Bayman also came from a great English aristocratic family with a profound background. His family had always been engaged in the trading of antiques and cultural relics.
If you trace it online...
The ancestors of Bayman, Zhu Fenghe, and Anna were officers of high ranks during the Age of Navigation two hundred years ago. They participated in decades of colonial wars and collected a great number of treasures!
Subsequently, three generations of his family served in the military and collected many antiques from colonies around the world!
The family then began to engage in various business activities.
Berman's grandfather was engaged in the antique and cultural relic industry. He made a lot of money by using the antiques and cultural relics collected from all over the world in the family treasure house. To date, he has become one of the largest antique dealers in Europe, with more foundation and strength than Red and Elsa's families.
This is because Red and Aisha's families do not have as long a history of plunder and foundation as Behman's family.
Therefore, the foundation of the Bayman Collection is definitely far greater than the combined resources of the Red and Aisha families.
However, in normal international trade, their business achievements are similar.
After all, it was impossible for Behman to sell all the antiques in his family's collection.
At most, a lease agreement would be signed with the government to temporarily place it in the museum under Anna's jurisdiction.
This is also an important reason why the English Museum is known as the largest museum in the world. Most of the antiques and cultural relics from all over the world are temporarily loaned to the government by the descendants of those who participated in the colonial wars. Therefore, there are precious and representative antiques and cultural relics from various countries and civilizations, and you can see the development history of the entire world in them.
Among them, there are naturally many precious cultural relics of China, numbering in the thousands, and if you add the folk art, tens of thousands are not enough to describe.
so…
Although Berman and Anna have come to China only a handful of times, their research into Chinese history and art and cultural relics is definitely no less than that of senior professors of Chinese studies in China.
The moment they saw the picture of Mount Lu Waterfall on the wall, they knew that the rumors were true.
Rumor has it that Wang Qian's Chinese painting skills surpass those of only a few masters in Chinese history, and one painting is enough to establish his historical status.
Before coming, they had some doubts.
Now, they have no doubt about it.
Whether it is the collection room of Behman’s own family or Anna’s museum, there are national treasure-level Chinese traditional paintings, which are in no way inferior to the treasures in the National Museum of China, and are also among the representative works of the masters of painting in history.
They also admire and like Chinese traditional painting, which is an art form different from Western oil painting.
Oil paintings mostly focus on technique, while Chinese traditional paintings are more focused on artistic conception while also paying attention to technique.
However, compared to the pure artistic aspect, after in-depth research, they all have to admit that Chinese traditional paintings are one level higher than Western oil paintings in terms of art.
The so-called artistry of many Western painters is the forced interpretation given to an abstract painting that ordinary people cannot understand.
Art is what ordinary people cannot understand.
This statement is most popular in European and American painting art festivals and is also their artistic standard.
A colorful triangle, you know
You mean a triangle
Then you don’t understand art!
Infinitely extended interpretations are art...
However, the oriental traditional Chinese paintings they have seen have an artistry that even ordinary people can understand at a glance. The artistic conception therein is truly fascinating, as if the painter really injected his own thoughts into the painting, allowing future generations to understand it at a glance.
Especially landscape paintings, the artistic conception is even more profound.
Looking at Wang Qian's painting of Mount Lu Waterfall, the three of them could feel the artistic conception between the mountains and water, as well as the grandeur therein.
However, only Zhu Fenghe knew the poem because he had majored in Chinese. Neither Anna nor Berman knew it.
However, even if they don't know it, they can still feel the unique artistic conception from the calligraphy.
Then, they saw the final signature, which was in a different font, but the artistic conception was also so rich that it seemed to overflow!
Anna's eyes widened and she whispered, "The artistic value of this painting exceeds any painting I have ever seen. Yes, any painting!"
She emphasized again that the meaning of any painting was that no matter whether it was the many famous European paintings she had seen or the famous Chinese paintings, they could not compare to this painting in terms of art.
Because she understands Chinese traditional painting and Chinese calligraphy art.
This painting truly represents the pinnacle of Chinese traditional cultural heritage and art.
A grandmaster-level calligraphy font, a master's pinnacle calligraphy font, an ancient landscape poem that will be passed down through the ages, and Chinese painting techniques and artistic conception that have been integrated to the pinnacle!
All combined in one painting.
They had never seen such a painting in their lives.
They have never seen it in museums or private collections around the world.
