Leonardo da Vinci painting could fetch $100 million at auction

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A Leonardo da Vinci painting that was rediscovered more than a decade ago is on display at Christie's in New York. The painting, called Salvatore Mundi, meaning Christ the savior of the world, was created around 1500, the same time of the Mona Lisa.

Over time, it was painted over as a form of restoration until it was cleaned and revealed in 2005. Finally, six years later experts were able to authenticate it.

Alan Wintermute is a senior specialist of old master paintings for Christie's. He called this the "holy grail" of discoveries. He said Leonardo rarely painted. Only about 15 of his paintings still exist. Salvatore Mundi is the last one in private hands.

Christie's also unveiled Andy Warhol's Sixty Last Suppers, inspired by da Vinci's famous painting. Warhol reproduced it onto a 32-foot canvas a year before he died in 1986.

The da Vinci was taken down Monday afternoon and was sent to Hong Kong to be displayed at all Christie's locations throughout the world. After Hong Kong, it heads to San Francisco, London, and back to New York.

Christie's New York will be open to the public on November 4, when Salvatore Mundi will be on display.

The auction for both works is set for November 15. Salvatore Mundi could sell for $100 million. The estimate for Sixty Last Suppers is $50 million.

With the AP