Leonardo Transports Them: The New York Times was quite skeptical about Christie’s choice to put the Leonardo, Salvator Mundi, in the Contemporary Art Evening sale just a few days ago. But after 27,000 admirers—some of them celebrities—showed up in person to see the artifact, the paper is now impressed by the emotional response:

• “Standing in front of that painting was a spiritual experience,” Ms. Doede said. “It was breathtaking. It brought tears to my eyes,” she added, as she left the sepulchral chamber where the painting is displayed. …

Sotheby’s Inaugural Dubai Sale = $3.6m: The auction house cycle has come around to the Persian Gulf again as Sotheby’s launched its Dubai sale and sold 80% of the lots. Ali Banisadr’s In Media Res, attracted six bidders who pushed it to $459,000 (est. $200,000-300,000) making it the top lot. The sale included Western artists as well. Jean Dubuffet‘s Palmiers aux Bedouins saw five bidders go to $137,500 (est. $60,000-80,000). Tamara de Lempicka’s Indian with a Turban made $150,000 (est. $70,000-90,000). Alighiero Boetti’s Fuso ma non confuse from 1988 sold for $31,250 (est. $18,000-25,000). …

Sotheby’s Still Had an American Art Sale Without Berkshire Rockwells: The late stay of the sale of the Berkshire Museum’s works of American art put a hole in Sotheby’s American Art Evening sale but the auction still made a solid 75% sell-through and $19.4m.