Looking carefully at this picture of two ladies, Han Peacock can easily see from the picture the author's aesthetic taste for ladies. This picture uses rigorous brushwork and the lines of the characters are relatively smooth and free. It is an excellent work with a clear and elegant style.
Looking at the pictures of ladies with different styles and different painting styles, but very coherent painting techniques, Han Peacock felt confused.
He could tell that these fourteen paintings must have been painted by one person, and the characters in the paintings were also drawn with a beautiful woman as a model. Ren Bonian had the ability to draw such exquisite pictures of ladies.
Come?
Han Kongque carefully looked at the signatures and seals of the fourteen paintings, and then carefully looked at the mountings of the fourteen paintings, and found that all fourteen paintings, whether it was the signatures, seals, or even the mountings, were all made by one person.
If you only look at the ladies in the whole painting, there will be no problem at all, but if you look closely at the inscription, it feels a bit inconsistent.
Watching Han Kongque stare blankly at the place where the signature was signed, that place could not withstand scrutiny. Even if he did not have much eyesight, he could see that there seemed to be some disguise there, just in case Ren Bonian's signature was someone else's.
If it is forged, then the painting will be difficult to sell.
Fortunately, there was really nothing to say about the ladies in these paintings, so he had the confidence to sell them at a high price. However, Chen Qian was still afraid of long nights and many dreams, so he quickly interrupted Han Kongque's meditation and said: "Is there anything wrong with Mr. Han?"
?Look at how well these ladies are painted?"
Chen Qian once again attracted Han Peacock's attention to those pictures of ladies. The paintings of these ladies were really good. Such painting skills are definitely the work of a master.
Thinking of this, Han Kongque was completely relieved. Even if there were some problems with the deposit and seal, as long as there were no problems with the portrait of the lady, it would not be a big problem.
"Okay, I'll just put these fourteen paintings away, and I'll have someone transfer the money to you right away." Han Kongque put away the fourteen paintings and immediately started transferring money.
Han Kongque is now considered a VIP of China Merchants Bank, and there are no restrictions on large transfers for ordinary people. So 13 million was successfully transferred to the account provided by Chen Qian.
Wait for the message that the transfer is successful to be sent. This transaction is considered completed.
Putting the painting away and letting Zhang Xiangyue look at it, Han Kongque said: "Boss Chen, now that the deal is completed, let's have a meal together? Anyway, we are in the hotel. We don't have to run around anymore."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Han. We still have something urgent to do. I'm really sorry. We'll invite you if we have the opportunity in the future, you see..." Chen Qian refused unceremoniously.
Han Peacock laughed and said: "It's okay, it's okay, you have to do your work."
After sending Chen Qian away, Han Kongque's face darkened.
"What's wrong, brother? Is there something wrong with the painting?" Han Xing, who had not said a word from beginning to end, asked worriedly after seeing Han Peacock's expression.
"There are some problems, but they are not big. It's just that I never thought about where the problem lies." Han Kongque motioned to Zhang Xiangyue to take out a painting and look at it again.
"I don't see any problem? These ladies are very well painted!" Han Xing looked at the charming ladies and felt that the painting skills were very exquisite. Not many modern masters could paint such paintings.
, even if they copy, not many have such a high level.
Han Kongque said: "Don't you think these ladies are so beautifully painted?"
"The painting is too good?" Han Xing and Zhang Xiangyue were stunned. Is it wrong to paint too well?
"Can such a painting really sell for more than one million yuan?" Zhang Xiangyue looked at the woman in the painting and couldn't understand why such a woman could sell for more than one million yuan?
Han Kongque said: "It is definitely no problem to sell it for one million, but if you add in the publicity and other expenses, you may not make a penny if you sell it for one million. If you add some flaws in the money left,
Such a controversial painting will also affect the price, and it may not be sold for even 800,000 yuan."
"Ah? Why doesn't the elder brother negotiate a higher price with that boss Chen?" Han Xing said very puzzled.
"Since there is something wrong with it, why did the boss buy it?" Zhang Xiangyue also didn't understand.
Han Kongque said: "It's because of the flaws in the deposit and the artistry of the painting."
