Francois I, Salai and the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci

When Shell and Sironi published the inventory of Salai's property, drawn up in 1525, Leonardo's Virgin with Saint Anne, the Mona Lisa and a large-scal e painting of St. John the Baptist were believed to be among Salai's posses sions in Milan where Francis I would buy them at a later date. A reference to paintings sold to the Sun King in 1518 by Salai for double the sum leads on to assume that he delivered the originals to Francis I while keeping th e copies for himself.