The Versatile Master Artist

His status now is by no means inferior to those great painters with million-dollar sales figures.

"This is truly worth pondering."

After reading the email, Hanks licked his lips, trying to discern the information behind the strange attitude of the big boss.

Gu Weijing’s paintings are undoubtedly good.

However,

Whether collectors are willing to pay for a piece of art depends not only on its value but also on the story behind the canvas.

The story behind the canvas can sometimes be more critical than whether the painting is good.

The impressionist work Gu Weijing picked up from the painting auction, with its excellent technique, left Hanks utterly amazed.

His estimated price was at most no more than one hundred thousand dollars.

Some imitations painted by Picasso’s expelled disciples or Qi Baishi’s students could also sell at this price.

Collectors have no chance to own a genuine work by Da Vinci, and even if they do, they can’t afford the price, often skyrocketing to several hundred million dollars. They can only purchase other items related to "Da Vinci."

The fine paintings from the few Da Vinci’s students documented in literature can easily sell between a few hundred thousand to a few million dollars.

Thus, having a story to hype really matters in the art world.

It’s not that Hanks doesn’t believe this young man from Yangon can one day sell his works for a high price; it’s just that the art industry is too unpredictable.

Gu Weijing is, first of all, too young, and secondly, hasn’t won any awards.

Hanks was extremely puzzled, wondering why Ma Shi III had such mysterious confidence in him?

Despite his confusion, Hanks’s emotional intelligence is not low.

Since the gallery owner believes this young man can earn the gallery substantial money in the future, he, as the hunter manager, must also believe in this.

"Sign Gu Tongxiang." — This is how Hanks expresses his confidence.

In battle, kin fight alongside each other; fathers and sons go to war together.

The art society is about relationships, with the closest ties beyond teachers and spouses.

Father-son blood relationships are also a crucial artistic bond.

You could say taking the artistic shortcut in the father’s name, or say ’like father, like son.’

No matter how the collecting community interprets it, many great figures in art history were born in batches.

The Renaissance pioneers, the Pisano father and son, the Bellini father and son of the Venice School, the three-generation artists of the Holbein family in Germany, and of course, in the East, there are Li Sixun and his son, the Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi pairs, and so on.

Casually, these kinds of examples can quickly bring up a hundred or eighty pairs.

Because of their kinship, these artists’ artistic ideas align very closely.

Once one person achieves the way,

everyone associated elevates along.

As long as one world-class artist emerges, it can elevate the standing of all artists related to them as if connected like a chain.

Hanks was so shocked when he found out Miss Sakai and Gu Weijing were a couple. It’s because if they truly become a successful pair,

A son-in-law is half a son, and Professor Yakai Ichiro and Gu Weijing can be classified into such a "father-son combo" in the collectors’ circle as well.

The only downside is that Gu Weijing and Uncle Sakai do not share the same painting technique style, resulting in less of a boost.

Recently, Hanks discovered that Gu Tongxiang and Gu Weijing share a similar brushwork and painting style, both integrating Eastern and Western art.

He is literally a "little Gu Weijing."

This sounds a bit odd.

But who lets Hanks believe that Gu Tongxiang’s brushwork is slightly inferior to the current level of Gu Weijing?

The art path privileges the one who achieves success first.

Most sons gain prominence through their fathers, but the reverse isn’t unheard of.

Old Holbein’s artwork being so popular in the auctions is purely because he had a son, Little Holbein, one of Germany’s "Three Masters of the Renaissance."

Solely relying on them being biological grandfather and grandson, their painting style habits were quite similar.

If one day Gu Weijing truly becomes a million-dollar great artist.

Even conservatively estimated, earning one-tenth,

A grandson’s painting selling for one million dollars, while the grandfather’s painting sells for one hundred thousand dollars, collecting and speculating will always be attractive.

In this way, it would be a pity to continue selling art in the small locality of Myanmar.

Hanks had previously devised the idea to sign this old fellow, and after receiving an email from Ma Shi III’s secretary, he was even more resolved.

Though Gu Weijing is an art amateur, he was already signing an international second-tier artist’s contract.

With the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s bonus terms included, this was approaching first-tier.

Despite such a big contract, Hanks couldn’t get much commission from it.

As for signing Gu Tongxiang, he could make this decision himself, and the commission proportion he could get from it was significantly higher.

Hanks shared his thoughts with Gu Tongxiang.

He thought this old fellow would be so delighted to have the opportunity to become Ma Shi III’s contracted artist that he would jump three feet high.

Unexpectedly,

Gu Tongxiang was indeed very excited, his face flushed. However, he restrained himself from immediately agreeing, wanting instead to seek his grandson’s opinion.

"You want to sign my grandfather? I see nothing wrong with that."

Gu Weijing was happy for his grandfather.

The platform of Ma Shi Gallery was exponentially larger than their small family gallery.

It’s like the difference between playing casual soccer in a community league and competing with Real Madrid.

Even the so-called "national treasure" artists in the Myanmar National Art Association probably haven’t had the chance to sign with Ma Shi Gallery.

The old gentleman always had a knot in his heart, feeling he never had the opportunity to showcase himself and remained obscure in the small place his whole life.

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