"If you want to give me a painting to please me, you have to see if I will accept it."
Mr. Cao was silent for a moment and asked softly, "Young man Gu, don't you know that I have Established rules"
Cao Xuan likes to collect calligraphy and painting works of art.
Nonsense.
A wealthy painter who really loves art to the core. Throughout the ages, who is not a part-time master of collection?
When the old man was young, he played with the strange stones of Taihu Lake and collected Ye Zhongsan’s painted snuff bottles. The tycoon's purple clay scent cup. When he was young in Shanghai, he also liked to collect Montblanc platinum pens and the illustrated packaging of various popular creams.
These bits and pieces are just leisure and elegance to relieve boredom.
The richest, most serious, and most important collection in Mr. Cao’s home is, of course, paintings.
The old man likes to appreciate and appreciate paintings.
If you know the goods well, you are willing to spend money.
When he collects art, he doesn’t care about the artist’s fame or price, but only whether it suits the old man’s taste.
The true and most authentic traditional collectors always only look at the appearance.
When you meet someone you like, a few anonymous strokes can make a fortune.
When they meet people who don’t like it, even if they are given famous paintings and calligraphy worth thousands of gold for free, they will feel that it is tacky and disgusting to display at home.
Wen Wan, Wen Wan, plays with the "literary" spirit in the painting.
What if it were simply turned into a fight for wealth in an auction where white wax was used as firewood and silk paved the way.
On the contrary, it fell behind.
So Mr. Cao’s collection list includes Henri Matisse’s beauties and Picasso’s smoking women, as well as some works that don’t seem so “worthy” of collecting.
Lao Yang has seen it with his own eyes since he became an assistant.
Two ink paintings are always placed in Mr. Cao’s studio.
One is a landscape painting of autumn colors by Huang Binhong, a master of traditional Chinese painting, that Cao Xuan spent 126 million in Hanhai in 2007. The other is a chance encounter when he was collecting scenery in Bashu Fairy Mountain in 1941. I bought a painting of frost and grass flying in the sky from an old Taoist priest who was eighty-six years old.
Not counting the framing, the total cost was thirteen dollars and seventy-five cents.
The two paintings, whose prices differ by ten million times, have been neighbors in the old man’s studio for more than ten years, but they are both Cao Xuan’s favorites.
The master of traditional Chinese painting with brilliant pen and ink and the unknown Taoist priest with gentle demeanor live next to each other, which is also a strange sight.
If there is something good in the world, it must be given to the people below.
Cao Xuan likes to collect art.
Whether it is artist friends in the literary and art circles, various big gallery agents, or wealthy businessmen who want to build relationships, they all like to draw and buy some calligraphy and painting works for the elderly gentleman to appreciate during the holidays.
Since ancient times, calligraphy and painting are like beauties.
Mr. Cao said, take the painting back, hide it in a box and let it gather dust and mold, no matter how good it is.Art storage boxes also have the inhuman feeling of "a beauty is cut off before she grows old, a pearl is covered in dust and desolate".
He never accepts paintings drawn by anyone, only those he likes.
If there are some paintings that are utilitarian and uncomfortable to look at, I pinch my nose and take them home.
Show off that he feels bad, and leave the other person sad.
Rather than put it out and throw it into the box, never take another look at it and make such a hypocritical appearance.
It's better to just do it and don't ask for it in the beginning. It's a sign of respect for everyone.
The residence of a great artist is the grand courtyard of the literary and art world, the palace of a prince.
The paintings and calligraphy works are like the "beautiful girls" selected from the countryside. Who can enter the catalog of Mr. Cao's collection? If it is a work by a living painter, it represents Cao Xuan's recognition of him. There is light above. If the calligraphy and painting of a modern late famous master can be collected by Cao Xuan, and then stamped with his own seal or even a mention, this kind of inheritance story will also be a kind of added value.
There is a joke passed down by word of mouth that if a certain painter takes a photo with Larry Gagosian, his net worth will rise.
As for being photographed by the media, whose work can be so highly praised by Cao Xuan and displayed in the living room and study every day, the market price will definitely increase a lot.
That is to say, the old Taoist priest from Fairy Mountain has been dead for almost a year, and his name and origin cannot be verified.
