This Sunday, February 16, 2014, Robert B. Simon, Ph.D., will be the guest lecturer at the annual brunch for Friends of the Uffizi Gallery, which will be held at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show. Dr. Simon will provide information about his discovery of Leonardo da Vinci's, "Salvator Mundi" painting in a lecture titled, "Leonardo Lost and Found."

Called "the most thrilling art discovery of our time," the saga of da Vinci's, "Salvator Mundi" is an intriguing tale. The poignant oil painting, which depicts Christ making the sign of the blessing, was last recorded in the collection of King Charles I in 1649. And then it seemed to have vanished. That is, until it was presented to Dr. Simon, a specialist in European and American Fine Arts, after being acquired from previous owners during an estate sale.

The discovery of the "Salvator Mundi" is made even more significant because the work is one of only fifteen surviving paintings by da Vinci. Dr. Simon will speak about how da Vinci's pentimento (change of mind) helped him and colleagues correctly attribute the work, which was ultimately included as part of an exhibit at the National Gallery in London in 2011.

Dr. Simon is available for telephone and in-person interviews prior to the event.

Musical entertainment will be provided during the brunch part of this event by Frank Cerabino, who will play traditional Italian music on the accordion. Funding and promotion for this event has been graciously provided by Robovault, Gordon and Laney Lewis of the Fine Arts Conservancy in West Palm Beach, Florida; Mr. Joseph C. Raskauskas, Esq. of Palm Beach; Scott Diament, president of the Palm Beach Show Group; the Consul General of Italy in Miami, Guido Berlucchi Franciacorta and South Florida Opulence magazine.

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Friends of the Uffizi Gallery was founded in Palm Beach, Florida in 2006 as the sister organization to Italy's Amici degli Uffizi. That organization was created in 1993 in Florence, Italy to raise funds to aid the museum after a terrorist bombing caused significant structural damage to the building and badly damaged or destroyed a number of irreplaceable artworks. Today, under the direction of president Countess Maria Vittoria Colonna Rimbotti, the two organizations together raise awareness about the Uffizi's historical significance and raise funds for restorations through educational outreach and special events. In 2013, the Uffizi Gallery was named the, "world's greatest gallery" by The Times of London and is listed as one of the world's top 10 museums in National Geographic. For more, please visit: http://www.friendsoftheuffizigallery.org