In the world of masterpieces and brushstrokes, few paintings have stirred as much intrigue as Salvator Mundi — Latin for “Savior of the World.” Attributed, in whole or in part, to the legendary Italian master Leonardo da Vinci, the work dates from around 1499 to 1510.
The painting’s reemergence ignited a scholarly firestorm. While Christie’s, the auction house that ultimately sold the work, claimed most experts recognized it as a genuine work of the master, others were not so sure. Some specialists suggested da Vinci had only partially contributed to the painting, while others argued that the extensive restoration blurred the line between the master’s hand and that of later artists.
Despite the controversy, the artwork captivated collectors, and in 2017, Salvator Mundi was sold at Christie’s New York for an astonishing $450.3 million. The buyer: Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, acting on behalf of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The sale shattered records, making it the most expensive painting ever sold at public auction.
Read: Non-Fungible Token (NFT): What it means and how does it work
Astonishing value of art
But Salvator Mundi isn’t the only masterpiece to command such jaw-dropping figures. In a very different artistic style and era, Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players series stands as a cornerstone of Post-Impressionist achievement. Created during Cézanne’s final period in the early 1890s, the series comprises five oil paintings that vary in size, composition, and the number of players depicted.
Among these versions, one rose to global prominence when it was sold privately in 2011 to the royal family of Qatar. The price tag? An estimated $250 million, placing it among the most expensive artworks ever acquired and underscoring Qatar’s growing role as a powerhouse in the international art market.
In 2021, digital artist Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple — made history with a single, monumental work: Everydays: The First 5000 Days. A sprawling collage of 5,000 individual digital images he created daily over more than 13 years, the piece served as a testament to relentless creativity and the evolution of digital expression.
But what truly stunned the world was what happened next. The artwork’s associated non-fungible token (NFT) was auctioned at Christie’s for a staggering $69.3 million, instantly catapulting Beeple into the art world. Not only did it become the most expensive NFT ever sold, it also marked a watershed moment — firmly cementing digital art’s legitimacy in the mainstream art market.
Even US president Donald Trump entered the fray with his NFTs and digital cards.
These are just examples of how investors see the value of art – whether digital or hand made by past masters.
The dawn of the digital art
Powered by software, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI), digital art ranges from mesmerizing AI-generated paintings to immersive VR installations. But with groundbreaking innovation comes complex challenges —ethical, legal, environmental, and social.
“Digital art is not something new and its origins can be traced back to the 1960s. However, despite of its track record and recent attention in the [past] years for NFTs, it’s not yet valued equally. Many collectors still view traditional art forms as more tangible, permanent, and historically validated. The scarcity and physical presence of a painting or sculpture often translate to perceived financial value,” says Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, an independent curator, educator, and architect based in London.
“However, digital art challenges this by introducing new dimensions: Interactivity, time-based media, and more recently blockchain-enabled provenance through NFTs. A generational shift is underway, with younger collectors more comfortable embracing digital works as serious art investments. As infrastructure for ownership, preservation, and exhibition matures, parity may not be far off,” he adds.
Positive aspects of digital art
One of the most transformational changes in today’s creative industry is the democratization of artistic tools. Software such as Procreate, Photoshop, Blender, Midjourney, and DALL·E have put creative abilities in billions of hands. What previously required years of technical skill can now be achieved with an image prompt or digital brush.
Immersive experiences and new mediums
Digital art also has pushed boundaries of immersive storytelling — through VR, data-driven installations, projection mapping, and live visuals. A standout example is Refik Anadol’s Machine Hallucinations on the Las Vegas Sphere’s dome-shaped exterior: A fully immersive, AI-generated visualization based on environmental and historical data.
Architect Delicado agrees: “We’re likely to see digital art become more immersive, interactive, and integrated into everyday life. Advances in AI, virtual reality, and blockchain will continue to influence how art is made, owned, and experienced. Artists will collaborate across disciplines, with more and more presence of science, gaming and architecture, to blur traditional boundaries. We’ll also see a maturing of digital curation, with more permanent institutional collections and critical frameworks advocating for immersiveness.”
Will digital art hold the same in art history as painting or sculpture from the masters of the past?
“Yes, but with time and critical context. Art history evolves by recognizing how artists respond not only to the tools and ideas of their era, but the contextual events that surround them on a social, environmental or political level. Just as photography was once considered a threat to painting and is now a respected medium, digital art is on a similar trajectory. As scholars, critics, and curators continue to engage deeply with digital practices, its position in the canon will solidify. The key is sustained critical discourse to understand the digital as a medium to communicate a message that responds to the moment we are living in,” Delicado explains.
