Last privately owned da Vinci painting may be worth $100m

NEW YORK - The last privately owned Leonardo da Vinci painting by the Renaissance artist known to still exist is hitting the auction block, Christie's said on Tuesday.

Fewer than 20 works by da Vinci, whose art was already highly sought after during his lifetime, have survived to this day - all of them held in museum or institutional collections, with the exception of Salvator Mundi.

Salvator Mundi, an ethereal portrait of Jesus Christ which dates to about 1500, is expected to sell for about $100 million at Christie's on Nov 15, making it among the most highly-valued works to be sold at auction.