Woodstock which is ten miles northwest 871 00:41:58,490 --> 00:41:57,090 of Oxford and on the edge of Blenheim 872 00:42:03,770 --> 00:41:58,500 Park Blenheim Palace 873 00:42:07,550 --> 00:42:03,780 ah I see okay so where we were on we're 874 00:42:10,310 --> 00:42:07,560 talking about religious beliefs and how 875 00:42:13,550 --> 00:42:10,320 that fit in with the narrative of this 876 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:13,560 painting you know the first thing to say 877 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:15,810 is that the idea that they're in our 878 00:42:21,290 --> 00:42:18,570 dough is some kind of heretic and he 879 00:42:22,820 --> 00:42:21,300 espouses that some Johnny's more 880 00:42:24,500 --> 00:42:22,830 important than Christ there was 881 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:24,510 absolutely no evidence of that at all 882 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:27,210 and all this sort of Dan Brown stuff 883 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:28,770 which had become very popular was 884 00:42:37,370 --> 00:42:33,690 Leonardo as a as a heretic as some not 885 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:37,380 believing in in Christ etc there is no 886 00:42:41,510 --> 00:42:38,970 evidence for that within 887 00:42:45,740 --> 00:42:41,520 Nardo's work at all it's a fantasy 888 00:42:48,970 --> 00:42:45,750 imposed from outside they now do 889 00:42:52,340 --> 00:42:48,980 basically believed there was a god 890 00:42:55,910 --> 00:42:52,350 nature told him that that the perfection 891 00:42:58,010 --> 00:42:55,920 of natural forms the perfection with 892 00:43:01,850 --> 00:42:58,020 which forms are made in relation to the 893 00:43:04,310 --> 00:43:01,860 natural laws declared that the must be o 894 00:43:06,260 --> 00:43:04,320 maker somebody had made the clockwork as 895 00:43:08,450 --> 00:43:06,270 it were and wound up the heavens and 896 00:43:13,100 --> 00:43:08,460 designed the whole the whole machinery 897 00:43:16,340 --> 00:43:13,110 of of the heavens and the whole business 898 00:43:18,530 --> 00:43:16,350 of how nature performs with its manifest 899 00:43:22,700 --> 00:43:18,540 perfection as Leonardo saw it so there 900 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:22,710 is this figure what he doesn't do when 901 00:43:27,260 --> 00:43:23,930 this is a perfectly respectable 902 00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:27,270 philosophical stance is to say I can 903 00:43:33,830 --> 00:43:30,210 study and define this figure he says I 904 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:33,840 can see God work in the earth 905 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:37,650 I can see God's presence but I cannot 906 00:43:46,130 --> 00:43:40,530 even begin to understand the nature of 907 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:46,140 this sublime ineffable infinite being in 908 00:43:52,250 --> 00:43:49,170 Christ as his son partake partake in 909 00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:52,260 that even though he was incarnate he was 910 00:43:57,650 --> 00:43:55,770 embodied in flesh it's a it's a doctrine 911 00:44:01,400 --> 00:43:57,660 of double truth you say well there's a 912 00:44:03,620 --> 00:44:01,410 truth that we can encompass in our human 913 00:44:06,950 --> 00:44:03,630 minds what we can see in nature how we 914 00:44:08,930 --> 00:44:06,960 can observe God's handiwork but there's 915 00:44:11,510 --> 00:44:08,940 a second truth which is the truth of 916 00:44:14,870 --> 00:44:11,520 Revelation the truth of the holy books 917 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:14,880 he says at one point leave let be the 918 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:17,010 holy books because they are the supreme 919 00:44:21,770 --> 00:44:19,650 truth so he's not gonna spend a lot of 920 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:21,780 time discussing who is God and what is 921 00:44:27,860 --> 00:44:25,050 nature of God he says that is futile all 922 00:44:30,260 --> 00:44:27,870 we can do is to understand God in terms 923 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:30,270 of our life on earth and what we can see 924 00:44:38,810 --> 00:44:34,410 around us I see well I know he was an 925 00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:38,820 illegitimate child and there's a little 926 00:44:43,580 --> 00:44:40,650 known about the relationship with his 927 00:44:46,340 --> 00:44:43,590 father but I just wonder do you happen 928 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:46,350 to know did he have some type of 929 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:48,690 relationship with his father and if so 930 00:44:55,700 --> 00:44:52,410 was it after he became a noted artist 931 00:44:58,100 --> 00:44:55,710 before no we know much more about this 932 00:45:00,650 --> 00:44:58,110 in the book which I wrote with Giuseppe 933 