Homage to art and its literal value

PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING “Ron, your body’s a temple. You only put the good s— in.” Chunky American to chunky American, overheard in Venice by Cindy Rosenheim

At the Minnesota Street Project on Wednesday, Oct. 18, the press got a glimpse of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” to be auctioned by Christie’s in New York on Nov. 15. The auction house estimates it may sell for $100 million, a nice round figure.

It is one of only 15 or 16 paintings by Leonardo, said Alan Wintermute of Christie’s, who talked about its provenance, its restoration and its sale. In a gallery that also included postwar and contemporary art, the painting was hung on a wall of its own, with a platform beneath, a rope around it and its own security guard, holding viewers at a distance that didn’t prevent close inspection.

With his brown hair cascading in ringlets, Jesus is wearing a blue garment gathered at the square neck, trimmed with what looks like gold ribbon, which also crisscrosses his chest. It’s a dressier ensemble than the casual brown drapery — “garments” would erroneously imply zippers and darts — depicted in most religious art, but it’s suitably formal for the referenced accomplishment: Saving the world is no small feat.

In this picture, the saving’s already done, and in his left hand, the savior holds a crystal orb, the Earth. The painting is so detailed that there are imperfections visible in the rock crystal. Even before nukes, pollution and Harvey Weinstein, the artist seemed to be saying that things weren’t always so great.

Christ’s right hand is raised in a benediction, with the ring and pinkie fingers curled close, a position disturbingly similar to the trademark gesture of an important public figure, someone I’m not mentioning. But there’s also an element of uncertainty. The index and middle fingers seem to be crossed. Even a messiah needs luck.

Five hundred years later, I’m not at all sure whatever he was wishing for came true.

To paint his official presidential portrait, President Obama has chosen artist Kehinde Wiley. Although Wiley was born in Los Angeles and lives in Brooklyn, there’s a local connection: He received his bachelor of fine arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1999. He is known for painting large portraits of men of color in heroic and majestic poses.

Artnet.com asked curators, artists, critics and art dealers to name the most influential artists of the last 100 years, and there’s a hometown hero on the list: East Bay-based Hung Liu, cited by Melissa Chiu of the Hirshhorn Museum for work that reflects history and “is both searing and transcendent.” “Daughters of China,” a solo exhibition of the artist’s work, opened Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Kala Art Institute in Berkeley and is viewable through Jan. 20.

At the Academy of Art University Automobile Museum on Thursday, Oct. 19, a setting as shiny as the baubles worn by the guests, there were the sounds of “It’s De-Lovely,” guests in cocktail attire, massive orchid flower arrangements, McCall’s waiters dispensing sushi, caviar, cocktails. This was the celebration of the life of Richard Stephens, who died in June and who nurtured the Academy of Art University from a small art school to a major real estate and educational presence in San Francisco.

Stephens moved in society, and in powerful civic circles, too. D.A. George Gascón was there, and Angela Alioto, as well as former Chronicle Editor Ward Bushee. The only speakers were Elisa Stephens, who inherited her father’s mantle as leader of the school, and Willie Brown, who began his remarks by complimenting her on her literal mantle. “You are truly your father’s daughter,” Brown said. “As I walked in tonight, I took one look at that outfit and thought, ‘I thought Wilkes died.’ It is so elegant.”

The ghost of Wilkes Bashford was smiling, as was the ghost of Herb Caen, evoked by Brown as he described nights on the town with Caen and “this extraordinary man who headed the school for 45 or 50 years” and had taught him to drink vodka martinis. Brown also credited Stephens for introducing him to caviar, which “cost me a lot of money” because “my lady friend is Russian and she loves caviar.”

Guests shared tales of enjoying Stephens’ hospitality on his yacht, of relishing his sweet affection — “one of the nicest things,” recalled Gladys Palmer, who is now the academy’s executive vice president of artistic development, was his coming up behind her and kissing her on the neck — but it was Brown who best summed up Stephens: “He was full of life in every way. He would enjoy every aspect of life without apology . ... I don’t know how he got so wealthy.”