The Mystery Buyer behind the $450 Million da Vinci Painting: This Week in Hot Chocolate and Current Events

 Hot Chocolate and Current Events is our weekly effort to help homeschool families connect over the important issues of the day. Discussing currents events at home helps kids develop critical thinking skills. This week, we're talking about art in the news. 

​Read this article about the mystery man behind a recent record painting purchase. There's also a short video. Mix up a batch of hot chocolate, then discuss the questions that follow. 

Map Points:
Saudi Arabia
New York, NY, USA
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Discussion Questions

• Are you surprised that Prince Bader was the buyer of this painting? 
• Why do you think Prince Bader wanted the painting?
• Is $450.3 million too much money to pay for a painting? 
• How much would you have paid for the painting, if money was no object? 
• How would you feel if you were a person living in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and learned about this purchase?
• Why do you think a Muslim would want a painting of Jesus Christ? 
• Why might this painting be good for Saudi Arabia?
• Why might this painting be bad for Saudi Arabia? 
• Do you think Prince Bader was acting in the interests of his country when he bought the painting? 
• Does this paining belong in a private collection or in a museum and why?
• Why do you think the painting is reportedly going to a branch of the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi?
• Do you think the painting is an authentic da Vinci? 

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