Monday 18 February 2019

Salvator Britannia?

The main cartoon in today's Daily Telegraph features a portrait of  prime minister Theresa May carrying the legend Salvator Britannia. The basis for this joke is that questions have been raised about the attribution of the picture of Jesus known as Salvator Mundi to Leonardo da Vinci. As this picture sold for US$450 million or £342 million last year that is a fairly big question mark.

There is, however, a mistake in Blower's cartoon - Salvator Britannia means Britain the saviour. The legend should have read Salvator Britanniae, which, of course, means saviour of Britain.

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