Tatsuo Uchii runs an art museum called Shochikugu. It is called an art museum, but it actually mainly sells art works for profit. It also rents out space to hold private art exhibitions and auctions. It is quite popular in the Hirano art circle.
Fame.
By the time Takeshi Nanahara and his party arrived at the Shochiku Drum Museum, it was almost six o'clock and the sky was already dark. The staff at the entrance of the museum reminded them that the museum would be closing soon and that tickets were no longer on sale until the purpose of their visit was known.
Then they suddenly realized it and pointed out the location of the side door and asked them to go in there to find the curator.
Nakano Eri nodded her thanks and went to the side door. However, Takeshi Nanahara looked thoughtfully at the slightly broken promotional poster in front of the venue and asked: "Have Ichinose Nori's works come to light again? Is there an authentic work by Ichinose Norin in your art museum?"
The staff member smiled and said: "Yes, we are already preparing for the auction. It will be this weekend."
Takeshi Nanabahara asked with interest: "How long has it been displayed in the art museum before?"
The staff thought for a while and said: "It will take about three weeks. The public exhibition ended last weekend. If you had come two days earlier, you could have enjoyed it."
Takeshi Nanahara smiled and asked: "Is this the original plan?"
The staff was a little confused, but still smiled and replied: "Yes, the original plan was to have the public exhibition for about three weeks to warm up the auction and expand our reputation. Well, there will also be some other works on public exhibition at the same time.
, is the largest public exhibition event of our art museum in recent years.”
"Thank you." Takeshi Nanahara thanked him sincerely and turned to the side door.
"Who is Ichinose Nori?" Qingmi Ruri was desperately flipping through her small notepad. She had this name in her mind, but couldn't find it for a while.
Takeshi Nanabaru said casually: "An unlucky monk."
"What do you mean? Please tell me in detail." Qing Jian Liuli simply stopped talking and directly asked the know-it-all Shichihara Takeshi.
Takeshi Nanahara glanced at her and saw the white light of interest flashing on Nakano Eri's lenses, so he gave a brief education to two girls, one large and one small, who had no concern for artworks.
Ichinose Nori was born in a family of down-and-out samurai, and was the second son without the right to inherit. Not long after he was born, his father sent him to a temple to become a young monk. When he grew up in the temple and worked hard, he was distinguished by his delicate features and shy personality.
Just like a woman, she is quite talented in painting. She is favored by the local daimyo and selected as a member of Ami. She is regarded as a companion - the diners who are responsible for amusing and relieving boredom around the daimyo usually have some talents, such as around Oda Nobunaga.
There are capable music masters who watch Ami and Shi Ami.
To put it simply, Nori Ichinose can be regarded as a "royal painter", and his main job is to draw pornographic books for the lord to relieve his boredom.
After he became a fellow, his living conditions improved greatly, and he was exposed to a broader art world, which laid a good foundation for his future advancement in painting. However, the good times did not last long, and he did not settle down for five or six years.
The daimyo he followed was exterminated, and he was forced to return to the temple. Later, because he could no longer get used to the poor life in the temple, he began to look for a new daimyo and took the initiative to sell himself.
He has sought refuge with many minor lords, city lords and even a wealthy family in a certain place. His status was getting lower and lower every time, but he could not settle down for more than two days. The master's family was either killed or imprisoned, or he became a monk. In the end, he was
Forced to wander around, he once made a living by selling paintings to merchants. However, during the war, the Emperor's family had to support their family by selling calligraphy and paintings. This business was so demanding that even if his painting skills improved, he was still half-starved all day long.
The state of not being full,
More than ten years passed like this, and he wandered to Kyushu Island. At least he survived until the monkeys took over the world and the war calmed down a bit.
At this time, he was already well-known in the art world. He was recruited as a painter by Monkey's successor, Toyotomi Hidetsu, who traveled around the world with him and asked him to paint pictures of the world's scenic spots. But he just felt that he was finally in peace and that his life was about to usher in a new stage.
Because the monkey gave birth to a biological son, he wanted to deprive Toyotomi Hideji of his inheritance rights, and convicted Toyotomi Hideji of treason...
Toyotomi Hidetsu was ordered to commit suicide. He also became a member of the criminal party of the "conspiracy to rebel" and fled to Okinoshima to live in seclusion.
Maybe it’s just how miserable a person is, how high his artistic level is. During his seclusion in Okinoshima, he had nothing to do and was terribly afraid of being beheaded, so he devoted himself wholeheartedly to artistic creation to anesthetize himself.
Like other Japanese painters, he tried to incorporate the very unique lines from the Chinese Jiangnan woodblock prints and the illustrations of the legendary monster novels of the Ming Dynasty that he came into contact with on Kyushu Island into his own works. He has already created several examples of Japanese ukiyo-e paintings in later generations.
Distinguish the flavor.
Well, Ukiyo-e originated from the Jiangnan prints of China, that is, the New Year pictures of a fat baby holding a fish. At that time, a large number of Song and Ming scripts with woodblock illustrations were introduced to Japan, and were loved and imitated by many painters. Gradually, Ukiyo came into being.
