Chapter 523 Meeting with the Director of the British Museum
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Yu Fei chuckled secretly, thinking that Princess Alice was too enthusiastic. The number of exhibits should have been his concern, but now she looked so frowning. The emperor was really not in a hurry, he was in a hurry.
Besides, Yu Fei did not plan to make the Yongle Museum big, nor did he think about competing with other museums. He simply wanted to have a place for his collection to be exhibited, and he wanted to let the Chinese people
He has a clearer understanding of the splendid civilization and culture of his ancestors, and he doesn't care even if he doesn't make money.
When the collection is insufficient, just collect it slowly. As long as his Qi does not disappear, this is not a problem at all, and there is no need to rush.
But Princess Alice didn't seem to think so. She frowned and finally even paced back and forth in the room.
Alice Yu Fei didn't want to put her in such a difficult situation.
But at this moment, Princess Alice suddenly shouted with joy: I thought of it
Ah, Yu Fei was stunned: What did you think of?
Listen, Princess Yu Alice eagerly walked to Yu Fei, grabbed his hand and said: I can invite Mr. Neil, the curator of the British Museum, to meet with you. You can donate those precious sketches.
To the British Museum, I think he will definitely reciprocate. There are a large number of artworks from China in the British Museum. As long as he can use some of them, there will be no problem at all in the Yongle Museum exhibition.
No, Alice. Those paintings were given to you by me, and I will never donate them to anyone else. Yu Fei shook his head and said firmly.
Yu. I am very grateful for your friendship to me, but these paintings cannot play their due role here at all, but donating them to the British Museum is different. Not only can more people have the opportunity to see such
Excellent works of art, and you can also get enough exhibits, which will also greatly improve your reputation. You must know that as a curator, your reputation is also very important to the museum.
I have to say that Princess Alice has considered everything very comprehensively. The reputation of the curator is also very important to the museum, which is well reflected in the relationship between Mashangdu and the Guanfan Museum.
Princess Alice was completely considering Yu Fei's perspective, but she forgot about herself.
Alice, you don’t need to say anything like this, I have made up my mind. Yu Fei refused again. It’s not that he didn’t want to do it, but after what happened just now, Yu Fei felt very ashamed of his selfishness. At this time, he
I don't want to humiliate my heart a second time.
Well, Alice sighed and seemed to give in: Since you insist on giving these paintings to me, from now on, these paintings belong to me, and you have no right to interfere in whose name I give them.
To whom they are donated.
Alice Yu Fei said speechlessly: I reiterate, I do not agree to exchange these paintings
Yu Fei didn't have a good impression of the British Museum. Although the British Museum is the oldest and most magnificent comprehensive museum in the world, it is also one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. The museum collects many cultural relics and treasures from all over the world.
The richness and variety of collections are rare in museums around the world. However, among the more than 6 million items in its collection, many of the artworks were obtained through colonial plunder. Now I still have to beg for mercy from the invaders.
Yu Fei can't do it.
Yu, there is an old saying in China that people who care about big things don't care about small things. Alice felt the deep thoughts and resentment in Yu Fei's heart.
Okay. Yu Fei sighed and said: I can interview him, and I will not be naive enough to ask them to return Chinese artworks, but I will never agree to exchange these paintings, because these paintings were given by me.
What is given to you can only belong to you.
Although Yu Fei's logic was not very clear, and even a little unreasonable and overbearing, for some reason, Alice was very moved. Maybe people are such contradictory animals.
After getting Yu Fei's consent, Alice sent an invitation to Neil McGregor, the director of the British Museum. Neil McGregor was over fifty and tall and burly. Because he was received by Princess Alice,
Neil was dressed very formally. His suit was straight and he looked several years younger than his actual age.
The British Museum is the museum with the largest collection of cultural relics lost in China. UNESCO data shows that there are as many as 1.64 million cultural relics lost in China, which are collected by 47 museums around the world. The British Museum is the museum with the largest collection of cultural relics lost in China.