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:00,660 pal ante who's a specialist and Shannon 934 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:04,130 archival work we found out a good deal 935 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:07,050 extra about Leonardo including that his 936 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:09,570 mother almost certainly was a 15 year 937 00:45:16,820 --> 00:45:12,690 old orphan peasant girl known after his 938 00:45:20,780 --> 00:45:16,830 father the family the da vinci family 939 00:45:22,670 --> 00:45:20,790 they were landowners and notaries learn 940 00:45:25,130 --> 00:45:22,680 how those grandfather who brought him 941 00:45:27,740 --> 00:45:25,140 out stayed in Vinci didn't work as a 942 00:45:28,940 --> 00:45:27,750 notary he he he looked after the 943 00:45:32,060 --> 00:45:28,950 properties and so on 944 00:45:33,410 --> 00:45:32,070 no Nardo's father a young man made his 945 00:45:36,290 --> 00:45:33,420 way in Florence and became a very 946 00:45:38,870 --> 00:45:36,300 important lawyer and while he was back 947 00:45:41,140 --> 00:45:38,880 on a summer's afternoon fathered this 948 00:45:43,010 --> 00:45:41,150 child with this very vulnerable 949 00:45:46,670 --> 00:45:43,020 fifteen-year-old peasant girl coup 950 00:45:48,500 --> 00:45:46,680 Caterina no no no he's brought up in the 951 00:45:51,530 --> 00:45:48,510 grandfather's house he's listed in the 952 00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:51,540 tax returns and at some point we don't 953 00:45:55,220 --> 00:45:53,490 know when he went to Florence to be 954 00:45:59,840 --> 00:45:55,230 apprenticed to be an artist he'd 955 00:46:03,290 --> 00:45:59,850 obviously shown talent with Andrea ver 956 00:46:07,190 --> 00:46:03,300 Akio the painter sculptor master of all 957 00:46:09,470 --> 00:46:07,200 visual trades and the relationship of 958 00:46:11,540 --> 00:46:09,480 the father seems to have been basically 959 00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:11,550 fine he was brought up as a cherished 960 00:46:18,700 --> 00:46:14,730 child new father married and produced 961 00:46:21,020 --> 00:46:18,710 dank something like 17 children and 962 00:46:24,590 --> 00:46:21,030 Leonardo in Florence is always called 963 00:46:27,500 --> 00:46:24,600 lair now do de ser Piero da Vinci serve 964 00:46:31,910 --> 00:46:27,510 is the prefix for a lawyer so learn I'll 965 00:46:35,990 --> 00:46:31,920 do the son of of Pierrot da Vinci the 966 00:46:38,300 --> 00:46:36,000 lawyer so and two of the early 967 00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:38,310 commissions the one for the altarpiece 968 00:46:42,830 --> 00:46:40,770 in the Town Hall which Lerner doesn't 969 00:46:45,230 --> 00:46:42,840 seem too damn much work on and the 970 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:45,240 adoration of the Magi for the monastery 971 00:46:50,630 --> 00:46:48,090 of San Donato us got a tow and we can 972 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:50,640 lead read Leonardo's father and this was 973 00:46:55,070 --> 00:46:53,490 Leonardo was the one of the legal 974 00:46:58,400 --> 00:46:55,080 officers involved in both those 975 00:47:00,640 --> 00:46:58,410 organizations I see now let's talk about 976 00:47:03,260 --> 00:47:00,650 the auction 977 00:47:05,380 --> 00:47:03,270 when did you first find out that this 978 00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:05,390 thing was going to auction 979 00:47:11,769 --> 00:47:07,729 and what type of hype was there you know 980 00:47:13,839 --> 00:47:11,779 prior to you know this coming up well a 981 00:47:19,180 --> 00:47:13,849 surprised it went to auction first of 982 00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:19,190 all Dmitriy rebel off left was building 983 00:47:25,509 --> 00:47:21,650 out this major collection of pictures 984 00:47:28,199 --> 00:47:25,519 and I'd been in contact because we were 985 00:47:33,359 --> 00:47:28,209 writing this book on it so obviously we 986 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:33,369 we look to his cooperation and so on and 987 00:47:39,370 --> 00:47:36,410 it was a picture he much admired and the 988 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:39,380 one that he was reputed as saying he 989 00:47:44,229 --> 00:47:41,690 would sell that last rather than the the 990 00:47:47,890 --> 00:47:44,239 other pictures that Christie's managed 991 00:47:49,779 --> 00:47:47,900 to persuade him that it it should be 992 00:47:52,390 --> 00:47:49,789 sold along with other of the pictures 993 00:47:57,609 --> 00:47:52,400 he'd been buying from Heath Cuvier at 994 00:48:00,130 --> 00:47:57,619 these very high prices and and yeah I 995 00:48:02,529 --> 00:48:00,140 was contacted by Christie's and they 996 00:48:04,749 --> 00:48:02,539 said oh you know the Salvator Mundi is 997 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:04,759 coming up for sale and they were 998 00:48:09,309 --> 00:48:06,650 obviously looking for me to support