It is not even known whether any other paintings have survived.
Otherwise, the anecdote that Mr. Cao loved him as much as Huang Binhong, and hung a painting beside him for a while, spread out.
Based on this kind of favor, his net worth is really exaggerated compared to Huang Binhong.
Not to mention too much, if it is doubled a hundred thousand times, it is really interesting.
Art market speculation likes to speculate on various concepts.
If you can’t afford the paintings of the great artist himself, buying the works of the less “scary” painters that the great artists like to buy is an investment worth looking forward to.
Cao Xuan knew that he was a popular person, and if others gave him paintings, his value would also increase.
After he became famous, he set a rule for himself: "Don't buy three things, don't accept five things."
The so-called three don’t buys.
When he buys works of art himself, he doesn’t buy those that are sensational, those that are incomprehensible, and those that are lost cultural relics.
The remaining five will not be collected.
It refers to the paintings that others have given to him for appreciation and collection.
We will not accept those whose writing styles are kitsch, those who are pretentious, those whose artistic conception is stale, those who are old-fashioned, and those who are not pleasing to our eyes.
Any personal collection of Mr. Cao is the product of screening based on these principles.
There is a lot of story behind each one.
Most sensational works of art are the products of hype such as many NFTs and star cards. It is hard to say whether they have investment value, and the aesthetic value is definitely very little.
The incomprehensible artworks refer to modern avant-garde paintings.
Mr. Cao’s evaluation of the entire school of avant-gardism is mixed, both good and bad.
He also likes some graffiti paintings.
But if the old man studied a painting for a long time, he found that he could not understand it at all.
No matter how fanciful the propaganda is and how many profound and profound truths can be interpreted, he will not be interested in touching it.
Maybe this painting is very good, but it doesn’t suit him anyway, so just treat him as uneducated.
In the end, he did not buy the lost cultural relics overseas because Cao Xuan was a bit petty in this regard.
Don’t get me wrong.
He still admires the patriotic businessmen overseas who rescue and bring back lost cultural relics.
It’s just what the old man thinks.
The robbers broke into the house, bullied the original owner, and took away the family heirloom. Tens of decades or a hundred years later, after the original owner worked hard and became rich again, the original owner paid a sum of real money and silver to buy back the things that originally belonged to them at a large price. The descendants of the robber then took the Spend the money to spend the money.
Earn benefits twice before and after.
There should be no reason like this in the world.
Not only the lost cultural relics of the Eastern Xia Dynasty, but also the painted mummy sarcophagus of ancient Egypt and the king's stele of ancient Syria have always been in demand at auctions.
Egypt’s Ministry of Cultural Relics Recovery has been quarreling with the British Foreign Office for more than thirty years over this matter.
Something like that.
No matter how much he likes it, no matter how much he wants it, no matter how good the price seems, the old gentleman will not put up a sign to buy it.
The following five are not accepted, and they are more targeted at people like Gu Weijing, whether it is to please, to gild oneself, or simply to welcome and send someone off, and draw a picture with his own hand. It was given to an insider in the calligraphy and painting circle of Mr. Cao Xuan.
The sixteen characters of kitsch, pretentiousness, stale artistic conception, and staleness can basically drive away all those with evil intentions who want to rely on Mr. Cao to raise his own value in calligraphy and painting.
The rest of the "unsuitable" part is left blank.
After all, it’s a door-to-door gift.
When Cao Xuan returned someone else’s work without accepting it, both parties had a step to go down.
It may not be that your painting is vulgar or bad, it may just be that it doesn’t suit his “eyes”.
However, the idea is a good one. < /p>
This is beyond Mr. Cao’s control.
At the beginning.
When he made this rule, it was quite offensive. The paintings that were relegated to the cold palace by Mr. Cao were not only juniors who wanted to gain fame.
As long as the old gentleman feels it is not good, even the first- and second-tier painters will accept it and reject it.
Just because of this.
The old man made many bosses and officials who wanted to be arty feel embarrassed. He also had a tense relationship with a certain great painter who ranked at the top of the Hurun Artists' 100 Rich List.
Cao Xuan still goes his own way and does not change his principles.
He can fool around in other things, but in calligraphy and painting, black and white are clear, and there is no room for any sand in his eyes.
