Mystery of 'Salvator Mundi', world's most costly painting: FILE Later this year, the Louvre in Paris will host an exhibition of masterpieces by the Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci to mark his death 500 years ago in France. But "Salvator Mundi" - the work that in recent months has been the intense focus of scrutiny by the media and da Vinci specialists - may not be on show. The painting was sold at auction by Christie's in 2017 for a record $450 million but it has not been displayed in public since, triggering doubts about its ownership, its whereabouts and its authenticity. FILE IMAGES