it 999 00:48:11,289 --> 00:48:09,319 as a as a loan our dough I did a video 1000 00:48:13,870 --> 00:48:11,299 for them I said I'm not getting involved 1001 00:48:15,999 --> 00:48:13,880 on sale process but rather than have 1002 00:48:19,359 --> 00:48:16,009 lots of city staff appearing out there 1003 00:48:24,729 --> 00:48:19,369 has happened anyway I'm happy to do a 1004 00:48:29,410 --> 00:48:24,739 video establishing what the picture is 1005 00:48:32,620 --> 00:48:29,420 and how it works now did you have did 1006 00:48:33,910 --> 00:48:32,630 you have a pre-sale thought I've heard a 1007 00:48:37,870 --> 00:48:33,920 lot of people were tossing around the 1008 00:48:39,789 --> 00:48:37,880 figure of you know 100 125 million did 1009 00:48:42,099 --> 00:48:39,799 you have those any type of thought as 1010 00:48:44,650 --> 00:48:42,109 far as numbers go is that not your thing 1011 00:48:47,109 --> 00:48:44,660 well what what happens I am NOT an 1012 00:48:49,059 --> 00:48:47,119 expert on non sale prices and indeed 1013 00:48:53,109 --> 00:48:49,069 with Larry now nobody who's next better 1014 00:48:55,449 --> 00:48:53,119 on the sale price that's right there was 1015 00:48:57,519 --> 00:48:55,459 a guarantee of a hundred million dollars 1016 00:49:01,029 --> 00:48:57,529 on it which meant that Sotheby's had got 1017 00:49:04,509 --> 00:49:01,039 some backer to say at the end of the day 1018 00:49:06,549 --> 00:49:04,519 we will take it off you four hundred 1019 00:49:07,689 --> 00:49:06,559 million dollars and it may have been one 1020 00:49:12,339 --> 00:49:07,699 of the people who is actually bidding 1021 00:49:17,170 --> 00:49:12,349 and they so we don't know that the 1022 00:49:19,130 --> 00:49:17,180 pictures which bouvier which rebel off 1023 00:49:21,769 --> 00:49:19,140 laugh had been buying from boo via 1024 00:49:26,029 --> 00:49:21,779 he'd been selling them at a last bouvier 1025 00:49:28,099 --> 00:49:26,039 had these huge markups and movie I think 1026 00:49:30,440 --> 00:49:28,109 have paid about seventy million dollars 1027 00:49:32,420 --> 00:49:30,450 for the picture and sold it for a 1028 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:32,430 hundred and thirty seven point five 1029 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:36,890 million dollars I think it was four to 1030 00:49:43,579 --> 00:49:41,130 two ruble off laughs and I I thought 1031 00:49:45,349 --> 00:49:43,589 well it's going to struggle to make a 1032 00:49:47,479 --> 00:49:45,359 hundred million dollars which is got 1033 00:49:51,499 --> 00:49:47,489 enormous money by your my terms but 1034 00:49:55,099 --> 00:49:51,509 nonetheless he'd been selling at a loss 1035 00:49:57,109 --> 00:49:55,109 I went to bed it was night being 1036 00:49:58,609 --> 00:49:57,119 auctioned at nighttime in Britain I went 1037 00:50:00,859 --> 00:49:58,619 to bed and I thought I can find out 1038 00:50:02,660 --> 00:50:00,869 about it in the morning and a two 1039 00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:02,670 o'clock in the morning my phone begins 1040 00:50:10,970 --> 00:50:06,210 ringing and my email start going ping 1041 00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:10,980 ping ping and the computer and so I then 1042 00:50:15,859 --> 00:50:13,170 heard the gun four hundred and fifty 1043 00:50:19,700 --> 00:50:15,869 million and of course the media then on 1044 00:50:21,200 --> 00:50:19,710 to me so I did the sure about yeah for 1045 00:50:22,670 --> 00:50:21,210 the whole of the next day I think I 1046 00:50:25,789 --> 00:50:22,680 didn't have any breakfast I had a bit of 1047 00:50:28,370 --> 00:50:25,799 lunch I was going round round the studio 1048 00:50:32,569 --> 00:50:28,380 who's dealing with with media inquiries 1049 00:50:36,799 --> 00:50:32,579 and so on completely balmy yeah now what 1050 00:50:39,499 --> 00:50:36,809 is this how does this affect the of the 1051 00:50:41,569 --> 00:50:39,509 art world in the auction world do you 1052 00:50:44,089 --> 00:50:41,579 think there is an effect as far as 1053 00:50:47,150 --> 00:50:44,099 people getting involved and bidding with 1054 00:50:49,970 --> 00:50:47,160 this I know these don't come up but the 1055 00:50:51,979 --> 00:50:49,980 magnitude of something like this in a 1056 00:50:55,339 --> 00:50:51,989 sense is a one-off I mean Leonardo 1057 00:50:57,559 --> 00:50:55,349 writes his own rules he is in terms of 1058 00:51:00,109 --> 00:50:57,569 world culture he's a unique figure who 1059 00:51:04,039 --> 00:51:00,119 no bigger than Michelangelo Dante 1060 00:51:07,339 --> 00:51:04,049 whoever you whoever you want to want one 1061 00:51:09,170 --> 00:51:07,349 to name being in the lane our business I 1062 00:51:14,479 --> 00:51:09,180 know how extraordinary it is and how he 1063 00:51:18,470 --> 00:51:14,489 he transcends time geography categories 1064 00:51:20,239 --> 00:51:18,480 of people etc and so extrapolating from 1065 00:51:22,069 --> 00:51:20,249 this soil into the art market more 1066 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:22,079 