novelraw Chapter 95 - 82: Calligraphy and Painting Public Auction (2)
Chapter 95 - 82: Calligraphy and Painting Public Auction (2)
The uncle, who was puffing smoke with a cigarette in his hand, felt a bit awkward.
Myanmar, well, it’s rather chaotic.
The more chaotic a place is, the greater the influence of underworld bosses.
Ever since the news spread that Brother Hao took an interest in his nephew, people have visibly treated him with more respect in business, and he actually quite enjoyed this feeling.
In his view, even if you don’t want to get too close to Brother Hao, there’s no need to bluntly refuse, nor agree; it’s not necessary to leave no way out for others so coldly.
"Wow, your nephew actually refused Brother Hao’s invitation?"
Boss Wu’s tone was full of surprise, as if he were looking at a fool.
"Uh... we have strict family rules."
Under Gu Weijing’s stern gaze, the uncle finally gave an honest answer.
The smile on Boss Wu’s face immediately turned indifferent at a speed visible to the naked eye. He shook his head, mumbled something under his breath, and then moved away.
"Be more tactful! This world isn’t simply black or white." The uncle advised.
"Uncle, don’t get too close to people like Brother Hao. It’s best not to show any signs at all. White is white, black is black. Once a drop of black ink mixes into white paint, it can never be clean again."
Gu Weijing disagreed with his uncle’s opinion. He shook his head, not wanting to continue the topic, and prepared to head toward the warehouse, but his uncle stopped him again.
"How much money did my dad give you?"
The uncle held onto Gu Weijing’s hand.
He didn’t actually dislike this nephew. Unlike his wife, he didn’t have strong objections to the idea of the old man wanting to pass on the family business to the nephew in the future.
He knew just how capable his daughter Gu Lin was.
Clearly, she wasn’t cut out for painting or business. The plan was to send her abroad for university to get some credentials and then find a decent husband for her.
The uncle, also surnamed Gu, knew that the family business passed down from the ancestors would eventually need someone to inherit it.
This nephew was evidently a type with some talent in painting.
In the future, if he could become famous, the uncle would be happy for him.
However, seeing the thick envelope in Gu Weijing’s hand made the uncle a bit uneasy; he felt that when it came to large art investments, it should be his call.
"What painting do you want to buy? Let me advise you," the uncle licked his lips, already considering the money in the nephew’s envelope as his own.
"Not much money, all in Myanmar Kyat."
Gu Weijing came with a mission and guarded the envelope in his hand closely.
He knew that if he nodded, the money in the envelope would no longer be related to him, so he coldly refused immediately, not saying much more to the uncle as he headed toward the auction warehouse.
A calligraphy and painting auction might sound mysterious, but it’s just a public auction with open bidding.
The warehouse was about a few hundred square meters in size, with many exhibition stands. On the stands were calligraphy, paintings, and scrolls, with the origin and description beside each piece. Everyone who entered received a small number tag.
If you fancy a piece, you place your intended price and amount in the small mailbox beside it, and the highest bidder wins.
Gu Weijing walked into the warehouse and casually took a look around.
He wasn’t interested in other oil paintings or watercolor paintings.
His gaze focused only on works of the Impressionist style.
Impressionism is, after all, one of the most influential art movements of modern times. Sure enough, there were many Impressionist or Impressionist technique-style works.
The most eye-catching was an oil painting titled "Mountain in the Snow," a work brought to Myanmar by a Japanese collector from the Taisho era.
This was the top piece in the auction, with a starting bid of twelve thousand US dollars.
From the Meiji to Taisho eras, many Japanese painters were influenced by the new wave of art, shifting from Classicism to Impressionism, with many Japanese collectors deeply fond of Impressionist works.
In 1921 alone, collector Matsukata Kojiro personally visited Monet and purchased nearly 20 Impressionist paintings from him.
Unfortunately, even though Japanese collectors hold many top-notch Impressionist treasures, the piece before Gu Weijing wasn’t among them.
To Gu Weijing, the level of this painting was similar to those of the master group works he had seen at the Singapore art exhibition.
Not up to the master’s level.
He cast a Calligraphy and Painting Identification Skill.
Sure enough, there wasn’t much of a mental impact.
[Title: "Mountain in the Snow"]
[Sketching Technique: Level 4 Tier One Professional (4102/5000)]
[Oil Painting Technique: Level 5 Tier Two Professional]
The real value of this painting lay in the fact that it was part of a private exhibition at the Myanmar National Art Gallery two years ago, and the insurance policy beside it stated it was insured at thirty thousand dollars then.
The artistic value and technical foundation of a painting are not something even many collectors can understand.
But the more stories a painting has to tell, the higher the price it can fetch.
How much a collector is willing to pay for a painting depends first on the artist, then on its provenance.
As for the quality of the painting itself, sometimes it matters less in the minds of art-speculating buyers than the size of the oil painting.
For example, many seals on Chinese ancient paintings are imprinted by later collectors. If they’re by historically renowned collectors or from the Imperial Family, they’ll appreciate in value. Conversely, if an ordinary modern person stamps their seal, not only would it devalue, but it could also lead to being arrested for damaging cultural relics.