“The Last da Vinci” is a moving video portrait of people from the eyes of Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi painting. The hidden-camera film shows the real-life reactions of all who came to see the lost masterpiece on public display. Painted in divine light, each viewer is delicately framed like Leonardo’s depiction of Christ, mirroring the very artwork they are viewing. The response creates an emotional film—a story of awe, admiration, joy, reverence, sadness and beauty—as people gaze upon the last privately owned da Vinci before its public auction. Set to a track which perfectly matches the emotion and expressions of viewers, as the music stirs, so do the faces. The film never shows the painting itself. Instead, it only showcases the affect the work has on viewers, making the people in its presence the centerpiece of the film and their emotional response the voice.

The subject of this film is a painting of incredible significance. Only one Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci exists. And this is the last of the master’s work in private hands. Yet, we opted not to show it. With something of this importance and beauty, it’s hard to communicate the gravity and awe without experiencing it. Sharing the reactions of the general public allowed us to add value for prospective bidders as they saw the wonder and desire with which the world greeted the masterpiece. We knew that buyers would be watching the surrounding press, so, by elevating the painting in the public view, we could show that the world was watching too—increasing the painting’s desirability and sending its value skyward in the lead up to the auction. The film is exactly 4:14 in length as reference to the biblical scripture that describes Christ in da Vinci’s depiction.