broadly is going to be dangerous but it 1067 00:51:26,239 --> 00:51:24,210 it does provide a marker it means that a 1068 00:51:28,460 --> 00:51:26,249 picture can be worth that amount of 1069 00:51:31,420 --> 00:51:28,470 money it doesn't mean to say that 1070 00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:31,430 there's going to be a sudden rush to pay 1071 00:51:36,260 --> 00:51:32,970 prices for these 1072 00:51:39,470 --> 00:51:36,270 things it requires something exceptional 1073 00:51:42,980 --> 00:51:39,480 to go beyond the world-record price to 1074 00:51:46,880 --> 00:51:42,990 that degree and other paintings are very 1075 00:51:49,880 --> 00:51:46,890 rare number in private captivity as it 1076 00:51:52,900 --> 00:51:49,890 were even rarer so I think it was a 1077 00:51:56,270 --> 00:51:52,910 one-off someone asked me at one point 1078 00:52:00,140 --> 00:51:56,280 what would happen to the Mona Lisa what 1079 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:00,150 would it sell for wild circulation I'm 1080 00:52:02,450 --> 00:52:01,890 sure it'd be in the billions but who 1081 00:52:05,359 --> 00:52:02,460 knows 1082 00:52:08,180 --> 00:52:05,369 yeah billion billion dollar picture yeah 1083 00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:08,190 yeah now in a bourgeois Florentine woman 1084 00:52:16,400 --> 00:52:12,770 it's amazing isn't it yeah yeah now the 1085 00:52:19,820 --> 00:52:16,410 the buyer there is speculation about the 1086 00:52:21,890 --> 00:52:19,830 buyer and that was you know tight lipped 1087 00:52:24,320 --> 00:52:21,900 and I know how Auction Galleries I'm 1088 00:52:26,990 --> 00:52:24,330 sure signed something like a 1089 00:52:27,950 --> 00:52:27,000 non-disclosure they will not disclose 1090 00:52:31,310 --> 00:52:27,960 who the buyer is 1091 00:52:32,990 --> 00:52:31,320 I know that even in the middle of last 1092 00:52:34,700 --> 00:52:33,000 night an article came out in The New 1093 00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:34,710 York Times about trying to root out the 1094 00:52:38,270 --> 00:52:36,930 buyer and speculation of the crown 1095 00:52:43,280 --> 00:52:38,280 prince and all that have you been 1096 00:52:45,230 --> 00:52:43,290 following this yes I have not least my 1097 00:52:47,060 --> 00:52:45,240 former students and various other people 1098 00:52:52,099 --> 00:52:47,070 keep me up to date with what the New 1099 00:52:54,170 --> 00:52:52,109 Yorker is saying it the first reports in 1100 00:52:57,020 --> 00:52:54,180 New Yorker was that it had been bought 1101 00:52:59,829 --> 00:52:57,030 by Prince bad air leader I don't know 1102 00:53:04,040 --> 00:52:59,839 how you properly pronounce him al saud 1103 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:04,050 who is one of the lesser princes younger 1104 00:53:11,300 --> 00:53:07,890 obviously looks rather trendy as some of 1105 00:53:14,599 --> 00:53:11,310 the younger Saudi princes are and it was 1106 00:53:16,609 --> 00:53:14,609 he who the New Times I think correctly 1107 00:53:18,200 --> 00:53:16,619 identified as the person who was 1108 00:53:22,849 --> 00:53:18,210 actually on the other end of the phone 1109 00:53:25,700 --> 00:53:22,859 bidding and he'd only declared an 1110 00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:25,710 interest the day before apparently and 1111 00:53:31,099 --> 00:53:28,530 so Sotheby's Christie's had to do some 1112 00:53:33,380 --> 00:53:31,109 rather rapid due diligence to find out 1113 00:53:35,930 --> 00:53:33,390 that he wasn't a chancer that he was 1114 00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:35,940 actually up to that kind of that kind of 1115 00:53:42,290 --> 00:53:39,690 money the second of the of the 1116 00:53:45,170 --> 00:53:42,300 revelations was based upon something 1117 00:53:46,490 --> 00:53:45,180 from US security who monitor all these 1118 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:46,500 people 1119 00:53:51,200 --> 00:53:48,330 and said that it was the crown prince 1120 00:53:54,230 --> 00:53:51,210 who is a friend of Prince Padilla who 1121 00:53:57,020 --> 00:53:54,240 was actually the person trying to obtain 1122 00:54:00,620 --> 00:53:57,030 the picture that bad air Prince Padilla 1123 00:54:03,380 --> 00:54:00,630 was a proxy I have no way of knowing if 1124 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:03,390 this is right but it sounds plausible 1125 00:54:10,220 --> 00:54:06,930 and Christie's tweeted saying it's going 1126 00:54:12,830 --> 00:54:10,230 to lose Abu Dhabi right going to get go 1127 00:54:15,470 --> 00:54:12,840 on Luke on loan there which I hope is 1128 00:54:16,940 --> 00:54:15,480 right was it's a public collection I was 1129 00:54:19,700 --> 00:54:16,950 there at the opening and I did some work 1130 00:54:23,240 --> 00:54:19,710 for Louvre Abu Dhabi it's a great great 1131 00:54:24,950 --> 00:54:23,250 building and the Leonardo labelled 1132 00:54:29,660 --> 00:54:24,960 Ronnie air from the Louvre is already 1133 00:54:34,100 --> 00:54:29,670 