The prototype of Ukiyo-e painting later spread to Europe, and Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet and others were influenced by it. The Western modernist works that many people like now trace their origins to some extent and have something to do with the big fat dolls from the south of China.
After living in seclusion on Okinoshima for a period of time, Ichinose Nori finally perfected his painting skills and developed his own style. At this time, Japan was at peace, and Tokugawa Ieyasu finally conquered the world with the support of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's beloved wife Chacha.
After the Tokugawa shogunate completely stabilized the situation and cleaned up all the chaotic parties, another two or three years passed. The Tokugawa shogunate was ready to enjoy a peaceful and prosperous age. It finally turned its attention to the field of art and wanted to open chess academies, painting academies and other institutions.
He was prepared to recruit him as a royal painter, and was also prepared to give him the status of a Hatamoto samurai.
Ichinose Nori was naturally very excited when he received the news. He felt that he had finally made it through, and he had a party to celebrate. As a result, he died suddenly of excessive drinking. Only his posthumous works were sent to Edo, finally ending his ill-fated life - some people say
He drank too much because of excitement and ran away. In the end, he was drunk and froze to death in the snow, but he died anyway.
Takeshi Nanabahara briefly told the life experience of Ichinose Nori, and finally said: "At that time, his posthumous works were not paid much attention. When they were sent to Edo, they were thrown into the warehouse to eat dust. Many of them were damaged due to poor storage. Only the early works were
Some of the eighteen-banned works were very popular. It was not until the middle and late shogunate period that his works began to be popular again under the influence of Western trends. However, after nearly two hundred years, there were not many intact works that he could find. Later, he
During the turmoil in Edo, it was burned down and a lot of it was lost, and not much remains that can be passed down to this day."
"So that's it." Qingjian Liuli felt that she had learned a lot, but she didn't care whether an ancient man was unlucky or not, and she didn't care about the artistic value. She just curiously asked: "If few of his paintings have been handed down, what will happen to his paintings?"
It must be valuable, right?”
"Vulgar!" Takeshi Nanahara glanced at her disdainfully, "How can art be measured by money?"
"That means it's not very valuable?"
Takeshi Nanabaru touched his chin and pondered for a moment, then said: "He is not the kind of painter who can be used in textbooks. Although his artistic style is similar to 'meat-ink Ukiyo-e', Hishikawa Shinobu is recognized as the meat-ink Ukiyo-e."
The founder, the light completely covered him up, and he didn’t have much fame left. At most, his paintings can be exhibited as national treasures. One painting is probably worth 30 to 50 million yen, depending on when he was from it.
work.
The early erotic pictures and the late pencil drawings with distinctive artistic styles are more valuable for collection and have appreciation potential. Collectors and insurance companies with unique hobbies will like them very much. The legends of legends and legends painted for Hunfan in the middle period are much worse.
It is far inferior to the works of famous contemporaries."
"Thirty to fifty million yen is quite a lot." Qingmi Ruri is not very familiar with the economy, but she also knows that for this price, you can buy a large villa in Hirano, and even Matsunai Yuki's river view room is not worth this price.
He couldn't say less, and said in deep thought, "I looked through my notepad just now. Yuuto Matsuuchi came here two days before he was killed just to interview this public exhibition of famous paintings. Is it possible that he discovered Nori Ichinose's painting?"
The work is a fake and it needs to be reported, so Uchii Tatsuo is determined to do whatever he wants, so he might as well just let him..."
At this point, she moved her little hands down with murderous intent, her expression was a little ferocious, and it was enough to arrest her as a murderer. Takeshi Nanahara did not deny her reasonable guess, and touched his chin and said: "It is indeed a good killing.
Motive, but as far as I know Yuuto Matsunai, he is just messing around as an art columnist. If a fake can fool professional art dealers and appraisers, I don’t think he has the professional level to distinguish it.
."
Well, this is correct. There is no reason why Matsuuchi Yuuto's professional level can be better than that of a professional appraiser. Otherwise, he would just become an art appraiser. He would definitely have a better future than being an art columnist.
Qingmi Ruri held her breath, and they chatted all the way. They had already arrived at the office area of Shochiku Drum Museum. Nakano Eri stopped a staff member and asked, and easily found Tatsuo Uchii's office.
…………
Uchii Tatsuo's office is not very big, but the tables, chairs, and cabinets are arranged cleverly and harmoniously, making it very comfortable to look at. Three beast specimens, including a deer head, a boar head, and a goat head, are hung side by side on the wall for display.
The bravery and hunting skills of the room owner.
But Uchii Tatsuo doesn't look very strong. He is thin and has a weathered face with many wrinkles. He looks older, but he is still skinny. There is a faint energy in the way he raises his hands and feet.
No one dares to despise it at all.
He had no idea that the police came to the door with a high school counselor and a jk, and received them with a smile. He also had no special reaction when talking about the murder of Matsunai Yuuto, which was the same answer he gave when the police came to inquire before.
are basically consistent.
