Directions:
First, read these two articles that describe the sale of Leonardo's Salvator Mundi for $450 million dollars, and one point of view of how Florentine "genius" has been depicted on film:
- "Why would anyone pay $450 million dollars for a painting"
- Donahue, "Florentine Artists on Film"
Then, write a 300-400 word essay that makes use of the articles "Florentine Artists on Film" and "Why Would Anybody Pay $450 million for a Painting?", as well as the videos and texts about Leonardo and Michelangelo's art.
Make sure to include a thesis, or central argument. Your thesis could be "It is/is not ludicrous to pay $450 million dollars for a painting because...."
In your essay, please address these following questions:
- Do you think that Salvator Mundi is worth $450 million dollars?
- Why do you think an anonymous buyer wanted this painting so much?
- What is a common paradigm of artistic genius, and how does that confer value on the painting?
- Can you think of a contemporary genius from the world of art, entertainment, politics, athletics, etc. that fits that paradigm of genius that was applied to Michelangelo and Leonardo?