there so I hope that bit of the story is 1134 00:54:37,070 --> 00:54:34,110 right and I'm I'm taking as plausible 1135 00:54:40,610 --> 00:54:37,080 that it's the crown prince who who's 1136 00:54:44,690 --> 00:54:40,620 bought this and his young friend acted 1137 00:54:47,200 --> 00:54:44,700 as a as a proxy to kind of keep the heat 1138 00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:47,210 off and off the Crown Prince as it were 1139 00:54:55,310 --> 00:54:50,970 yes I think that that's what I've been 1140 00:54:58,190 --> 00:54:55,320 following too now I was going to ask you 1141 00:55:02,630 --> 00:54:58,200 but hopefully this will go into a museum 1142 00:55:04,790 --> 00:55:02,640 one way or another because when someone 1143 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:04,800 steps up like this and by such an 1144 00:55:11,060 --> 00:55:08,610 important piece it's it's a well I think 1145 00:55:13,910 --> 00:55:11,070 it's a tragedy to be kept away from the 1146 00:55:15,680 --> 00:55:13,920 public and there's really nothing people 1147 00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:15,690 fight with their money when it comes to 1148 00:55:20,200 --> 00:55:17,450 things like this there's no way to stop 1149 00:55:23,690 --> 00:55:20,210 going back into a private collection 1150 00:55:27,260 --> 00:55:23,700 anyway yeah well even if it's in Louvre 1151 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:27,270 Abu Dhabi yeah with the understanding 1152 00:55:31,460 --> 00:55:29,370 we've now got it would be on loan so 1153 00:55:33,830 --> 00:55:31,470 there's no guarantee it's not going to 1154 00:55:36,410 --> 00:55:33,840 be sold on again the problem for an 1155 00:55:39,080 --> 00:55:36,420 institution is that it's quite outside 1156 00:55:42,950 --> 00:55:39,090 even the Getty in California or its 1157 00:55:47,330 --> 00:55:42,960 outside what their purchase power is so 1158 00:55:50,510 --> 00:55:47,340 he's a it's like and my hope was that it 1159 00:55:53,050 --> 00:55:50,520 would be bought by a museum with very 1160 00:55:56,120 --> 00:55:53,060 powerful benefactor or benefactors 1161 00:55:58,190 --> 00:55:56,130 bankrolling the purchase this is the 1162 00:56:00,080 --> 00:55:58,200 next best thing at somebody who does 1163 00:56:02,270 --> 00:56:00,090 seem to be willing to share it 1164 00:56:05,810 --> 00:56:02,280 is interesting because of course is he's 1165 00:56:10,750 --> 00:56:05,820 a Saudi prince Saudi Arabia I'm not part 1166 00:56:15,020 --> 00:56:10,760 of the United Arab Emirates and of which 1167 00:56:17,930 --> 00:56:15,030 Abu Dhabi is part nonetheless it's it's 1168 00:56:20,780 --> 00:56:17,940 the obvious museum amenities the it's 1169 00:56:23,750 --> 00:56:20,790 the world museums the first world museum 1170 00:56:29,920 --> 00:56:23,760 in the Arabic world and it has 1171 00:56:35,900 --> 00:56:33,200 within that Arab context of the Arab 1172 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:35,910 Emirates the Arab principalities and 1173 00:56:43,580 --> 00:56:39,090 kingdoms that some it's the best place 1174 00:56:46,430 --> 00:56:43,590 for it yes yes and I know there that a 1175 00:56:48,320 --> 00:56:46,440 lot of buyers of the major art works 1176 00:56:51,890 --> 00:56:48,330 that have come up in the last few years 1177 00:56:54,740 --> 00:56:51,900 world record prices has been Saudi 1178 00:56:58,820 --> 00:56:54,750 buyers and hopefully some of those works 1179 00:57:01,220 --> 00:56:58,830 will be displayed as well yeah yes 1180 00:57:03,260 --> 00:57:01,230 they're buying into Western culture the 1181 00:57:04,970 --> 00:57:03,270 the big purchase I'm not an expert on 1182 00:57:06,560 --> 00:57:04,980 the rap market you know it better than I 1183 00:57:09,650 --> 00:57:06,570 but the Russians obviously have been 1184 00:57:12,590 --> 00:57:09,660 buying large the Chinese to a degree but 1185 00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:12,600 there are any dipping their toes into 1186 00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:15,090 old master paintings as I understand it 1187 00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:18,810 and the Saudis are much more alert to 1188 00:57:25,190 --> 00:57:22,890 the history of Western culture yes okay 1189 00:57:28,310 --> 00:57:25,200 now I'm gonna skip around a little bit 1190 00:57:31,460 --> 00:57:28,320 here this is all been really fascinating 1191 00:57:35,090 --> 00:57:31,470 as far as Leonardo choosing his 1192 00:57:36,530 --> 00:57:35,100 narratives for a painting do you know 1193 00:57:39,140 --> 00:57:36,540 how he'd go about doing that because I 1194 00:57:41,570 --> 00:57:39,150 think how many paintings I don't want to 1195 00:57:43,220 --> 00:57:41,580 skip around too much but they're known 1196 00:57:45,830 --> 00:57:43,230 paintings that he did there's not too 1197 00:57:48,890 --> 00:57:45,840 many right there's about 20 if you 1198 00:57:51,620 --> 00:57:48,900 include ones which are substantially low 1199 00:57:55,010 --> 00:57:51,630 