The history of cultural relics can be traced back to the establishment of the museum in 1753. Currently, there are as many as 23,000 Chinese cultural relics in the collection, and about 2,000 are on permanent display. There is even a permanent exhibition hall No. 33 dedicated to Chinese cultural relics.
In 1998, Neil took some Chinese art from the British Museum collection to China for an exhibition. Someone asked him if he would support the return of Chinese art. His answer was: Chinese cultural relics are important to world civilization.
Part of this is to put Chinese cultural relics on the stage of world culture. To put it bluntly, what he means is that he will not return Chinese artworks.
When he saw Yu Fei, Neil looked very surprised, but still said politely: Nice to meet you, my friend from China.
Yu Fei shook hands with him lightly.
Neil, I am traveling with you. He is also the director of the museum and the founder. Princess Alice introduced. She called Neil in an affectionate way, which flattered him.
Oh, Alice's introduction obviously aroused Neil's interest in flying.
I wonder which museum Mr. Yu founded? Neil asked. You must know that it is very difficult to create a museum, even if you have abundant funds. But Yu Fei can actually create a museum at such an age.
, this can’t help but surprise Neil.
The Yongle Museum is still in the initial stage. Yu Fei said calmly.
There was a puzzled expression on Yongle Neil's face, but he was relieved immediately. It was probably a newly built, small-scale special museum, which was not worth mentioning at all. Yu Fei did not tell the whole story of the museum.
The name was not named Chinese, otherwise Neil would have been very surprised.
By the way, Neil Alice said: Yu's museum is about to open and needs a large number of exhibits, so we need your help.
After drinking some wine, Alice said eloquently.
Neil's expression did not show surprise. In fact, when Alice introduced Yu Fei's identity, he had already guessed Alice's intention. However, he did not expect that the majestic Princess Alice would be willing to come forward to broker this deal for a Chinese.
thing.
Your Royal Highness, I am very happy to facilitate this matter, but you also know that this matter is not decided by me alone. I need the support of other people, and this will be a long process. Neil said.
Although he did not refuse directly, the meaning behind his words was obvious. He would not agree to this.
This was also within Yu Fei's expectation. If you can get some Chinese artworks back after drinking a few glasses of wine, wouldn't Neil drink too much in China? He had already seen through the ugly faces of these people.
Neil, what I want to say is that he also thought that he was a very good collector. He also had many outstanding European works of art in his hands, including a Picasso sketch. Seeing that the alcohol had no effect, Alice started shooting again.
I came up with my previous idea.
When Neil heard about Picasso's sketches, Neil's eyes suddenly lit up. You must know that Picasso was a very great painter. His painting Dora Marat and the Cat was sold for more than 90 million US dollars, and
The Boy Who Blowing the Whistle was sold for a whopping US$140 million, while the painting, Green Leaves and Bust were sold for US$16 million. Among the ten most expensive paintings in the world, Picasso alone accounts for it.
In these three positions, no one can beat him.
Neil found it unbelievable that this young man named Yu Fei could own Picasso's sketches.
Alice Yu Fei stood up and said: You promised me, don’t we even have this trust?
Yu Fei's words are very clear. It is obvious that if Alice insists on having her own way, there will no longer be trust between the two of them, which is what Alice does not want to see.
Your Royal Highness, can I see that painting? Neil didn't care about what Yu Fei said. He even felt that Yu Fei's blackmailing His Royal Highness Princess Alice was really ridiculous and overestimating his capabilities. Like many collectors
Similarly, when Neil heard about Picasso's paintings, he wanted to take a fancy to them.
But what he didn't expect was that after hearing Yu Fei's words, Princess Alice suddenly changed her mind and said: I'm sorry Neil, I want to disappoint you, I can't show you that painting.
Neil is unbelievable. The noble Princess Alice would change her decision just for a word from a young Chinese man. This is simply unimaginable.
When his request was rejected, Neil stood up angrily and was about to leave, but was suddenly attracted by something. To be continued...