Seeing the two of them even more puzzled, Han Kongque explained: "It's just because the painter is so good. This kind of painting does not look like Ren Bonian's style. To be honest, I have also seen Ren Bonian's paintings of ladies."
He has passed a few paintings, but his level is simply not up to the level of these fourteen paintings. In addition, there seems to be something wrong with the mounting of the deposit area, which has to make people suspicious."
Han Xing asked in surprise: "Does the eldest brother suspect that the signature of this painting has been faked?"
"It should be so, but I just don't know now. If I remove the title of Ren Bo on the top, I don't know what the inscription is on the bottom." Han Peacock bet on the painter. Since the painter is so exquisite, even if the painting is not that of Mr Ren,
He is young and should not be an unknown person.
"Could it be that this is an unsigned painting?" Han Xing asked.
Han Kongque said: "There should be no such possibility. If there is no money, there is no need to re-frame it, just stamp it with a forged seal."
"The covered signature must be a painter who is not as famous as Ren Bonian. In this case, wouldn't the price of this painting be lower?" Han Xing was even more puzzled. Now that Han Peacock knew this was the case,
Why did he spend a high price to buy these fourteen paintings?
Han Kongque said: "That's not necessarily true. Look at these fourteen paintings. Can ordinary people paint such paintings? Since they have the level of a master, they should obtain the status of a master.
Even if he was not famous before, with these fourteen paintings, no matter who he is, he will become famous in the future. The skills of these paintings are here, which no one can erase. Let us take a look now.
Which master's masterpiece is this?"
"Brother, are you going to uncover and frame this painting?" Han Xing asked.
Han Kongque said: "Well, only by peeling off this layer of outer mounting can you see the signature below."
"Brother, do you know how to remove the frame?" Han Xing asked.
Han Kongque said: "Yes, I can, but I don't dare to uncover a painting like this myself. I'd better find a professional to do it!"
After thinking for a moment, Han Kongque called Fat Liu. He hadn't seen her in the past few days and wanted to get in touch.
Fat Liu said quickly. When he arrived, he immediately saw the picture of a lady with a hairpin on the table: "I said, is this what you bought just now?"
"Well, we know who is better at unmasking in the magic city. Look here. I suspect that there is a bell mark underneath that was deliberately covered." Han Peacock went straight to the point.
Fat Liu chuckled and said: "You have found someone. My sister-in-law is a master in this field. Her old man is considered a top expert in the country. She has learned framing from her old man since she was a child. Now my eldest brother and his wife are here.
That’s what museums are designed to do.”
"What are you proud of? Your whole family is an expert in all walks of life. You are the only one who knows nothing." Han Peacock couldn't see Fat Liu's proud look, so he naturally started to attack him.
"What's the point? No matter how powerful they are, they still don't have as much money as me. No matter how much knowledge they have in their heads, it's all useless if they can't exchange it for money." Fat Liu said without shame.
"Okay, ask your sister-in-law if she is free and ask her to help. I have fourteen paintings like this in my hand. I need to reveal them all once. I suspect that they have all been faked." Han Kongque said.
Fat Liu said: "Let's go to my old man's studio! There are all kinds of tools there, and my sister-in-law might be in the studio right now."
Liu Shaoshan's studio is very chaotic. If you didn't know better, you might have thought you had walked into a counterfeiting den!
Looking at some messy bronzes and some copied inscriptions, Han Kongque was very disappointed. Is this the famous Bronze Research Institute in Magic City?
"Disappointed, right? I was also disappointed when I first came here, but then I understood. You see, this is brass. This thing costs twenty or thirty yuan a pound. If you don't look at it well, it can be easily lost.
.
You said that if some bronzes from the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties were really put into a place like this, what would be the end result? Therefore, if there are good things, they will be put in the museum. There will never be any real things here. If there are important research topics, they are usually in
It was held in the museum." Fat Liu explained.
As soon as he walked into a house, Han Peacock saw Liu Shaoshan: "I heard that your little Han received something good again?"
Han Peacock smiled and said: "I collected a few paintings, but there seems to be something wrong. Aren't you here to ask for help?"
Liu Shaoshan said: "If you need any help, let's help each other! Take it out and take a look."