Many years ago, at a painting exhibition, he was introduced to Malaysia’s Mr. Liu Lao Chuanwang.
At the banquet at the Ship King's house, the art-loving Ship King Liu was going to take one of his paintings as a souvenir. You must know that such appreciation from rich and noble people is something that every painter in the stage of fame can encounter. And the rich man who cannot be asked for.
Cao Xuan, however, is just like the stubborn Taihu Stone, no matter how others persuade him, he will shake his head and refuse to accept it.
Old Ship King asked why.
Cao Xuan had no choice but to reply that the painting was not to his liking and he didn’t like it.
Liu Chuanwang had an ugly look on his face, he slapped the table and said angrily, I just bought your painting with enough money to buy a whole street of shops in Kuala Lumpur, and you ended up doing it in front of so many customers. Face, you don’t even give me this little face, you don’t know what is good or bad. He really doesn't know how to behave.
Mr. Cao also replied firmly that he bought his painting because the ship king appreciated the integrity of his works, and he was grateful for this.
But I really can’t appreciate Ship King’s paintings, so he doesn’t accept them. This is his principle. If he violates his principles easily, his paintings will not be worth an entire street in Kuala Lumpur. .
Ship King, you probably don’t want your investment to shrink so quickly.
The Ship King himself is an art enthusiast and has learned painting and calligraphy from many famous teachers for more than ten years. He asked the maid to bring five scrolls from the study, and each one was a work that made him proud. .
But Mr. Cao refused five times in a row under the increasingly gloomy expression of the old ship king.
To the end.
Cao Xuan didn’t even make superficial remarks. He simply said that these paintings were very tacky and had no collection value.
The painter friend who came with me at the dinner table turned green and sat there not knowing what to do.
The old shipping king is not only the richest man among the millions of Chinese in Malaysia, but also a powerful figure in the political and business circles. He slapped Fuhao Liu in the face so hard, he really wasn't afraid of being put in a sack and thrown into the sea.
Just when they began to worry about whether they could get out of the manor safely tonight.
On the contrary, Liu Chuanwang did not look angry, he just asked calmly, I have consulted many artist friends over the years, and everyone said that my works have a majestic temperament, orderly brushwork, and if they are not too mundane, Many, flawless and other reasons, he can already debut and hold exhibitions, and become famous in East Asia.
He knew that these words were watery, and he could only listen to 30% of them at most.
But the Ship King has always felt that he should pursue art with peace of mind and develop into the art circle since childhood. He dare not be a first- or second-tier painter and make a living in a small local gallery., it is easy for a professional painter to beg for food.
Only you, Cao Xuan, said that my works are vulgar. Why is that?
Lao Cao, who was not yet an old man at the time, asked, do you believe them or me? of.
Liu Chuanwang thought for a while, nodded and said I believe you.
So Mr. Cao replied, with your painting talent, it is not impossible to be hungry, it depends on luck.
However, these paintings are unremarkable. Only the inscription on one of the Higurashi Sea Breeze paintings is a little immature, but when taken alone, it has aura, is not tacky, and is different.
It doesn’t look like you wrote it
After hearing this, the old ship king was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter, abandoned all the guests, stood up and walked out of the banquet hall.
After a while, he led a little boy who was less than ten years old and came closer, bowed to Mr. Cao, and then asked the little boy to kneel down and kowtow to Cao Xuan.
This incident is still regarded by Liu Ziming as one of the most proud things in his life.
After so many years, it has accumulated over time.
The high-end art circle has become accustomed to Mr. Cao's "rules". Those who are not confident enough in themselves will rarely dare to send Mr. Cao's autographed works.
Similarly.
If someone’s works were hung on the walls of Cao Xuan’s home, even if they were among the top 30 painters on the Hurun Art Rich List, it would be something worthy of showing off on WeChat.
"Gu Weijing probably doesn't know about this."
Old Yang shook his head.
It’s not a big secret that Cao Xuan doesn’t buy three things and doesn’t accept five things.
But it was only spread among the upper class circles who had daily contact with Mr. Cao.
After all, whoever wants to send paintings to Cao Xuan must have a chance to find him.
Gu Weijing, his grandfather and grandson, definitely do not have the connections to be exposed to such high-class gossip and interesting secrets.