The public exhibition is a grand art event in Hirano. Yuuto Matsuuchi specially came to interview to learn some information about the public exhibition, the origin of the paintings and other insider information that readers are interested in. This is good publicity, and Tatsuo Uchii also received him warmly.
After meeting him, the two parties had a great conversation and even took him to a dinner party for the museum staff, where they all had a few drinks together.
Qingmi Ruri asked for a while but didn't find any problem. After thinking about it, she stared at Tatsuo Uchii's face again and said tentatively: "Uchii-san, the most valuable thing in the public exhibition at that time was Nori Ichinose's paintings.
Well, Songnesan-san will definitely pay close attention to this painting, is it convenient for us to go and take a look?"
She hadn't completely given up her guess yet. If Yuuto Matsunai could tell it was a fake, Takeshi Nanahara could also tell it, and maybe he could identify the murderer directly. But as soon as she finished speaking, Tatsuo Uchii said...
He got up and came back with a promotional leaflet, and said with a smile: "Not one, but four. These are the most proud works of Mr. Ichinose's creative career, so I designated this set of works as the main exhibit of the public exhibition."
Takeshi Nanahara directly reached out and took it. He glanced at the color printed photo and raised his eyebrows, "It turns out they are these four paintings. No wonder they said they have been rediscovered. These four paintings have indeed been missing for a long time."
Uchii Tatsuo glanced at him in surprise, sat back and said with a smile: "Yes, it is the "Okinoshima Four Scrolls" that was lost when Edo was founded. It is indeed a blessing to be able to see the light of day again."
Takeshi Nanahara looked at the photo carefully, nodded slightly and said: "It makes sense that Nori Ichinose's painting suddenly appeared in Hirano." Then he raised his head with interest and asked, "It seems that Uchii-san picked it up."
It’s missing, can you tell me how you picked it up?”
Tatsuo Uchii smiled and said nothing, not wanting to say anything. Takeshi Nanahara didn't care either, and lowered his head to look at the photo again.
Qingmi Ruri had just taken a look with him a few times, and found that these four paintings were in the form of long scrolls. They seemed to depict the four seasons of Okinoshima and the lifestyle of local residents. They all had a hint of sky, and even one of them was
The night sky seemed very suspicious, but she had learned a lesson in Deji's studio and no longer made a fuss. She just pointed at one of the paintings and said in confusion: "Is this scroll cracked? The painting seems to be missing a corner, and it seems...
Have you soaked in water?"
The smile on Uchii Tatsuo's face disappeared and he sighed: "Living among the people, it has been buried in a pile of debris in a family's warehouse. The storage conditions are so bad that it was already damaged when I found it, and I haven't found it yet.
People who are sure that the restoration will be 100% perfect don’t dare to do it easily, so they can only show it like this.”
After a pause, he clarified the title of the final work in his auction, "But even if it is slightly damaged, it will not affect its artistic value."
Qingjian Liuli didn't understand the value of art. Looking at the photo, he felt it wasn't very clear. He hesitated and asked, "Can't we go see the original painting? Just look at the photo..."
"I am happy to cooperate with the police. If you think it is necessary, of course I can, but can you do it tomorrow?" Uchii Tatsuo did not refuse, "This painting does not completely belong to the art museum. My ability is limited and I paid a huge sum of money for the purchase."
The payment has been made, and the painting is now in the safe and will not be taken out again until the auction. To see the original painting, I and the bank representative need to be present at the same time to prevent unnecessary disputes."
"Okay." Qingjian Liuli felt that their request was reasonable. It was true that they came too late.
Tatsuo Uchii glanced at his watch, looked at them and asked, "Do you have any other questions?"
Qingjian Liuli said quickly: "I still need to know your whereabouts that night."
Tatsuo Uchii was really cooperative. He stood up, picked up the phone, dialed the number and said, "No problem, but I've been busy with the auction recently. I have an appointment with someone for dinner tonight. The appointment time is almost here. If I don't
If you mind, I'll let Heitate-kun talk to you, I was with him that night."
He has been very cooperative, without the slightest hint of impatience. Compared with the old pervert Deji, he is simply a representative of the five good citizens. Naturally, Takeshi Nanahara and his party cannot have any objections and can only leave.
Tatsuo Uchii walked them to the door very politely and said, "I am also very sorry that Matsuuchi-san was killed. If there is anything else I need to do, please call me at any time."
"Okay, thank you." After communicating for a while, Qingmi Ruri and Nakano Eri both had a good impression of him and thanked him in unison. Nanabahara Taketo walked out of the door first, then came back and asked with a smile: "I almost forgot.
Well, Uchii-san, if you were asked to use an animal to describe Matsuuchi-san, what animal do you think it would be?"
Tatsuo Uchii was stunned for a moment, and then said with a smile: "Probably it will be a mountain whale, um... yes, Matsuuchi-san is very serious about his work and very motivated, just like a mountain whale."