Leonardo and Salvator Mundi

 On November 15 2017

 a painting was sold by auction

 at Christie's New York

The painting called Salvator Mundi - 

Saviour of the World

was estimated to have been 

painted around the year 1500

In the contemporary era the painting entered the art scene in 2005 in New Orleans -purchased by art dealer buddies taking a punt for under $US1200 in an estate sale.

The painting was in an unrestored condition -dark gloomy as depicted in the auction catalogue -but not offensive enough to deter the buyers

The 2005 auction catalogue used the description

 "After Leonardo da Vinci" to sell the 26x18 1/2 " work

The story of what unfolded thereafter is lengthy dramatic and very memorable - illusion delusion and deceit may easily be part of the story that began in April 2005 - (well depicted in The Lost Leonardo documentary)

It happens to be that many painters have produced similar works in the era of da Vinci and subsequently - as was common amongst his followers and students -and that 500 years is a lot of time for damage and "restorations" to be suffered.

The art world is clearly still in 2024 in two opposing camps when it comes to the attribution issue -so this enigma also poses an astro-anlaysis challenge

What is of interest is any clues there might be in the astrological birth chart of the painter -the master we know as Leonardo da Vinci - attributed by some to the work sold for $40 million. 

Da Vinci's astro.com chart rectifies to 14 April 1452 [Julian] 9.40pm and is rated AA by Rodden

Da Vinci's chart shows multiple artistic signifiers:

Taurus Libra Pisces and Leo all expressed and involving Sun Saturn-Neptune Moon-Jupiter and Pluto

Neptune most elevated

Sun in 5

A Mars-Saturn trine in Aquarius-Libra emphasising scientific creativity

There is a very embedded Neptunian emphasis shown through:

Neptune's elevation

Moon Jupiter in Pisces with Jupiter ruling Sagittarius ascendant

Neptune in tight sesquisquare Mars

Neptune quincunx Jupiter - Libra-Pisces

The tone of this chart is resonant with very spiritual sensitivities underlying da Vinci's aesthetic preferences

2005

At the period of sale in April 2005 the supplied weekend dates even without an exact timing for the actual sale still show remarkable connections to the AA-rated birth chart of da Vinci by conjunction or square angle -there are 4 standout tight conjunctions and two transit factors square his natal factor.

DV =da Vinci

Mars was 14 Aquarius = DV Mars

Mars-Neptune midpoint 15 Aquarius = DV Mars

Jupiter 13 Libra = DV Saturn

Saturn 20 Cancer = DV Uranus

Nodes and Venus were 22 Aries Libra = DV Uranus

The sale arose under the 8 April Solar Eclipse - a Sun-Moon conjunction 19 Aries

da Vinci's Sun-Mercury midpoint is 21 Aries and angled to the Nodes Venus and Saturn at the 2005 sale

It is well demonstrated in astrology

 that a person's birth chart 

never ceases to respond to transits in the cosmos

2017

On November 15 2017 after much ado within the international art scene as detailed at length the painting bought in 2005 and restored considerably starting in 2005 by expert conservator Dianne Modestini and covered in detail on her dedicated site - the painting was presented for auction at Christie's New York and sold for a staggering $40 million plus fees.

With immense international interest and finance behind such an event it would be expected that this date would also produce resonant factors.

The constructed chart for sale by auction of Lot9B Salvator Mundi - at Christie's event convened at 7.30pm - looks at 8.05pm local time New York - as a calculated time for Lot9B to close at $40 million -based on timed footage.

Chiron in Pisces is most elevated on the midheaven

Pluto in Capricorn - corporate and state power sits at the horizonal [worldly axis]

Multiple factors firing in the range 24º-27º sequence - Sun Chiron Uranus Saturn Moon - and the vertical axis

Sun near 24 Scorpio - DV Venus 24 Taurus

Chiron 24 Pisces -  DV Venus 24 Taurus

Uranus 25 Aries -  DV Venus 24 Taurus

Mars 15 Libra   - DV Saturn 14 Libra

Pluto-Neptune 14 Aquarius - DV Mars 15 Aquarius

Moon had reached 24º Libra 4 hours before the close of auction -also activating da Vinci's Venus

The multiple Venus activations give considerable credibility to the involvement of da Vinci himself in this  500 year old artwork and its fate.

His Neptune/Pisces traits also show in auction chart  Neptune in Pisces trine to Jupiter as well as Chiron in Pisces prominence and the midheaven in Pisces - spiritual factors which clearly also relate to the artwork itself

extra connections can be found in the grid for the auction

Revisiting the notes re the 2005 sale:

The sale arose under the 8 April Solar Eclipse - a Sun-Moon conjunction 19 Aries

da Vinci's own Sun-Mercury midpoint is 21 Aries and angled to the Nodes Venus and Saturn at the 2005 sale

2017 sale Moon-Mars was 20'46 Libra

Mars-Uranus 20'23 Cancer

An interesting motif in the globe of the world shows a pattern that appears to have cosmic and spiritual significance. The colours permeating the globe suggest both the terrestrial and heavenly planes.  with da Vinci's love of geometry the 3 dots may evoke the constellation Triangulum -well known in antiquity -and the holy Trinity

Deepak Chopra says Leonardo was "an accelerated expression of the natural evolution of consciousness".

- Spiritual Insights into the Genius of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi in 2017 had a mind-blowing impact on the international art world. Is the artist's hand revealed in the painting's fate? 

Astro-analysis says Yes.

The multiple versions of the Salvator Mundi the debate over authenticity - is it real? the periods the work has spent lost or hidden or in retreat from the world all manifest aspects of the Neptunian qualities of da Vinci

Even if da Vinci's highly productive life was not conducive to long periods of contemplation -until his latter years in France - the aura of his most famous works speaks of the manner in which he used portraiture especially as a conduit for revealing the divine essence.

And not forgetting that as a spiritual icon the Salvator Mundi reverberates the iconography of Christ with renewed fervour in another millennium - an immense value for humanity.

An astrological perspective suggests connections are clearly reaching across time -that construct we conceive of as linear -but in the absolute reality in a layering in the present.

Further Reading

Provenance -via Christie's

Conservator Dianne Modestini - the restoration account

Steiner on da Vinci's spiritual greatness