After Huangfu Yun knocked on Zhuang Rui's door, he introduced Ezkena to Zhuang Rui while winking at him. The meaning was obvious: if the painting is real, then you can go all out with the knife later, buddy. They have plenty of good stuff from China.
"This is Mr. Sterling, a highly experienced appraiser..."
Huangfu Yun continued to introduce Zhuang Rui.
"Oh, young man, it's a pleasure to meet you..."
Ezkena greeted Zhuang Rui in Chinese in a friendly manner. Due to his family background and his own collection, Ezkena was very knowledgeable about Chinese culture and knew that Chinese people especially value face. Therefore, he was very enthusiastic from the start and did not neglect Zhuang Rui because of his youth.
"Hello, Mr. Ezkener, please come in..."
Zhuang Rui calmly ushered the group into the room. What good was enthusiasm? If they wanted to trade for the Picasso sketches he had, they'd have to offer some Chinese antiques that would excite him. Otherwise, even if he had the money, he wouldn't sell them to them.
Just as Sterling and Zhuang Rui passed each other, the guy who looked more like a boxer than an appraiser whispered in Zhuang Rui's ear, "Young man, can you understand English?"
After Zhuang Rui nodded, Sterling continued, "That's good, young man. I can tell you, with me here, you don't need to think about trying to fool Mr. Ezkener with some inferior fake paintings. If you know what's good for you, you'd better admit it now, and then I won't embarrass you later..."
"Huh? Damn it, so ill-mannered. He hasn't even looked at the stuff and he dares to spout nonsense here..."
Upon hearing Sterling's words, Zhuang Rui was furious and coldly replied in English, "If your eyes weren't blinded by lard, you could easily tell the difference between a real and fake painting..."
Zhuang Rui knew that many people abroad looked down on Chinese people, but he never expected that even in his luxurious suite at this five-star hotel, there would still be people looking down on him. This made Zhuang Rui very unhappy.
Ezkena, who was walking ahead, clearly heard the conversation between the two people behind him, but he just smiled slightly and did not try to persuade them. In his opinion, the worse the relationship between the seller and the appraiser, the less likely there would be any shady dealings.
It's important to understand that such "setting traps" and "scheming" are not only common in China, but also frequently seen abroad, with even more sophisticated methods. As for colluding with appraisers, those are just low-level tricks that can't be brought to the table.
"Peng Fei, bring out a few paintings and show them to this 'expert'..."
After sitting down in the living room, Zhuang Rui didn't offer the guest coffee or drinks. Instead, he went straight to the point and asked Peng Fei to bring out Picasso's sketches.
Before Ezkena and the others arrived, Zhuang Rui had already categorized the thirty-two sketches. The six sketches of nude women were divided into one group, the eighteen sketches of children were divided into three groups, and the sketches of still objects were divided into one group, for a total of five groups.
Among these five sketches, one of each has Picasso's own signature. It is believed that an expert who is truly familiar with Picasso's works can distinguish between the genuine and fake sketches.
Peng Fei has learned a lot from following Zhuang Rui these past few days. At the very least, he knows that gloves should be worn when handling antiques such as paintings and calligraphy. So now he is wearing a pair of white gloves and is picking up a stack of six figure paintings from the coffee table in front of him and placing them in front of Ezkena.
"Sterling, you should do it..."
Ezkener shook his head slightly, got up and sat down to the side, making room for Sterling. He really didn't know much about European art, except for its astonishingly high prices.
"Wait..."
Just as Sterling was about to pick up the sketch in front of him, Zhuang Rui suddenly stopped him.
"What? You just said it was true, but now you won't even let us see it?"
Sterling glared at Zhuang Rui. He simply couldn't believe that this Asian man possessed Picasso's works, let alone dozens of them. It was like something out of an Andersen fairy tale—completely impossible.
