The world’s most expensive work of art ever sold at auction was not painted by any of the earlier record setters, Picasso, Modigliani, Bacon, Munch, Basquiat, or Warhol, all of whom worked in the 20th century, but by Leonardo da Vinci 500 years ago. Imagine being at an auction watching the 19-minute phone and salesroom bidding war for da Vinci’s portrait of Jesus Christ titled “Salvator Mundi.” The experts say it was “trophy hunting,” buying art that is the best of the best, wanted by billionaires for the status as well as the thrill of adding it to a collection. Bids were flying in $10 million increments among the last five rivals. Then it was a two-person phone fight that ended at $450,312,500 (including fees). The painting had several royal owners who over-painted the portrait until it was almost unrecognizable. In 1958, it sold for about $125 as “from the school of da Vinci.” But in 2005, a group of dealers looked closer and had it reauthenticated and properly restored.