Those who study antiques actually have a wide range of interests, but their focus is different. It can only be said that they are top experts in one aspect, and in other aspects they may just be hobbies.
Although Liu Shaoshan cannot be ranked among the three mountains, his mountain is also very powerful in his professional field. Gao Dashan specializes in inscriptions and seal carving, and he specializes in bronzes and inscriptions. If the two of them had not similar majors, he would not be overpowered by Gao Dashan.
One end.
It can be said that Mr. Liu Shaoshan's achievements in his professional field are no worse than those of Sanshan.
"I heard that you almost swollen the faces of Gao Dashan and the others yesterday?" Liu Shaoshan said happily while watching his eldest daughter-in-law playing with the painting.
"Communicate, we are just communicating with each other, how can I dare to be serious with those old men." Han Kongque said.
Liu Shaoshan said: "You are quite ruthless in your attack. I heard that you even won the lifeblood of that old guy Wang Guishan's housekeeper?"
"Are you always talking about that piece of Gang Jade?" Han Peacock asked with a smile.
"Yes, that's it. It's a good thing. Keep it carefully! It will be enough to be used as a family heirloom in the future." Liu Shaoshan said.
Han Peacock smiled and said nothing more. He was already attracted by Fat Sister-in-law Liu's movements.
Zhang Shuping is indeed very professional. Seeing her methodically playing with the painting, although her movements are gentle, it is easy to see that she is determined. Otherwise, few people would dare to unveil the painting. You know,
If you are not careful, you can ruin a masterpiece.
This time it is a painting unveiling. The unveiling painting is a Chinese painting that has been mounted. Due to various reasons (damage, moisture, etc.), it needs to be re-mounted.
To unveil a painting, you first need to lay the old painting flat, soak it with water, and cover it with some rice paper to make it wet evenly. After a while, use tweezers to peel off the paper layer by layer, then re-mount it and make up for the shortcomings of the original painting.
.
The left and upper right corners of this picture of a lady with hairpins are completely blank, occupying nearly one-third of the entire picture.
In the blank space are Ren Bonian's deposit and bell seal. Zhang Shuping moved his hands from this side. If possible, it would be easiest to only move his hands from this side.
If the problem is only in this corner, the other parts can be left alone, which can save time and preserve the original state of the painting as much as possible.
Just as I was following the steps, something unexpected happened.
No abnormalities were found during rinsing. During the process of applying the peeling solution to the painting, several red colors appeared irregularly in the white areas of the picture, and there was a tendency of gradually spreading.
Zhang Shuping immediately stopped the operation, sucked up the water, and observed carefully.
Regardless of whether you are mounting a new painting or unveiling an old painting, the color you are most afraid of is "magenta". For example, the magenta on the cheeks of the children in Yangliuqing's paintings is the most overshadowed. There are several layers that can penetrate through. If you encounter it, be extra careful.
.
It is obvious that the color of this painting is magenta.
Now that the discoloration has been stopped, where does the magenta come from? Is there magenta under the cover?
Zhang Shuping raised her head and looked around, looking at Han Kongque with confusion on her face. Didn't he say that what was covered below was the bell mark?
Suddenly an idea flashed across Han Peacock's mind. Could it be that there was a painting under the painting? It was more than just a bell mark?
After Han Kongque expressed his thoughts, Zhang Shuping no longer hesitated. She picked up the tweezers and tried to peel it off from one corner.
It was immediately confirmed: counting from top to bottom, there are five layers of paper. The first and second layers are all white paper. The third layer is the drawing paper for "Lady with Hairpin Flowers", and the fourth layer is it.
The fifth layer is a thick piece of drawing paper.
Since the paper on it is just white paper, Zhang Shuping doesn't care about the magenta. Anyway, the white paper only has the deposit and bell seal. These are already unnecessary things. It doesn't matter even if it is completely contaminated by magenta, so Zhang Shuping is still bored, just
However, the dulling time should be as short as possible to avoid more overflowing, which will damage the painting below.
When you peel off the first piece of white paper, you can already see what's going on underneath. It seems like there's a flower underneath, that's why the magenta appears.