Nardo but all produced directly under 1200 00:57:58,160 --> 00:57:55,020 his command yeah but it's a smallish 1201 00:58:00,140 --> 00:57:58,170 number this includes ones that shouldn't 1202 00:58:02,900 --> 00:58:00,150 be identified early on he was doing in 1203 00:58:06,920 --> 00:58:02,910 Verrocchio's studio so I suppose if you 1204 00:58:09,440 --> 00:58:06,930 want copper-bottomed mature wholly 1205 00:58:11,570 --> 00:58:09,450 painted by Leonardo I haven't done a 1206 00:58:13,610 --> 00:58:11,580 count but my guess is it would be about 1207 00:58:15,800 --> 00:58:13,620 1516 1208 00:58:19,510 --> 00:58:15,810 amazing do you know how he chose his 1209 00:58:24,160 --> 00:58:19,520 narratives before he started a painting 1210 00:58:27,230 --> 00:58:24,170 the subject matters take they vary and 1211 00:58:29,030 --> 00:58:27,240 an altarpiece for instance the ones 1212 00:58:31,600 --> 00:58:29,040 whose commissioned early on in Florence 1213 00:58:35,360 --> 00:58:31,610 during the first phase of his career for 1214 00:58:37,820 --> 00:58:35,370 the council Hall the the council 1215 00:58:40,100 --> 00:58:37,830 building in Florence and for the 1216 00:58:43,070 --> 00:58:40,110 monastery Sonata Oscar peyto those would 1217 00:58:44,660 --> 00:58:43,080 have been given to him one was a Madonna 1218 00:58:47,390 --> 00:58:44,670 a child and the other was an adoration 1219 00:58:50,330 --> 00:58:47,400 so they'd be given to him the Last 1220 00:58:52,730 --> 00:58:50,340 Supper for instance that's an 1221 00:58:55,640 --> 00:58:52,740 appropriate picture for a factory where 1222 00:58:58,010 --> 00:58:55,650 the monks eat and it's about bread and 1223 00:59:01,250 --> 00:58:58,020 wine after all so that again would have 1224 00:59:05,380 --> 00:59:01,260 been required a portrait like Mona Lisa 1225 00:59:08,750 --> 00:59:05,390 would be there be a request from 1226 00:59:11,570 --> 00:59:08,760 Francesco del Giocondo in this case and 1227 00:59:13,700 --> 00:59:11,580 for now just do the picture and 1228 00:59:16,520 --> 00:59:13,710 Francesco del Giocondo and then others 1229 00:59:19,160 --> 00:59:16,530 father were in close contact than others 1230 00:59:23,990 --> 00:59:19,170 father acted as a lawyer for Francesco 1231 00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:24,000 del Giocondo but Leonardo also did what 1232 00:59:28,820 --> 00:59:26,850 we would call off the peg pictures he 1233 00:59:30,440 --> 00:59:28,830 writes to the King of France or one of 1234 00:59:33,230 --> 00:59:30,450 his intermediates writes the King of 1235 00:59:35,030 --> 00:59:33,240 France at one stage saying I'm coming to 1236 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:35,040 see his most gracious Majesty and I'm 1237 00:59:39,800 --> 00:59:37,410 bringing to Madonna's of different sizes 1238 00:59:44,540 --> 00:59:39,810 or I will paint something as the King 1239 00:59:48,770 --> 00:59:44,550 pleases so the smaller scale devotional 1240 00:59:51,260 --> 00:59:48,780 pictures could be done speculatively the 1241 00:59:54,050 --> 00:59:51,270 Salvator Mundi is not very small scale 1242 00:59:58,160 --> 00:59:54,060 but it's it's not a big altarpiece so 1243 00:59:59,960 --> 00:59:58,170 either somebody said I wish you to paint 1244 01:00:03,470 --> 00:59:59,970 a picture of the south toward Lundy for 1245 01:00:06,950 --> 01:00:03,480 me or he undertook it has an awful big 1246 01:00:08,480 --> 01:00:06,960 picture it's it's an unusual subject for 1247 01:00:10,640 --> 01:00:08,490 Lyon Ardo it's not simply a matter on ER 1248 01:00:13,490 --> 01:00:10,650 and child so I suspect that it is the 1249 01:00:16,070 --> 01:00:13,500 result of a patron saying please do a 1250 01:00:21,470 --> 01:00:16,080 image of the Salvator Mundi Foreman I 1251 01:00:23,450 --> 01:00:21,480 see now when you're up checking about 1252 01:00:26,580 --> 01:00:23,460 your door being fitted in there I 1253 01:00:30,180 --> 01:00:26,590 mentioned the Last Supper 1254 01:00:32,220 --> 01:00:30,190 I've noticed from recent images that it 1255 01:00:34,500 --> 01:00:32,230 looks in pretty rough shape and I do 1256 01:00:36,150 --> 01:00:34,510 remember he didn't seem like that many 1257 01:00:38,490 --> 01:00:36,160 years ago it was undergoing restoration 1258 01:00:41,930 --> 01:00:38,500 do you know what's what's going on with 1259 01:00:47,190 --> 01:00:41,940 that well the last suppers had a very 1260 01:00:50,070 --> 01:00:47,200 fraught history the Nardo painted on the 1261 01:00:53,330 --> 01:00:50,080 wall as if it was a panel he primed it 1262 01:00:56,400 --> 01:00:53,340 with white lead which is impervious to 1263 01:01:00,380 --> 01:00:56,410 the water and therefore doesn't let the 1264 01:01:03,240 --> 01:01:00,390 wall breathe he then used egg tempera 1265 01:01:06,390 --> 01:01:03,250 binding the pig pictures with a gravure 1266 01:01:10,440 --> 01:01:06,400 than the normal and fresco media and 1267 01:01:12,090 --> 01:01:10,450 painting in wet plaster and it's aerated 1268 01:01:15,900 --> 01:01:12,100 rather rapidly