The Lost Leonardo

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2:06

The Lost Leonardo

PG-13

2021

1h 30m

Documentary

Drama

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Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

THE LOST LEONARDO tells the inside story behind the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold at $450 million, claimed to be a long-lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. From the moment it is purchased from a shady New Orleans auction house, and its buyers discover masterful brushstrokes beneath its cheap restoration, the fate of the Salvator Mundi is driven by an insatiable quest for fame, money and power. But as its price soars, so do questions about its authenticity. Is this multi-million dollar painting actually by Leonardo -- or do certain power players simply want it to be? Unravelling the hidden agendas of the world's richest men and most powerful art institutions, THE LOST LEONARDO reveals how vested interests became all-important, and the truth secondary.

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Critics Consensus

A documentary that feels like a heist thriller, The Lost Leonardo paints an arresting portrait of some of the art world's most colorful characters.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

12/06/2021

4/5

There have been several recent films about the pressures dictating prices on the international art market, but none have been as instructive -- or as enthralling -- as The Lost Leonardo.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

09/10/2021

4/5

Perhaps Da Vinci should have painted Christ throwing the art dealers out of the temple.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

09/10/2021

5/5

Sweet heavens, this is strong.

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Michael Cook

Geek Vibes Nation

07/17/2025

4/5

There’s never a dull moment as Koefoed bounces between talking heads, b-roll footage, and dramatic reenactments to weave together the tale of this unlikely painting.

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Sarah Ward

Concrete Playground

07/08/2022

A detective story of a doco. It isn't a new approach, let alone a unique or unusual one, but it savvily relies upon the combined force of a ripping yarn and rollicking storytelling.

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Dan Bayer

Next Best Picture

05/10/2022

9/10

Does what the best documentaries do: opens a door to an insular world and extends its scope to become something else entirely, showing how this small world can create ripples that expand throughout the larger world.

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Loy

08/14/2023

Didn’t know what to expect. Really enjoyed! Scary and disturbing. Must see if you’re a horror movie enthusiast.

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Dani

09/12/2021

Very entertaining. ^_~

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TM

09/12/2021

Interesting how politics and governments screw up art !

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rgsanchez615

09/12/2021

Should be on Netflix or hulu.

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Sylvia R

09/09/2021

Interesting film about the inner workings of the art world. Nothing is what it seems to be as far as this art piece is concerned.

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Gary H

09/07/2021

A great story told well

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The Lost Leonardo: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

THE LOST LEONARDO tells the inside story behind the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold at $450 million, claimed to be a long-lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. From the moment it is purchased from a shady New Orleans auction house, and its buyers discover masterful brushstrokes beneath its cheap restoration, the fate of the Salvator Mundi is driven by an insatiable quest for fame, money and power. But as its price soars, so do questions about its authenticity. Is this multi-million dollar painting actually by Leonardo -- or do certain power players simply want it to be? Unravelling the hidden agendas of the world's richest men and most powerful art institutions, THE LOST LEONARDO reveals how vested interests became all-important, and the truth secondary.

Director: Andreas Koefoed
Producer: Andreas Møl Dalsgaard, Christoph Jörg
Screenwriter: Andreas Koefoed, Duska Zagorac, Andreas Møl Dalsgaard, Mark Monroe, Christian Kirk Muff, Andreas Koefoed
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Pumpernickel Films, Elk Film, Mantaray Film
Rating: PG-13 (Nude Art Images)
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 15, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $445.3K
Runtime: 1h 30m