There are many famous Chinese paintings that are national treasures and have many calligraphy fonts on them, but those were all forcibly given to them by later generations in order to make themselves famous.
For example, there is a national treasure-level long scroll painting in the National Museum of China, which features five emperors, two calligraphy masters, a literary giant, and the portraits and seals of five historical celebrities. It is also the most precious treasure in the field of Chinese painting in the National Museum of China.
However, the words on it were added by later generations, not by the artist himself. They only added background and historical significance to the painting, but did not add anything in terms of pure art.
Putting aside the time background, that painting is not as good as Wang Qian's painting in terms of pure artistic and technical achievement.
Anna looked at Jiang Yu thoughtfully and asked curiously, "I heard that the Huaxia National Museum wants to collect this painting. Did Professor Wang refuse?"
Berman and Zhu Fenghe both looked at Jiang Yu.
Murong Yue replied: "Director Li personally came to Professor Wang to try to persuade him, but Professor Wang finally refused. This is Professor Wang's first Chinese painting that he created publicly, so it is very commemorative. Professor Wang and Xuerong plan to keep it and preserve it forever."
Anna looked at Qin Xuerong and then at Juliet. Knowing that her distant niece was now Wang Qian's student, she asked, "Judy, do you think your teacher has any plans to transfer this painting? To be honest, among all the contemporary painters in the world, no one is qualified to have his or her work put in our English Museum."
"I can promise your teacher that this painting will be placed in the main hall of the Chinese Hall of our English Museum, together with those national treasure-level Chinese paintings. This is a great honor. And, in terms of the price, we can also satisfy him..."
Behman said softly, "Judy, I'll pay for it. When the time comes, put it in your aunt Anna's museum. This is an opportunity that all painters in the world dream of!"
Zhu Fenghe watched the two people trying to persuade Juliet. As a father, he said, "Anna, Berman, Juliet is just a student studying music with Professor Wang. She is not qualified to influence such matters. If you want this painting, you should impress Professor Wang with your sincerity."
Juliet looked at the two of them without showing any weakness, and said affirmatively: "Yes, you two, I won't ask the teacher!"
Anna said calmly: "I will give him enough sincerity."
Murong Yue smiled and said, "If it's about money, then I advise you not to waste your energy, and don't make things awkward. I know that you English nobles are all wealthy behind the scenes, but Professor Wang is not short of money either. You should have known about his wealth, which may be no less than your family's."
Although these European nobles hiding behind the scenes have disappeared from the eyes of ordinary people, the wealth they control behind the scenes is indeed astonishing.
However, Murong Yue knew that even though the wealth they possessed was astonishing, it was only at the level of hundreds of billions of US dollars at most!
After all, they are not royal orthodox...
Even the English royal family has to pretend to be very poor to the outside world, and the princes and princesses have to work to support themselves!
And wealth of hundreds of billions of dollars is not that amazing in front of Wang Qian.
With Wang Qian’s current net worth, it can be measured in hundreds of billions of US dollars.
Just the two platforms of Qianqian Jingting and Feiyue are enough for Wang Qian to enter the $100 billion club and become one of the richest people in the world.
so!
It is impossible to impress Wang Qian with money.
Anna nodded, still staring at the painting, and said, "Of course, Professor Wang is known as the person with the most cash in the world. No matter how high the price we offer, it is a meaningless number to him. But I can bring him honor! I can help him run the world's highest-standard Chinese traditional painting exhibition and help him win painting art awards in Europe. Let his Chinese traditional paintings become the mainstream sought after by European and American collectors, and become treasures that all the largest museums in all countries want to collect..."
"He will create a record in the history of Chinese traditional painting!"
Anna said, looking at Jiang Yu, Murong Yue, and Juliet, and said in a resounding voice: "This is the goal that every artist pursues throughout his life. And I can help him achieve it."
There was silence in the study for a moment.
Beiman, Zhu Fenghe and Juliet, the three people who knew Anna, were surprised at the promise she made.
This commitment is extraordinary.
This almost requires the mobilization of the entire family's strength to promote it.
Otherwise, Wang Qian will still be excluded by the mainstream calligraphy and painting art fields in Europe and the United States.
Those calligraphy and painting artists don’t care how high the artistic achievements of Wang Qian’s works are. Since they are not the Western art forms they recognize, they will reject them.
Therefore, it takes an enormous amount of energy to convince this large group of the most stubborn artists.