and there have been 1269 01:01:18,060 --> 01:01:15,910 successive campaigns to restore it there 1270 01:01:19,890 --> 01:01:18,070 was big restorations before and after 1271 01:01:22,170 --> 01:01:19,900 the Second World War the refectory was 1272 01:01:27,270 --> 01:01:22,180 bombed in the Second World War and the 1273 01:01:29,760 --> 01:01:27,280 picture barely survived and then there 1274 01:01:33,060 --> 01:01:29,770 was I think it's something like twelve 1275 01:01:36,600 --> 01:01:33,070 years plus of restorations conducted in 1276 01:01:39,840 --> 01:01:36,610 the late 20th century and which aimed to 1277 01:01:43,410 --> 01:01:39,850 strip off all the over paints and all 1278 01:01:46,520 --> 01:01:43,420 the infilling and then to fill it in 1279 01:01:48,960 --> 01:01:46,530 judiciously to make the picture work so 1280 01:01:52,140 --> 01:01:48,970 yeah if we're counting percentages of 1281 01:01:53,910 --> 01:01:52,150 paint surviving then the Last Supper is 1282 01:01:57,390 --> 01:01:53,920 much more damage than the Salvator Mundi 1283 01:01:59,850 --> 01:01:57,400 the amount of original paint surviving 1284 01:02:02,330 --> 01:01:59,860 in that is is quite low again I wouldn't 1285 01:02:05,640 --> 01:02:02,340 wish to quantify that 1286 01:02:07,830 --> 01:02:05,650 yeahit's has a very checkered history it 1287 01:02:11,840 --> 01:02:07,840 still makes its effect in spite of that 1288 01:02:14,550 --> 01:02:11,850 it's like hearing a great record from a 1289 01:02:16,620 --> 01:02:14,560 great singer of the past on a scratchy 1290 01:02:20,970 --> 01:02:16,630 record these things were remastered 1291 01:02:23,520 --> 01:02:20,980 these days but you still get a sense of 1292 01:02:29,250 --> 01:02:23,530 its grandeur its expressive quality and 1293 01:02:32,490 --> 01:02:29,260 it's it's remarkable visual effect even 1294 01:02:34,590 --> 01:02:32,500 though it's something of a wreck 1295 01:02:37,080 --> 01:02:34,600 now just a couple more questions for you 1296 01:02:40,329 --> 01:02:37,090 here are there any updates as far as you 1297 01:02:44,680 --> 01:02:40,339 know in Florence at the town 1298 01:02:46,359 --> 01:02:44,690 all of the weather the Battle of an 1299 01:02:48,940 --> 01:02:46,369 Gauri I don't know if that's pronounced 1300 01:02:51,489 --> 01:02:48,950 right actually exists on the in the wall 1301 01:02:53,769 --> 01:02:51,499 cavity of the Town Hall the Battle of 1302 01:03:00,370 --> 01:02:53,779 Anghiari like all things insurance has 1303 01:03:03,489 --> 01:03:00,380 become a very politicized event my 1304 01:03:08,069 --> 01:03:03,499 strong sense is that it won't have 1305 01:03:12,370 --> 01:03:08,079 survived there have been claims that the 1306 01:03:15,819 --> 01:03:12,380 there's a wall lining the put on by the 1307 01:03:18,700 --> 01:03:15,829 sari tan to line the the wall in which 1308 01:03:21,430 --> 01:03:18,710 learn are though painted has protected 1309 01:03:25,150 --> 01:03:21,440 the picture behind and I think that's 1310 01:03:27,370 --> 01:03:25,160 far from unclear to me the core samples 1311 01:03:29,529 --> 01:03:27,380 that were drilled through haven't come 1312 01:03:31,120 --> 01:03:29,539 up with the fine plaster which would be 1313 01:03:34,959 --> 01:03:31,130 painted on they come up with some 1314 01:03:37,839 --> 01:03:34,969 plaster and rubble and if you imagine 1315 01:03:40,269 --> 01:03:37,849 that this is painted in oil which is 1316 01:03:43,029 --> 01:03:40,279 even more difficult to use on wolfson 1317 01:03:44,529 --> 01:03:43,039 tempera and it's being walled up with 1318 01:03:48,160 --> 01:03:44,539 all the changes of temperature humidity 1319 01:03:51,759 --> 01:03:48,170 etc the chance of anything being left on 1320 01:03:53,229 --> 01:03:51,769 the wall is very very small but nothing 1321 01:03:58,200 --> 01:03:53,239 much is happening at the moment it's 1322 01:04:00,880 --> 01:03:58,210 just got bogged down the conservation 1323 01:04:04,450 --> 01:04:00,890 State Conservation Center in Florence 1324 01:04:08,229 --> 01:04:04,460 the fatuity la Pietra daughter as it's 1325 01:04:12,789 --> 01:04:08,239 called not in favor of the investigation 1326 01:04:16,749 --> 01:04:12,799 the the mayor matteo renzi and then 1327 01:04:19,269 --> 01:04:16,759 became the prime minister of italy he 1328 01:04:21,009 --> 01:04:19,279 was in favor of it but I think it's it's 1329 01:04:24,339 --> 01:04:21,019 not really being pursued at the moment 1330 01:04:27,609 --> 01:04:24,349 so I I think that's that from the moment 1331 01:04:32,249 --> 01:04:27,619 is a dead search yeah yeah with their 1332 01:04:36,069 --> 01:04:32,259 did they ever try to get some imagery 1333 01:04:38,920 --> 01:04:36,079 through the wall yes they've done two 1334 01:04:41,890 --> 01:04:38,930 things merit so seracini the main 1335 01:04:44,410 --> 01:04:41,900 conservator involve has used various 1336 01:04:47,979 --> 01:04:44,420 techniques including sonic techniques 1337 01:04:51,700 --> 01:04:47,989 like radar thermal William imaging 1338 01:04:54,160 --> 01:04:51,710 