Appreciating a masterpiece, original, attributed to, or restored matters not

We all need to be restored, need others to touch us up at times, but we cannot forget the original beauty that lies beneath the many layers of work that are painted on top of our core selves. Many of the greatest works of art, from way back at least 200-500 years, what you see today is not by any stretch the original work. Just like we are not projecting to others the original and authentic work that we are. I had no idea about the degree with which fine art is commonly restored until I watched the documentary The lost Leonardo on the circa 1500 Salvator Mundi by, or attributed to, or from the workshop of, or the circle of Leonardo Di Vinci. The proper way to call this one is of highly contested debate to this day, we will get to that later. This Salvator Mundi is likely the world’s most famous painting of recent years and without question the world’s most expensive painting, the one that sold for $450 million in an auction less than 5 years ago in New York. The same painting that was purchased in New Orleans in 2005 for less than $10,000 at an estate sale. One of the many amazing parts to the story is that the family who owned the painting never had any idea that one of less than 100 Di Vinci’s on the planet was a valuable work of art at all. The Mundi painting hung in the family home of Warren E. Kuntz, who purchased the painting back in 1958 during a trip to Europe where the painting had been mischaracterized as coming from ‘the school of da Vinci’ and painted by one of Leonardo’s pupils, Giovanni Boltraffio, whose works were obviously not as coveted (the painting was sold for about $120 on June 25, 1958 and then made its way back to Louisiana on a ship from Southampton, England to Houston).

Perhaps more surprising is the reaction from Mr. Kuntz daughter Ms. Hendry Tureau who said, “We can’t believe it…It just sort of brings me alive.” Again, life can deliver the exact opposite or inverse of what you would think, amazingly. If I were Ms. Hendry Tureau my reaction would be somethingmore like “Wow I could go jump off a building, this makes me want to kill myself – we had a $450 million painting on the wall for 50 years and then let it go in my late father’s estate sale for $10,000.” And also life can show you that something you may not even notice, passing by hundreds of time can be far from what you perceive – whether it’s a Leonardo on the wall that is mistaken for a run-of-the-mill moldy old hack painting or your best friend who has it all figured out and put together. But beneath the layers of projection, inside that friend who you know like an extension of yourself is struggling on the inside, to the point of hanging on the wall by a mere thread and a rusty nail.

Not only once in London was this Leonardo falsely classified at the time of the Kuntz purchase, but Ms. Tureau has produced the appraisal certificate for her father’s estate artwork that valued the painting at $750. And finally, the New Orleans auction house which included the Leonardo painting in its April 9-10th 2005 sale, estimated the value was $1,200 to $1,800. Since coming into the purview of the fine art world, the debate has only grown.

So again, don’t dismiss something without a true examination and in that examination you must be very attentive to key details. And I will say, even after you recognize a call for help or you seek help for yourself, you are in for an arduous process, akin to restoring a fine painting. Think of yourself as a damaged Leonardo and not a Boltraffio – give yourself some credit. But be prepared, like a fine work of art being restored, it may take 1 to 10 years to bring yourself truly back to life. Small strokes and gentle progress that is the way.

And again, life showing us the inverse of our intuition, the first step in restoring a work of art is that you have to strip it down with harsh chemicals like acetone before you can make it resemble anything of beauty. Ugly cracks and scars must be exposed before any restorative work can commence. And in the process of stripping things away, peeling away the layers, well that is when you stumble upon the most value, just like with the Lost Leonardo painting, where after removing layers of paint from a prior haphazard touch-up, Diane Dwyer Modestini, was able to see the lip details that were stunningly familiar to one Mona Lisa and other works from Leonardo. So don’t be afraid to strip things down all the way, its necessary and will reveal the beauty and undeniable truths within you, the real history of your makeup. What lies beneath again can be well hidden by what is on the surface. There is so much from a forensics standpoint about the Mundi painting, x-rays, critical details that seem out of place like a thumb position, the orb, inconsistencies with other sketches and renditions of the original work, and the unmistakable lips of Leonardo’s work. I cannot do that part of the story justice, but there are many articles that dive deep into the investigation such as this one: https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/salvator-mundi-leonardo-da-vinci.html

The process of verifying, understanding your past and seeking truth, your own provenance, again is a very laborious and rigorous process which takes many experts, eyes, opinions and input, tools and time. There is a clear deliberate process involved here beyond any touch-up work. Define the process and discovery phase, be careful with drawing hasty, quick conclusions, because if you fake this process you likely end up in an even deeper hole of regret, sooner or later. And after stripping down, assessment and touching-up are all complete, you have to realize this was the work of many hands, not one or a few. Some old and some new must come together harmoniously with continuity. When the work appears complete, continue to evaluate it, be comfortable adding small touches to enhance the work here and there, for maintenance and protection is a life-long next phase. At the end of the restoration process, Dwyer Modestini had sought help and advice from numerous others and it was a 10 year process to restore the Salvator Mundi. The debate over the finished product went on from many different experts for years, without closure today some 17 years after the purchase in New Orleans and subsequent $80 million, $125 million and $450 million dollar sales between 2015 and 2017. The work of art now in the hands of a Saudi prince, seeking a trophy surely, another dangerous game.

