Chapter 428

The shop assistant made a long speech and exaggerated the details of the painting one by one.

"Sir, although this painting is only a sketch, the whole painting has more than 80% of the place, close to the finished painting, and the size is the same as the original, which is 2 meters wide and 1.53 meters high. As a world famous sketch, it is very rare. Do you have any interest in it, sir?"

Chu Chen was also interested in the painting, so he nodded and said, "I wonder if I can check this painting now?"

The shop assistant was very happy to see Chu Chen nodding. If Chu Chen really bought the painting, he would get a lot of commission, so he quickly said, "please wait a moment!"

After a while, the clerk came with a foreign man in his fifties, who had a big round face and a little fat. This man was the owner of the gallery, John.

He said hello to chuchen politely. John, the boss, said with a smile: "Sir, you have a good eye. This painting is unique in the world, and I can guarantee that it is the real one of Waterhouse."

"the one and only one as like as two peas in the world," says "every painting is the only one in the world. If there are two pictures, one of them is definitely a fake."

Chu Chen also said with a smile, and then said: "if this painting is really genuine, I will definitely buy it, but the current price is not in line with the worth of Waterhouse. If it can't be discounted, I will definitely not buy it."

John William Waterhouse is a representative painter at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He is generally regarded as a pre Raphaelite painter, but in fact he is not. He was inclined to neoclassicism in his early days, and then to pre raphaelism.

Most of Waterhouse's works are based on myths, historical stories and literary works. The painting style is fresh, natural and mysterious, but it is more secular than the works of pre Raphaelite painters. His paintings especially reflect the realistic life of contemporary British Royal earls and noble families. His paintings are fresh, elegant and bright in color, and are widely respected and collected by the major British Museums and royal members at that time.

Although, Waterhouse's paintings have been collected and exhibited by a number of British mainstream galleries, art galleries and the Royal Society of Arts. But after all, he is not as famous as Dante and Holman, so the price of his paintings is not very high.

For example, although the painting in front of him is a sketch of a world-famous painting, and the artistic conception is also very good, Chu Chen feels that the real value is far from the one million pound mark.

John smiles and doesn't say much. He also knows that the price is not in line with the current value of Waterhouse. But he believes that with the passage of time, Waterhouse's reputation will certainly grow and his paintings will become more and more popular.

Therefore, even if the painting is to be discounted, it will not be much cheaper. Anyway, he is not short of money and can wait for it to appreciate slowly.

John asked the shop assistant to take down the painting, and then asked Chu Chen to enter the VIP room.

Ms. Charlotte is derived from a poem by Tennyson and the legend of King Arthur in the middle ages. It tells a sad story about a girl named Charlotte.

Just like the original work, this painting is full of mysterious and sad atmosphere, which makes people involuntarily attracted by it. But what makes Chu Chen curious is that in addition, he feels the difference of this painting, as if there are other things attracting him.

Putting on gloves and taking out a magnifying glass, Chu Chen observed carefully. First of all, he felt that the canvas of this painting seemed to use more materials, and in some places of the canvas, he could see the ups and downs like bubbles. Although it was not obvious, Chu Chen could not escape his keen eyes.

This feature, together with the feeling just now, combined with the previous experience, Chu Chen immediately thought of a possibility, so he couldn't wait to use the Lingbao eye on the painting. While using the Lingbao eye, in an instant, two powers, one strong and one weak, were transmitted directly from the painting in front of him.

It's not surprising that Chen's idea of the necklace is as valuable as that of Chu's power!

This makes Chu Chen curious and excited, quickly look into his mind, under the induction of Lingbao eye, in front of the "Ms. Charlotte" gradually fade, revealing the true face of the painting inside.

When Chu Chen saw the painting, he could not help but be stunned. The familiar picture on the canvas made him understand the name of the painting instantly. It was the Athens school created by Raphael, the famous Italian painter in the Renaissance, who was the youngest of the "three heroes after the Renaissance"!

