■當天拍賣過程相當激烈。 網上圖片【原文】下文摘錄自香港《文匯報》2017年11月17日報道：
意大利文藝復興（Renaissance）大師達文西（Leonardo da Vinci）現存唯一私人擁有畫作《救世主》（Salvator Mundi），11月15日在紐約佳士得拍賣會（auction）上以4.503億美元（約35.16億港元）成交，打破歷來公開拍賣及私人出售（private sale）藝術品的最高成交價紀錄。拍賣過程激烈，持續長達19分鐘，經過45口叫價後，最終由一名匿名（anonymous）買家透過電話遙距投得。
《救世主》曾在1958年以45英鎊拍賣，換算為當前1,000英鎊（約1萬港元)，即升值（appreciate）4.5萬倍。
佳士得相關負責人指，《救世主》是由歷來最重要畫家繪畫的世界最標誌性人物肖像（iconic figure），能夠透過拍賣會出售，可說是一生只得一次的（once-in-a-lifetime）機會。
貴過畢加索 全球真跡不足20幅
在《救世主》之前，公開拍賣會最高成交價紀錄是抽象派（abstraction）大師畢加索（Pablo Picasso）的《阿爾及爾的女人》（Les Femmes d'Alger），2015年5月以1.79億美元（約14億港元）成交。
至於已知的最高私人交易紀錄，則是2015年9月美國抽象表現主義代表人物（abstract expressionist）德庫寧（Willem de Kooning）的《Interchange》，以3億美元售出。
《救世主》估計完成於1500年，達文西同時期作品還包括《蒙娜麗莎》（Mona Lisa）。畫中耶穌基督身穿文藝復興時期的藍禮服（robe），左手拿着水晶球（crystal orb），右手舉起祝福（benediction）手勢。拍賣會前，《救世主》曾在香港、三藩市、倫敦和紐約展出，吸引逾3萬人次觀賞。
現時全球已知的達文西存世真跡只有不足20幅，《救世主》更是唯一仍然在私人收藏家手中的作品，其他作品均已被世界各地博物館永久收藏（preserve）。
英王收藏 誤被認徒弟作品
達文西最初是應法王路易十二之邀繪畫《救世主》，之後法國公主瑪麗亞嫁給英王查理一世，她帶着畫作赴英作為嫁妝，成為查理一世的私人珍藏，1763年首次公開拍賣後銷聲匿跡百多年，1900年再次重見天日，被一名英國收藏家買得。當時《救世主》已經嚴重受損，耶穌的面和頭髮都經過重繪（repaint），被視為達文西徒弟（apprentice）或追隨者的臨摹作。
1958年《救世主》再次公開拍賣，由一名美國收藏家以45英鎊投得。
一批藝術品交易商2005年留意到《救世主》有可能是真跡（authentic），以低價買入進行修復（restoration），結果證實真是達文西親筆作品。今次的賣家是俄羅斯一名富商（magnate），他在2013年以1.275億美元（約9.955億港元）從摩納哥一名交易商購得此畫，但他之後認為對方開價過高（overcharge）入稟追討，官司（litigation）仍未完結。
Auction gave the most expensive painting ever at US$450m
【譯文】Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World), which is known to be the last remaining painting by the great Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci in private hands, was sold for US$450.3 million (approx. HK$3.516 billion) by the Christie's auction house in New York on November 15, shattering the world record for the most expensive artwork ever sold at a public auction or by private sale.
The masterpiece was finally acquired by an anonymous telephone bidder after 19 minutes of fierce bidding with 45 bids. The painting was sold for a mere£45 in 1958, and if converted to £1,000 (approx. HK$10,000) nowadays, it means the artwork has appreciated by 45,000 times.
A staff member at Christie's saleroom described the auction of the masterpiece as "of the most iconic figure in the world by the most important artist of all times", and offered collectors an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bid for it.
Price exceeds Les Femmes d'Alger
Prior to Salvator Mundi, the previous record for the most expensive artwork at auction was the Les Femmes d'Alger (Women of Algiers) by the master of abstraction Pablo Picasso, which was sold for US$179 million (approx. HK$1.4 billion) in May 2015.
While the highest known sale price for any artwork had been US$300 million for the private sale of the masterpiece Interchange by the American abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning in September 2015.
Salvator Mundi was estimated to be completed in 1500 and da Vinci's contemporary works include Mona Lisa. In the painting, Jesus Christ was in a blue Renaissance-style robe, holding a crystal orb in his left hand and offering benediction with his right.
Before the auction, the masterpiece was displayed at exhibitions in Hong Kong, San Francisco, London and New York, attracting some 30,000 visitors.
Less than 20 da Vinci paintings have survived to date, and Salvator Mundi is reportedly the last painting of the grand master in a private collection, while all others have been permanently preserved in the public museums worldwide.
First mistaken as apprentice's work
It is believed that the work may have been painted for King Louis XII of France, then brought to England by the French princess Henrietta Maria when she married King Charles I of England. It was thus put into the chambers of King Charles I of England as the royal family's possession.
After it had first been auctioned in 1763, the painting disappeared for more than a century until acquired by a British collector in 1900, when it was severely damaged and Christ's face and hair were therefore extensively repainted, creating a false impression that it was simply a copy by the da Vinci's apprentices or followers.
Salvator Mundi was auctioned once again in 1958 and bid by an American collector with £45. A number of art experts discovered in 2005 that the painting might have been authentic, and then it was acquired at a low cost for restoration and finally proven to be a da Vinci painting.
The seller this time is a Russian magnate, who bought it from a Monaco trader in 2013 with a price of US$127.5 million (approx. HK$995.5 million).
The magnate is currently involved in an extensive litigation alleging that he was overcharged.■龐嘉儀
Q&A
1. 文藝復興發生於什麼時期？
2. 「文藝復興」的意大利語Rinascimento有何意思？
3. 達文西與哪兩位畫家並稱「文藝復興三傑」？
4. 達文西還有哪些其他著名畫作？
5. 除佳士得外，世界著名的藝術品拍賣行還有哪些？
1. 14世紀至17世紀
2. 意思是「重生」
3. 米開朗基羅（Michelangelo Buonarroti）、拉斐爾（Raffaello Sanzio）
4. 《最後的晚餐》（The Last Supper）、《基督受洗》（The Baptism of Christ）等
5. 蘇富比（Sotheby's）、英國大維德拍賣（David Auction）等