Some other interesting points I picked up on learning about the Salvator Mundi, much of the deal-making on this painting, like countless other fine works, took place in darkness, and physically in Switzerland – often referred to as a place you go to disappear with a safe, neutral environment. With mental health, disappearing and safe environments may often be far from the right medicine. Neutrality yes is a positive concept as you assess and work through things, balance also. But beware of the dark forces always lurking, just like a Swiss art dealer Bouvier – a sinister character in the film, a smooth, seemingly harmless man, but one quote about Bouvier was noteworthy ‘The more I got to know him, the less I felt I knew him’ – that may be the case with many struggling with mental health. Also, many who evaluated the Salvator Mundi, were so mesmerized and hypnotized by the potential that they could be part of the discovery of one of arts greatest treasures, that their bias blinded in so many ways. Sometimes the story and the fiction can overtake reality, again a common theme in mental health. And another final point about the art underworld of Switzerland, there are said to be miles of underground, quadruple-locked and armor-plated storage units that house billions of dollars of the finest treasures of art, antiques, fine cars, you name it. Billions of dollars of the most beautiful collectibles known to earth, some going back all the way to Egyptian times and before, stored out of sight and protected by many layers, in a safe, that is deep in a vault. In the dark and nearly impossible to unlock, just like many of the roots of mental illness that we house and have stored away inside of ourselves.

And then finally, art is a dangerous game, and life just like art - when you are faking it, becomes a dangerous game also. To this day many debate the authenticity of the painting and if it can truly be attributed to Leonardo. Show your authentic self to others, leave no doubt of your beauty and value.

Speaking of fine antiquities and my history, I think back to a book I read many years ago The Billionaire’s Vinegar – where the largest treasure trove of wine from Thomas Jefferson’s conquests in France (well his conquests were mainly French women and the wine he enjoyed on the side in his many diplomatic trips to Europe), were found deep in the basement of a home in London, hidden behind a fake wall for some 200 years. The 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux was auctioned for $156,000 in 1985. But many questions surrounded the Jefferson wines and an investigation ensued. A very juicy tale indeed says Amazon. Perhaps the wine originated from a secret Nazi bunker, or even more sinister if that is at all possible, was the wine even authentic, were we all drunk and duped? The bottle was won at auction by Kip Forbes (yes that Forbes family), son of billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes. More fakery born of greed? Sometimes we just can’t tell what is real and what isn’t.

While the true identity of the wine, you must determine for yourself in the book. But know that the mystery can never be solved as the Forbes bottle was placed on display in Forbes’ gallery where the heat of the bright lights dried out the cork so badly that the cork fell into the bottle and the wine was ruined. Sometimes the bright lights are too bright, and being showy can ruin what is truly inside you. Also know that the Th. J initials on the bottles were later determined to be fake and made with a power tool. But the shadowy German culprit who claimed to have found the wines in Paris was not only able to dupe the wine elite in multiple tastings, but also the auction house yet again.

Paintings and wine, those are memories for me. Some of the greatest and most painful memories of my life. But I have two masterpieces that serve as reminders of life and moving forward. For suffering teaches and we must take those lessons forward. My wife and I were blessed to get to know Paso Robles wine country in the central coast of California, and over 6 years we found our paradise and our escape from the real world and the fortunate but at times painful workaholic life that we lived. I have two paintings in our home that I look at daily, for they are all that is left of those times and all that was mixed up. I packed up those two paintings from our home in Paso Robles when it needed to be sold. At that time, I was in the deepest and darkest place of my life. My mental illness had nearly consumed me, I nearly killed myself a few times and I am sad of that fact, but at the same time so thankful that a few things fell into place for me and I am here today. I had great enlightenment and support to overcome my mental anguish and sickness to move forward. Just a few small things presented themselves at the right time and made all the difference. I am forever grateful, when I look at those paintings which I never intended to see again, in a world I never intended to see again, it brings great emotion from deep in my soul and all I can do is love the moment I am in and the love that has been granite rock for me in so many ways. These two paintings from a lesser-known artist than Leonardo are more precious than anything to me. Every day is a gift, unpack it and take in the beauty of life.