“Mr. Sterling, I don’t know if your teacher taught you when you were learning authentication that you must wear gloves when authenticating paintings and calligraphy, it’s basic knowledge…”
Zhuang Rui looked at Sterling with disdain. After saying the above few words, he turned to Ezkener and said, "Mr. Ezkener, I am extremely dissatisfied with the appraiser you have chosen. He completely lacks the qualities of a professional appraiser. I must remind you, Mr. Ezkener, that if any loss is caused to my collection due to the appraiser's misconduct, you should be prepared to accept my claim for compensation..."
Zhuang Rui's words caused Ezkener and Sterling to change color simultaneously. They hadn't expected this young man to be so sharp-tongued. However, Zhuang Rui's words were not an exaggeration at all; Sterling had indeed failed to demonstrate the qualities an appraiser should possess.
Ezkener nodded and first said in Chinese, "Mr. Zhuang, please rest assured, I will take responsibility for these works..."
Ezkener then looked at Sterling and said, "Mr. Sterling, please remember your professional ethics. You are appraising a painting that is very likely a Picasso, not a one-pound sketch drawn for you by some street artist..."
Sterling's arrogance had completely vanished. If his behavior today were to get out, it would certainly have a very negative impact on his reputation. After all, in any industry, personal professionalism is extremely important.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ezkener, I’m sorry, Mr. Zhuang, it was my oversight. I believe I am capable of determining whether these sketches are by Mr. Picasso…”
Sterling quickly adjusted his mindset, stood up, and bowed respectfully to Zhuang Rui and Ezkena, displaying an extremely sincere attitude.
Zhuang Rui had no intention of arguing with Sterling about these matters. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, Mr. Sterling, I hope your performance is as you said. Let's not waste any more time. Please begin your assessment..."
Chapter 635 Crossing the River and Destroying the Bridge
Sterling opened his bag and took out a pair of white gloves and a magnifying glass. The tools used by these appraisers, both Chinese and foreign, were pretty much the same. After putting on the gloves, Sterling casually picked up the top sketch.
"Hmm, she's got some substance..."
When Zhuang Rui saw Sterling, he didn't first check what the sketch was about. Instead, he looked at the sketch paper, slightly folded it with his hand to check the paper's hardness and flexibility—a necessary procedure for appreciating calligraphy and paintings.
After examining the paper, Sterling's relaxed expression turned somewhat serious, because he discovered that the sketch paper in his hand was likely produced in Paris in the 1940s or 50s, a fact that did not escape Sterling's notice.
In other words, even if these sketches are forgeries, they are quite old forgeries, and the cost is not low. You know, buying sketch paper from half a century ago now would be too expensive for the average person.
Ezkener's small eyes darted back and forth across the coffee table. As a seasoned antique collector and art dealer, he had a feeling that he might actually see an authentic Picasso today—or so he thought.
"Jacqueline Locke?"
Suddenly, Sterling, who was looking at the sketch, let out a gasp, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Even the door to the suite moved slightly, as the curious Qin Xuanbing was eavesdropping inside.
"Mr. Sterling, have you received your test results yet?"
Zhuang Rui didn't recognize the woman in the painting at first, but when Sterling called out her name, he immediately understood that this was Picasso's sketch of his last wife.
In 1953, Picasso met Jacqueline Rock at the Madura pottery workshop. Although Picasso had mistresses for eight years from then until their marriage in 1961, Jacqueline Rock tolerated it, and the two walked hand in hand through the rest of Picasso's life.
Jacqueline Roque was Picasso's second wife. This Spanish woman created a warm and peaceful world for Picasso in his later years. Picasso often recalled the peasant women of Catalonia from her figure, and he painted a large number of portraits of her.
Unfortunately, 13 years after Picasso's death, Jacqueline Locke, perhaps unable to bear life without him, committed suicide in the 1980s.
After Jacqueline Rock's death, most of the sketches and paintings Picasso had done for her entered the auction market, and it was during this period that the value of Picasso's paintings increased. It can be said that it was the Picasso paintings left behind by Jacqueline Rock that elevated Picasso's works to a new level.