Technology as tool for historical preservation
Digital technology isn’t just about expression; it’s also preserving the past. ASML’s Impasto Project partnered with the Van Gogh Museum to create 3D digital twins of Van Gogh’s thick-textured oil paintings.
Using chip-industry scanners and AI, each high-resolution scan produces 100 GB of data — allowing researchers to inspect paint layers, monitor condition changes, and safeguard the artworks for future generations without risking damage.
We ask art expert Delicado on his views on how digital art fits within the broader context of masterpieces from renowned artists.
“Digital art often draws from, and dialogues with, the lineage of art history. Well-known artists like Andy Warhol already experimented with digital tools and understood its potential. Some of the most compelling digital works today reinterpret classical themes, experiment with form like the avant-garde, or extend conceptual art’s legacy into code and algorithms. When judged on innovation, execution, and impact, some of the criteria applied to masterpieces, many digital works equally embrace them. The challenge is not the medium but the market and institutional lag in catching up to the medium’s significance for the hyper-mediated lives we all have,” he says.
New economies and empowerment
The rise of NFTs ushered in new digital economies. Artists such as Mike “Beeple” Winkelmann have capitalized on this by selling digital artworks for millions.
Negative aspects of digital art
Copyright and ownership disputes: Perhaps the thorniest issue is copyright and IP violation. AI art tools are routinely trained on massive datasets scraped from existing works without permission. This has led to lawsuits including Getty Images’ case against Stability AI, contending millions of licensed photos were misused.
Artists and institutions are pushing back: Lawsuits by comic creators such as Sarah Andersen allege unauthorized style appropriation, while digital artists protest AI platforms that reproduce work without attribution or compensation.
Exploitation in crypto art
In the NFT sphere, digital has sometimes turned predatory. Reports highlight rampant “right-click minting” of stolen works, especially targeting marginalized creators. Automated abuses, “pump-and-dump” scams, and predatory drops have hurt many creators’ livelihoods.
Women-led crypto-art initiatives are calling for equity, demanding governance, transparent royalties, and systemic reforms to dismantle these cycles.
Environmental impact
The carbon footprint of blockchain and NFTs cannot be ignored. Although Ethereum’s shift to proof-of-stake slashed energy usage by 99 percent, critics warn environmental consequences persist in minting and trading high-volume digital assets.
Artists like Beeple and others are offsetting, aiming for carbon-neutral or negative NFT collections, but offsets don’t always address systemic inefficiencies. A sustainable future requires environmentally conscious platforms and smaller carbon-heavy fees.
Threat to creative labor and emotional depth
Digital tools can undercut human creativity. In the Philippines, artist Joy Cardaño noticed her commissions drying up as AI-generated anime-style art soared.
Critics argue AI can replicate styles but lacks emotional complexity. Illustrator Hollie Mengert protested that AI images “lack nuance and emotional depth” compared to human-made art.
Digital creators warn that the oversaturation of cheaply produced AI images devalues artistic standards.
A vocal movement on Instagram, highlighted by Bulgarian artist Alexander Nanitchkov, accuses AI companies of “soullessly stealing” work for profit.
Institutional challenges and consumer disruption
Beyond artists, institutions grapple with curation and authenticity. In 2022 at the Colorado State Fair, AI-generated art won a top prize, sparking backlash and prompting rules requiring AI disclosure.
Museums like Tate Britain debate the balance between encouraging engagement (even selfies) and preserving cultural experience. Critics see selfie culture as diluting the reflective power of physical art, though others claim it democratizes curation and boosts visitor interest.
Looking ahead
The digital art landscape is evolving rapidly, and the next few years may bring global regulation on dataset use and AI labeling; fair compensation frameworks integrated into generative tools; expanded conservation via digital twins; integration of AI art in mainstream culture, including museums, VR, and live performance venues; and cross-disciplinary innovation.
“Museums have and have had a critical role in shaping this relationship and validation of the digital medium. They can lend institutional legitimacy to digital art by integrating it into their collections and exhibitions, not as novelties but as central works that are defining a moment in art history. Beyond exhibiting, museums should explore and take more risks presenting new formats for digital production and engagement including immersive experiences and AR/VR installations. By doing so, they reflect how culture is evolving and demonstrate that art is not limited to physical materials but can live dynamically in code, screen, and network,” Delicado believes.
Cultural evolution
Digital art is a powerful, layered realm — redefining creativity and fueling cultural evolution, but also presenting tough questions about authenticity, equity, environmental responsibility, and legal accountability. It’s a domain of boundless potential, and because it touches every aspect of creativity, we need equally integrative solutions: Policy, technology, and ethics woven together.
Digital art is not a passing phase; it’s the future of human expression. Let’s shape it wisely.