techniques and more laterally drilling a 1339 01:04:59,230 --> 01:04:54,170 very very small core sample 1340 01:05:01,210 --> 01:04:59,240 through the Vasari frescoes and going 1341 01:05:04,299 --> 01:05:01,220 through into what seems to be some kind 1342 01:05:06,309 --> 01:05:04,309 of gap behind the wall and he said all 1343 01:05:10,359 --> 01:05:06,319 we got pigments out which is same the 1344 01:05:12,160 --> 01:05:10,369 same as used by Leonardo but all the 1345 01:05:15,579 --> 01:05:12,170 painters use the same pigments basically 1346 01:05:17,470 --> 01:05:15,589 I see okay now the last question I have 1347 01:05:21,339 --> 01:05:17,480 for you you were on the show before 1348 01:05:22,500 --> 01:05:21,349 talking about another possible apostle 1349 01:05:24,700 --> 01:05:22,510 possible 1350 01:05:27,609 --> 01:05:24,710 Leonardo discovery though of La Bella 1351 01:05:31,539 --> 01:05:27,619 principessa I just wondered where that 1352 01:05:34,539 --> 01:05:31,549 stood today yeah it stands much as it is 1353 01:05:36,099 --> 01:05:34,549 it's in a kind of limbo the problem was 1354 01:05:37,870 --> 01:05:36,109 that compared with the Salvator Mundi 1355 01:05:41,259 --> 01:05:37,880 which was introduced to Leonardo 1356 01:05:44,950 --> 01:05:41,269 scholars and we had time to digest this 1357 01:05:47,259 --> 01:05:44,960 and research it etc etc that was leaked 1358 01:05:50,650 --> 01:05:47,269 prematurely to the press which puts up 1359 01:05:52,359 --> 01:05:50,660 the backs of the of the art world they'd 1360 01:05:56,620 --> 01:05:52,369 rather know about what's what's 1361 01:06:00,779 --> 01:05:56,630 happening and it's been exhibited once 1362 01:06:04,599 --> 01:06:00,789 in a state gallery in Florence the in 1363 01:06:07,529 --> 01:06:04,609 vino of the birthplace of Rafa Raphael 1364 01:06:10,539 --> 01:06:07,539 but it's basically being exhibited 1365 01:06:14,680 --> 01:06:10,549 commercially and it's very much in the 1366 01:06:16,779 --> 01:06:14,690 trade as the term goes and it's become 1367 01:06:18,789 --> 01:06:16,789 known as the kind of speculative trade 1368 01:06:22,900 --> 01:06:18,799 object which is not the objects fault 1369 01:06:25,390 --> 01:06:22,910 it's um it's just how it is so the 1370 01:06:26,859 --> 01:06:25,400 difference in handling between the 1371 01:06:29,920 --> 01:06:26,869 Salvator Mundi and the Bella principessa 1372 01:06:32,319 --> 01:06:29,930 that portrait of Bianca sports or is it 1373 01:06:34,599 --> 01:06:32,329 almost certain years and that's 1374 01:06:36,660 --> 01:06:34,609 accounted for the public reception but 1375 01:06:40,539 --> 01:06:36,670 most art historians haven't seen it 1376 01:06:44,529 --> 01:06:40,549 really well so no it's an unsatisfactory 1377 01:06:46,930 --> 01:06:44,539 situation and it really needs to be out 1378 01:06:51,269 --> 01:06:46,940 in the in the public domain in a more 1379 01:06:54,849 --> 01:06:51,279 sustained way properly inspected and the 1380 01:06:56,440 --> 01:06:54,859 no it wasn't handled very well and 1381 01:06:57,940 --> 01:06:56,450 somebody who researched the die 1382 01:06:59,380 --> 01:06:57,950 obviously needs to take some 1383 01:07:02,160 --> 01:06:59,390 responsibility for that 1384 01:07:05,109 --> 01:07:02,170 I wasn't handling the publicity for it 1385 01:07:08,020 --> 01:07:05,119 right right well hey thank you so much 1386 01:07:11,040 --> 01:07:08,030 it's been a pleasure as always 1387 01:07:15,580 --> 01:07:11,050 and your website one more time is wo w 1388 01:07:17,500 --> 01:07:15,590 mr tan J Kemp comm correct that's is 1389 01:07:19,810 --> 01:07:17,510 correct I'm also writing this book for 1390 01:07:23,080 --> 01:07:19,820 Oxford University Press on the Salvator 1391 01:07:25,510 --> 01:07:23,090 Mundi which should should be out next 1392 01:07:26,050 --> 01:07:25,520 year sometime so it's not quite finished 1393 01:07:29,260 --> 01:07:26,060 yet 1394 01:07:29,920 --> 01:07:29,270 excellent okay well thanks so much okay 1395 01:07:32,680 --> 01:07:29,930 my pleasure 1396 01:07:35,320 --> 01:07:32,690 all right all right everyone so that's 1397 01:07:36,550 --> 01:07:35,330 it for the show today thanks for thanks 1398 01:07:38,590 --> 01:07:36,560 for watching if you're watching on 1399 01:07:41,020 --> 01:07:38,600 YouTube or listening if you're listening 1400 01:07:45,910 --> 01:07:41,030 to the podcast these podcasts can be 1401 01:07:49,900 --> 01:07:45,920 found at antique auction forum comm also 1402 01:07:53,800 --> 01:07:49,910 you can listen in iTunes or your media 1403 01:07:56,440 --> 01:07:53,810 player there's I believe 184 counting 1404 01:07:59,260 --> 01:07:56,450 this one shows that are free to you to 1405 01:08:01,510 --> 01:07:59,270 listen to a lot of them are you know 1406 01:08:04,600 --> 01:08:01,520 informational so check it out antique 1407 01:08:08,170 --> 01:08:04,610 auction forum calm also my appraisal 1408 01:08:09,730 --> 01:08:08,180 website seaboard appraisals calm thanks 1409 01:08:13,770 --> 01:08:09,740 so much and we'll be back again with