Sterling was jolted out of his shock by Zhuang Rui's voice. After carefully putting down the sketch, Sterling grabbed Zhuang Rui's arm and pleaded, "This is a portrait of Madame Picasso, yes, it must be, Mr. Zhuang. I want to know the origin of this painting. I hope you can tell me..."
"I'm sorry, all I can tell you is that these paintings were purchased through legitimate channels. As for anything else, you don't need to know. Your job is simply to tell Mr. Ezkener, after you've seen these paintings, whether they are genuine or fake, and that's all..."
Zhuang Rui could understand Sterling's feelings. Authenticating an antique is often countless times more difficult than determining its authenticity, but that's what makes collecting so appealing—it keeps people digging into and exploring unknown stories that happened tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years ago.
Even though the person in front of him was a colleague, Zhuang Rui did not intend to tell him the origin of his sketches, because he was in Paris, not his own territory, and he did not want to cause any trouble.
Who knows if that lovely Mr. Reno, if he knew that all thirty-two Picasso works he sold for thirty thousand pounds were genuine, would have gone to Zhuang Rui's hotel and made a scene, threatening suicide?
"I'm sorry, I was presumptuous..."
In the art market abroad, it's similar to the antique market in China. In private transactions, you only need to know if the item is genuine; its provenance isn't the most important factor. Moreover, personal privacy is given more weight abroad. After hearing Zhuang Rui's refusal, Sterling immediately apologized to him.
Zhuang Rui waved his hand casually and said, "It's alright, Mr. Sterling, please continue..."
The art market is different from traditional industries; it's a seller's market. As long as you have genuine, high-quality items, you won't have trouble selling them. Just let the word out, and plenty of people will be scrambling to buy from you.
So Zhuang Rui wasn't in a hurry. If all else failed, he would take these sketches back to Beijing and buy them from whoever wanted them. He could become an international collector for once.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Sterling did not pick up the sketch he had just looked at. Instead, he looked at Zhuang Rui and said, "Mr. Zhuang, I can confirm that this is indeed an original work by Picasso, created in the 1960s..."
"Wait, Mr. Sterling, how do you know when Picasso painted it?"
Zhuang Rui interrupted Sterling, saying that Picasso met Jacqueline Rock in 1953, so the painting might have been done around that time.
"Mr. Zhuang, you should know that although Picasso was a very energetic man, after the age of eighty, he was somewhat unable to satisfy his desires for women, but he was unwilling to accept this. Therefore, his painting style changed during this period, and there are voyeurs in his paintings from this time. I think that was his way of portraying himself."
When it came to professional knowledge, Sterling became a completely different person, quoting extensively from various sources, starting with Picasso's early personality and continuing to his psychological problems in his later years, giving Zhuang Rui and the others a good lesson.
Zhuang Rui had heard of this before, because Picasso once said something very famous: "When we get old, we have to quit smoking, but the desire to smoke is still there. The same goes for love."
After Picasso was unable to exercise his right to love women, he expressed this desire in his paintings, which is the so-called "right to look". In his style during this period, whether in oil paintings or drawings, there is always a faint shadow of a man looking at the women in the paintings.
“You’re very good, Mr. Sterling. Please continue; there are five more sketches to come…”
Zhuang Rui nodded, indicating his agreement with Sterling's words. He was also deeply moved by Sterling's words. Both Chinese and foreign appraisals require understanding the author's psychological state. If Sterling had not been familiar with Picasso's style in each era, he would not have been able to say the things mentioned above.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhuang, you've given us a wonderful evening..."
At this moment, Sterling's attitude towards Zhuang Rui changed drastically. He stood up, bowed slightly to Zhuang Rui, and then sat down to re-examine the six sketches of women's bodies that Peng Fei had given him.
Although the women in these six sketches are all the same person, the backgrounds and clothing are not the same, and not all of them are naked. Two of the sketches show her wearing pajamas and lying on the bed with her body half exposed.