Re-apply the new liquid medicine, and continue with the second piece. The second piece is a piece of drawing paper, because the thick drawing paper may block the penetration of the medicine. The next step is to peel off the drawing paper.
As the unmounting work unfolded step by step, it was proved that Zhang Shuping's approach was brilliant. She and others worked in an orderly and leisurely manner, which was definitely everyone's style.
You know, this is a famous painting worth millions. If the operation is not good, it can be easily destroyed. If you don't have a better psychological quality, you really don't dare to do it.
The last step of unveiling the painting is the most exciting. The signature and seal below are revealed little by little. The author's name is very familiar to us, and his popularity and skill are much higher than that of Ren Bonian.
When they uncovered it further, a complete "Picture of Lady with Hairpin Flowers" suddenly appeared in front of them!
The magenta color is found on the peony in the upper right corner of this painting.
In the bell print below, the peonies are separated by very thick construction paper. The reason is precisely the measure taken by the framer who was worried about the colors coming out.
Looking at the bell seal drawn by Chun Chou, Han Kongque and others looked at each other in confusion.
"Is this Zhang Daqian's picture of a beautiful lady?" Although Fat Liu is not knowledgeable and has no skills, he still knows that the famous modern painters know that this painting of spring sorrow is exactly the bell seal used by Zhang Daqian in his early years.
Zhang Daqian is good at painting, and likes to paint lotus flowers and meticulous figures. He is unique. The characteristics of his paintings are very obvious. He is known as "Southern Zhang and Northern Qi" with Qi Baishi.
In the 1950s, Zhang Daqian lived overseas, during which he lived in Brazil for 17 years. In 1976, he moved to Taiwan. Zhang Daqian was proficient in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal cutting. In particular, he created the light-ink and splash-color landscape genre, which promoted the development of modern Chinese painting art.
Outstanding Chinese artist.
If all these paintings are by Zhang Daqian, then Han Peacock really made a big mistake this time.
One painting may still be a fake, but as the second and third paintings were unveiled, everyone was able to determine that this was Zhang Daqian's painting of a lady.
Zhang Shuping pointed to a newly unveiled painting and said: "This is a "Picture of a Lady with Plum Blossoms" using round and square folded lines to show the beauty and slenderness of the lady. The plum blossoms in the background are blended with the boneless method.
This mist reflects the elegance and beauty of the lady. Compared with the peonies in the first picture, the plum blossoms in this picture are no worse than that one."
The picture of the two ladies waiting to be unveiled is signed: "Written by Zhang Yuan, a great layman, while sitting in the rain in Wumen Wangshi Garden on the twelfth day of the twelfth month of the twelfth month of Yihai."
The year of Yihai was 1935. Zhang Daqian had already become famous and was in a very active stage. During this period, he left a large number of poems, essays and paintings.
There is also a seal below: "Zhang Yuan's seal, Daqian layman, Dafeng hall, modern ring body".
"Look at this picture, it has a strong Tang style. It must be after the trip to Dunhuang in the early 1940s that Daqian's artistic style changed a lot, and this kind of masterpiece appeared." Liu Shaoshan said.
"Why are Zhang Daqian's paintings covered up with Ren Bonian's signature?" Fat Liu asked everyone's doubts.
"If I read correctly, these paintings should have been lost during the turmoil. These paintings should be paintings made by Zhang Daqian using his ex-wife Yang Wanjun as a model. These paintings disappeared during the turmoil. I did not expect that they would be preserved like this.
As for why that person used Ren Bonian's money to cover up Zhang Daqian's money after obtaining these paintings, we have no way of investigating. Maybe one day, you will be able to understand the whole story." Liu Shaoshan said.
After receiving Liu Shaoshan's reminder, Han Kongque suddenly realized that no wonder he felt something was wrong the first time he saw these paintings.
Ren Bonian did make extraordinary achievements in portraits, but compared with Zhang Daqian, especially in the paintings of ladies, Ren Bonian was really not good at it. So after Han Kongque saw the paintings of ladies with such superb painters, he immediately began to doubt.
After all, these are quite a few works by Ren Bonian.
Therefore, he immediately discovered the anomaly in the place where the seal was left, but no one thought that what was hidden underneath was actually Zhang Daqian's bell seal. (To be continued...)