In a majestic hall, many men who looked like ancient Greek scholars gathered together, and they had a free and enthusiastic academic discussion around the two men in the middle.These people either listen attentively, or use gestures to express their views, or turn their heads to look at the world coldly, or write something on the board, or prepare to record something and so on.

This grand scene, many characters, vivid posture and expression, portrait of personality, layout of harmony, change and unified rhythm, can be described as the development of painting to the peak of the Renaissance.

What makes Chu Chen a little dull is that this "Athenian School" is clearly a mural. How could it be reduced to the current size, painted into an oil painting, and hidden under the sketch of "Lady Charlotte"?

Although Waterhouse was a pre Raphaelite painter, the pre Raphaelite school got its name because it believed that real (religious) art existed before Raphael and tried to carry forward the former art of Raphael to save English painting. It has nothing to do with Raphael.

If we want to say that Waterhouse has something to do with Raphael, that is, Waterhouse's mother is Italian, and he was born in Italy. Is that why he got this rare work? This is probably a mystery that will never be solved.

Chu Chen secretly shook his head and didn't think much about it. Although this world-famous work in front of him has become smaller, the artistic conception it shows and the look of the characters on the canvas have not changed. It is as lifelike as the original fresco. With the popularity of the original fresco, it's no wonder that the power will give such a high valuation.

Chu Chen suddenly felt dizzy. Knowing that Lingbao's eyes had been used for a long time, he quickly put away his powers to eliminate his discomfort. He raised his head to the gallery owner and asked, "boss, I like this painting very much. I don't know if the price can be cheaper?"

"At least 900000 pounds. Although Waterhouse is not well-known now, I believe it will be more than that in the future with his level."

"Boss, to be honest, I also know that Waterhouse's paintings will be more valuable in the future, but I don't think many people will pay the price in the future to buy things now, will they? Everything always has its specific value at a specific time. I think 200000 pounds should be enough to reflect the value of this painting. "

John, the boss, was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that the price Chu Chen offered was the same as the price he bought at that time. In fact, it was because the price he bought at that time was relatively high that he held on to the current price. As a result, this painting has not been sold.

"No, sir, the price you quoted is really out of line. I can give you another 50000 pounds discount, or I'll have to say I'm sorry."

"Half a million! Boss, I sincerely want to buy this painting, and I believe few people will spend 500000 on it. After all, it's just a sketch, isn't it? "

Next, the two fought each other for a while, and finally the work was sold for 680000 pounds.

After the completion of the transaction, Chu Chen also did not have the mind to play, holding two picture tubes and Wu Ke went back to the hotel together.

Back in the room, Chu Chen couldn't wait to take out the painting he had just bought and put it on the table. Then he put on his gloves and began to observe the corners of the canvas.

Seeing this, Wu Ke asked strangely, "ah Chen, what are you doing?"

Chu Chen raised his head and said with a smile, "I'm looking for the next layer of canvas."

"Next canvas?"

Wu Ke was a little puzzled at first. After a while, she responded and asked in surprise: "is there any painting under this painting? How do you see that? "

Chuchen explained with a smile: "first of all, the canvas of this painting is too thick. Secondly, look at these places, whether there are some subtle protrusions. This is probably because there is still a canvas below, which was not handled perfectly at that time. That's why there is such a phenomenon."

Wu Ke looked at the canvas, which was really like what Chu Chen said: "but even so, it can't prove that there are still paintings under it!"

"That's why I'm looking for the flaw now, but I don't have much on hand. I'd better use a special potion, but..." Speaking of this, chuchen zhanyan said with a smile: "yes!"

Wu Ke's face was shocked to see that Chu Chen was really in one corner of the canvas and gently separated two layers of canvas with tweezers. Up to now, she didn't know that there was a painting hidden under the painting. And since it's hidden under this famous painting, another painting must be of higher value, or it's also very likely to be an amazing masterpiece.