This may require the entire family to travel to Europe and push forward every week...
However, when they thought about the benefits that could be gained if they could reach a cooperation agreement with Wang Qian, several people expressed their approval.
There was even anticipation in Berman's eyes, as he recalled the great painters of the European Renaissance.
Those great painters who have left their names in history and have continuously created new highs in European painting auction prices in recent years were also very poor when they were young, and their paintings were not recognized. However, they later received funding and promotion from their respective noblemen, and then they became famous step by step and became great painters whose names have been recorded in history.
The forces behind the funding and promotion of those great painters were several aristocratic families in Europe at the time, who subsequently gained enormous benefits from it. The value of the masterpieces of those great painters in their collections alone is inestimable, not to mention the interests they have attracted and the invisible benefits they have gained are incalculable.
Now, Anna obviously wants to be the driving force behind the initiative and push Wang Qian to go global and gain world recognition in the field of calligraphy art.
Just like Curtis initially promoted and helped Wang Qian in the field of music and art.
Anna's eyes were full of confidence, and she believed that Wang Qian would not refuse such temptation.
Because Anna is very familiar with the current situation of the Chinese art field. Many artists in various fields are eager to gain recognition from mainstream voices in Europe and the United States and become international artists.
To this end, they can do everything the mainstream voices in Europe and the United States want them to do.
To this end, they can forget the artistic and cultural foundation from Chinese tradition that they learned in China, and then completely accept the artistic standards defined by the West for China. That is not even the artistic category of Europe and the United States itself, but what they think Chinese art should be like. Some Chinese artists who are eager to be recognized will obediently become like that.
They even call it the beauty of high art!
Almost all Chinese people think it is ugly
That's because all of you don't understand art and high-level beauty.
The core point is to accept and promote their culture and values, as well as the image standards for China, in China.
As long as you achieve this, you will immediately gain their recognition and even receive funding from some special funds, thus gaining both fame and fortune and becoming an international artist.
Anna knew the heads of those foundations in Europe and knew that they had funded many Chinese literary and calligraphy and painting artists.
Therefore, Anna believes that Wang Qian must also have such persistence and hope to gain international recognition.
Just like Wang Qian conquered the world with his music and art in North America.
Then, Wang Qian must also hope to conquer the world with his calligraphy and painting!
only…
Anna's eyes flickered.
Perhaps, Wang Qian needs to accept some of her opinions in his next creation!
It is impossible for pure Chinese cultural traditional Chinese paintings to be recognized and acknowledged by those people, especially those few foundations will definitely strongly prevent it.
Hear what Anna said.
Murong Yue and Jiang Yu were both a little hesitant.
They were born in the Beijing circle, so naturally they have been influenced and edified by the Beijing circle mentality since childhood.
There is something instinctive about the desire for international recognition.
So, for a moment they didn’t know whether Wang Qian would agree
Beiman looked at the words written by Wang Qian and said in admiration: "Only after learning about Chinese calligraphy did I realize that writing can incorporate so many emotions, including human emotions and the emotions of nature. To be honest, we don't have calligraphy art at all. Those letters that claim to be calligraphy art have no artistic conception or meaning. They seem to be using letters to make geometric shapes. There is no artistry at all."
"But looking at these words written by Professor Wang, it's like seeing a person. It's really incredible Chinese calligraphy art."
Berman expressed his feelings.
His favorite Chinese works are calligraphy. There are dozens of calligraphy works in the collection room, half of which are antiques and half are modern and contemporary works.
As for Wang Qian's calligraphy work, he must collect it, which is what he is determined to get during his visit to China.
Zhu Fenghe nodded and looked at Juliet, agreeing with what Berman said, but he did not say that his daughter had already obtained Wang Qian's calligraphy works. Although they were not representative works, as long as they were Wang Qian's works, even if it was just a signature, they were valuable and had great collection value.
At this time!
Qin Xuerong came to the door and said, "Everyone, it's getting late. We should go to the scene."
Several people realized that time passed very quickly. They looked at the fascinating works of art and forgot about time for a moment. They all walked out one after another.
However, Berman, Anna and Zhu Fenghe all looked at the picture of Mount Lushan Waterfall a few more times with some reluctance.
After leaving the room, Anna immediately said to Wang Qian: "Professor Wang, do you want to become a Chinese traditional painting artist recognized by the whole world? I can help you do this..."