"What you meant made me reject him directly."
Lao Yang secretly thought that deep down in his heart, Cao Lao did not regard Gu Weijing as his direct disciple. look.
Lao Cao’s principle is to face the outsiders who are welcomed and sent away.
Disciples like Lin Tao and Tang Ning are a family, so naturally they are not included in this list.
My apprentice is not good at painting, so he has to blame the teacher for not teaching well. How can he extrapolate?
Lao Yang originally wanted to see the old man’s attitude and whether he would accept it or not. .
Of course, if Gu Weijing's works could go beyond those twelve words and create a new world, this problem would not exist.
Even if it was painted by a beggar on the street, Mr. Cao would definitely regard it as a treasure.
If he is a truly outstanding painter and creates outstanding works, even if the original purpose is to become famous through him, Mr. Cao will feel happy with it, and even this is a matter of course.
However, this possibilitySex is almost nil.
Lao Yang thought about it with his heels, and felt that even if Gu Weijing could escape the word "artificiality" in the tribute works he painted in this state of mind, the "brushwork is kitsch" would definitely be wrong. Not going out.
Mr. Cao lowered his head and thought without speaking.
Faced with this question, whether Gu Weijing was considered an outsider or not, the old man was unusually hesitant.
The elevator door slides open.
Lao Yang read his employer's hesitation and was sensible enough not to rush him. He looked down at his phone and took the initiative to change the topic.
"Mr. Cao, wait a few minutes. I just asked the administrative office about what happened outside the building. They replied that there should be students from the photography department last week who wanted to shoot a university-themed campus background. , want to take pictures of you as part of the campus cultural environment, but their application has been rejected by the school. It should be a private act."
The painting department of hfbk has only been able to do so for the past ten years. Emerging subjects that are close to the top ten on various lists. In the past, the Department of Photography was the most famous and powerful department in the school, producing many famous directors of literary and artistic films who won awards at the Berlin and Venice Film Festivals.
The students on campus also make movies very formally and presentably.
"Please wait here for a few minutes. I'll call the security office to disperse them, or I'll just ask the driver to drive to the back door."
Lao Yang was very annoyed. These extraneous things, suggested.
It was a good idea to let the old man participate in their student film and then become a tool for free publicity. Did these people pay for the portrait?
"What are you doing driving these kids away? I am It's a pity that Mr. Zhang has such a shameful face. They should have warned me beforehand and should have worn a more energetic wig."
Mr. Cao shook his head, touched the top of his head with his hand, and gently lifted it. The old man's thin and soft hair was styled into a nice shape.
"Just pamper these children." Lao Yang shook his head helplessly.
Cao Xuan took two steps forward, then stopped and looked at his assistant, "By the way, you take the back door, I will take these two steps myself."
"Why?" Old Yang was confused.
"That doesn't look good."
The old man raised his neck and said, "I don't want it. He looks like an old man in the camera. He has to be helped when walking. I Not that old yet."
"Okay, please take it easy."
Old Yang stopped helplessly. Naturally, he would not go through the back door immediately. He just stood there and watched the old gentleman step by step closer to the sunshine outside.
"By the way, that child's painting."
When Cao Xuan's steps happened to be at the junction of light and dark, the old man stopped again and turned around. Over.
"Say."
"Ask him to send the photo first like before. If the painting is tooOops, don’t blame me for feeling bad. ”
“I understand. ”
Lao Yang nodded.
If you are an outsider, this painting should not be accepted.
If you are a disciple, this painting should be accepted.
Asking Gu Weijing to send photos of his paintings was an opportunity for Mr. Cao to see if his work would be too bad to be seen when he was upset and angry.
p>“Kid, it depends on your destiny. Since you have the guts to send paintings to Mr. Cao, you must have two brushes at least, otherwise you have no brains and can't blame others. If you draw well, it's an opportunity. If you draw badly, no one can save you. ”
Lao Yang turned around and took out his mobile phone to start typing.
An hour later.
When Mr. Cao finished his lunch at home, he drank During the tea, Lao Yang came over with the drawing that was still warm from the printer and placed it in front of his eyes.
Lao Cao picked up his reading glasses and looked up to collect them. , the latest and fastest website for free reading without anti-theft