Shen Yu felt that if he guessed correctly, the restoration of this painting would not take more than two months, and it would not be a small repair, but a complete removal and reinstallation.
But having said that, it is normal for calligraphy and paintings to be re-framed before auction.
As the saying goes, a good horse must be equipped with a good saddle, and beautiful and handsome men with good foundation also need makeup. Generally speaking, a tattered painting cannot be sold at a high price. At least many rich people will not hang one in their office or study room. A dirty painting full of insect and rat bites.
However, the mounting of calligraphy and paintings is not entirely for the sake of beauty, but also for real needs. The materials of Chinese paintings can be roughly divided into two categories: paper and silk. No matter which material is itself, it is not easy to preserve.
The so-called lifespan of paper is a thousand years, and that of silk is halved. They are all said to be extreme, and they are still under the best preservation conditions.
Paper and silk are very fragile. Only through mounting can we better protect the core of the painting and extend the life of the calligraphy and painting.
A painting can be passed down for thousands of years from ancient times to the present. It must be restored and even framed several times before it can be preserved, otherwise it would have become a pile of scraps.
And if a painting is not framed, it cannot be called a complete painting.
When an artist paints, both ink and paint need to be diluted with water. Anyone who has written with a brush knows that after the ink dries, the paper will become wrinkled and uneven.
This is neither beautiful nor convenient for collection. A piece of such paper cannot be hung on the wall, but it will be different after being framed with life paper and backing paper.
The painting in front of me was very well framed, and Shen Yu didn’t see it during the cleaning process, but the completion was perfect. Even a small hole the size of a sesame seed in the core of the painting was repaired very well.
You must know that this "Picture of Xiaosi Temple in Qingluan" is a silk version. The removal, mounting and reinstallation of the silk version are different from those of the paper version. The whole process can be said to be extremely complicated and difficult.
The most difficult part is to find a piece of silk that is similar to the original painting to fill in the gaps.
What is three-phase proximity?
That is, the silk used for repair needs to be similar in color and silk to the original painting silk, and the natural light emitted should be similar.
Different colors will change the content of the painting, causing the landscapes and figures in the painting to become unrecognizable.
Unlike silk, the painting will not be flat after repairing, which is not okay.
Different natural light will also cause various subtle changes in the picture.
This is difficult. The painting is from the Song Dynasty. Where can people today find the silk from that time?
Not at all!
Even if you find it, you may not be able to use it!
Therefore, Shen Yu was very surprised that it could reach this level after being unmounted and reinstalled.
According to Shen Yu's experience, the painting core of this painting must have a missing brush. The person who filled it in was familiar with the brushwork characteristics of Li Cheng's school of painting. Each ink, one chap, one thick and one light, are all integrated with the original painting. It can be said that the charm is intact, and he is an absolute top restoration and framing master.
It is estimated that the restoration cost of this painting will be at least one million. Considering what Zhang Zongbao himself said, he exchanged the original calligraphy and painting of three famous Ming and Qing dynasties for this unknown painting. It can be said that he really spent a lot of money.
But whether this painting is an authentic work by Li Cheng, Shen Yu doesn't know.
Shen Yu looked with a magnifying glass again, and looked at this and that, seemingly confident, but in fact it was just a show. He really didn't know whether this was Li Cheng's authentic work.
Shen Yu has never seen an authentic painting by Li Cheng, so how can he judge whether the painting in front of him is his authentic painting?
It's like listening to a young man's songs by a legendary superstar from decades ago. He has never heard the other person's songs, how can he know whether a certain song is sung by the other person?
Of course, Shen Yu has studied the high-definition picture album of Li Cheng's works for some time, and he also knows the general painting style.
This "Picture of Xiao Temple in Qingluan" is outlined with thick ink and has a quiet artistic conception. The brush used for dyeing has many changes. Whether it is the depiction of dead trees in the cold forest or the temples and pavilions, they all have the characteristics of Li Cheng's brush.
The overall painting skills can be called a masterpiece, but a closer analysis shows that the smooth ink and wash in this painting has a somewhat bold and uninhibited flavor, but it does not seem to be written by Li Cheng.
Of course, even if it is not an authentic painting by Li Cheng, it is still from Li Cheng’s painting school.
So in order to get the answer, Shen Yu directly recited a treasure appraisal silently.
In an instant, a dazzling golden light appeared three inches above the painting. The size of the light was similar to that of a walnut.
After seeing Baoguang, Shen Yu knew in his mind that this painting was undoubtedly a Song painting, but it was not an authentic work by Li Cheng.
Because if it were an authentic work by Li Cheng, a painter who ranks among the top ten in the history of painting, it would definitely be a treasure the size of a pebble.
The above sounds complicated, but in fact it only took Shen Yu less than three minutes.
"Mr. Liu, seniors, I've chosen the painting." Shen Yu put Liu Dongyang's honorific at the top, which was a token of his gratitude to the other party for supporting him.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yu was slightly startled, because he heard his own voice in the high-fidelity, top-of-the-line customized speakers in the hall. It turned out that there were several more microphones on the appreciation stand.
These people on the stage, you look at me, I look at you, the expressions on their faces are all different. Feng Qingyun, Liu Dongyang, and Dong Pengcheng don’t have any surprise on their faces and they are indifferent, but Wu Xishan, Yu Shixin and Lin Yunlongsan The surprise is beyond words.
This time it was Feng Qingyun and Mr. Feng who spoke first, "Well, Xiao Shen, please tell me the results of the appraisal!"
"Mr. Feng, I wonder if there will be any benefit if I am right?
"You must know that I have always charged a fee for appraising calligraphy and paintings. When I came to participate in the auction, I didn't get the item and gave Chairman Zhang a calligraphy and painting appraisal for free. This is a thankless job for me.
"You know, I might have picked up the leak. If I said this, I might not be able to pick up the leak." Shen Yu said seriously.
Shen Yu said these words calmly, but as soon as he said these words, the auction hall exploded.
"Is this young man crazy or stupid? How dare you talk to Mr. Feng like this?" A middle-aged man in the second row of the VIP seats swallowed his saliva.
Next to him was a fat man about the same age as him. "This guy may have suddenly gone crazy, otherwise he wouldn't have said such inexplicable words."
In the same way, people kept asking each other in the entire auction hall. Everyone felt that Shen Yu was crazy!
Who is the other party?
That is Mr. Feng. In addition to his tens of billions of private museums, he also has many identities, such as an archaeological expert, a professor at several first-class universities, a doctoral tutor, a lifelong honorary director of several well-known museums, and currently serves as the Jiangnan Antique Collection Association. President, if you tell an old man a joke, aren’t you asking for death?
Not to mention these strangers, the expressions of Pei Yuqin, Xu Duofu, Shen Shanru, Zheng Congyuan, Fatty Li, and Lin Xifeng in the audience also became extremely solemn.
Especially Pei Yuqin and Xu Duofu, there was a layer of sweat on their foreheads. They were all anxious, especially for Shen Yu. They didn't understand why Shen Yu suddenly said these words. It was simply inexplicable.
Shen Shanru's face was also ugly, but he was not very nervous and seemed confident that he could help Shen Yu get out of trouble.
Because they all know Mr. Feng.
Although Mr. Feng is nearly ninety years old, the Feng family is one of the largest families in the entire Jiangnan Province.
The Feng Group, run by his second son, is a large group worth tens of billions. Not only is it not inferior to his boss Gu Jialai, it is even better by one or two points.
Making Mr. Feng angry or joking with Mr. Feng is not the choice of a smart person.