As Sterling examined the sketches, his excitement grew with each one he looked at. After reviewing all six sketches, he nearly jumped off the sofa in excitement, grabbing Zhuang Rui and asking, "Dear Zhuang, you must have other works. Please bring them out..."
If it were a Picasso oil painting, there would likely only be one, but for drawings, each discovery usually involves at least one volume, typically around ten or slightly more. However, Zhuang Rui only produced six this time, which is why Sterling asked this question.
“Oh, Mr. Sterling, please don’t rush. Let’s first tell Mr. Ezkener whether these works attributed to Mr. Picasso are genuine or fake…”
Zhuang Rui gently pushed away Sterling's hand that was gripping his arm. What a joke! I've already put out this thing with real money, and you still want to see it? Well, that's not impossible, but you two should at least show some sincerity, right?
"Really, of course it's real. I can assure God that these six works are absolutely genuine Picasso pieces, without a doubt..."
To be honest, Sterling's behavior at this moment resembled that of a passionate collector, rather than a calm appraiser. He only wanted to appreciate all of Zhuang Rui's Picasso works. After today, he probably wouldn't have this opportunity again, because it was uncertain whether these paintings would still belong to Zhuang Rui.
Sterling knew what kind of impact the news that Zhuang Rui owned these works would have on the entire European art market once it got out. It would definitely draw all the Picasso enthusiasts to the city of Paris.
“Well, Mr. Sterling, you can take a break now. I think Mr. Ezkener must have something to say to me…”
After Zhuang Rui waited until Sterling confirmed the authenticity of the paintings, he immediately and unceremoniously abandoned him without even offering him a glass of water.
Sterling was just an appraiser, and there was no need for Zhuang Rui to waste time arguing with him. Besides, Zhuang Rui still harbored some resentment towards Sterling's arrogant attitude when he first entered the room.
Chapter 636 Rare Goods for Hoarding (1)
"Of course, I think any collector in Paris right now would want to associate with Mr. Zhuang..."
Ezkener nodded. With six Picasso sketches, Zhuang Rui already qualified to be considered an international collector. If Zhuang Rui were to sell them, everyone who loves Picasso would surely be happy to be his friend.
Hearing his boss speak, Sterling, no matter how excited he was, could only suppress it. He had wanted to admire Picasso's works a little longer, but Peng Fei quickly put them away, looking at him like a thief. Frustrated, Sterling almost lost his temper.
However, Sterling doesn't have that qualification. In the seller-driven art market, especially in the high-end market for top-tier artworks, no one is short of money. If you want someone to sell your favorite artwork, then you have to see if you are sincere.
“Dear Zhuang, I’d like to know, did you call us here today to sell these Picasso works?”
After his small eyes darted around, Ezkena slowly turned to the main point. He asked the question to gain the upper hand in the negotiation and make Zhuang Rui subconsciously believe that he wanted to sell, not that he wanted to buy. This was a small negotiation tactic.
"For sale? No, no, no, Mr. Ezkener, you misunderstand. I have never intended to sell these precious Picasso works, not now, and never in the future..."
Upon hearing Ezkena's words, Zhuang Rui smiled faintly, waved his hands repeatedly, and said "no" several times, firmly denying Ezkena's words.
Although Zhuang Rui's net worth shrank significantly after purchasing the private jet, he never considered selling Picasso's paintings, or even any of his own collections.
In today's international art market, whether it's Picasso's works or my own collection, they are absolutely priceless and unavailable. Unless someone is penniless and desperate, no one would be willing to exchange Picasso's works for money.
"Not for sale?"
Ezkener paused for a moment, glanced at Huangfu Yun beside him, and then said to Zhuang Rui, "Dear Zhuang, what is the meaning of your calling us here today? Is it just to let us appreciate Mr. Picasso's works?"
Ezkener is a very influential figure in British art collecting circles. He doesn't think he would give up an important dinner just to catch a glimpse of Picasso's work; he'd rather go to the Louvre.
“Mr. Ezkener speaks Chinese very well…”