As Jefferson spoke, he actually struck the gavel once. After three strikes, no one expected that Jefferson would strike the gavel so casually without even looking at the reactions of the audience.
Jefferson's behavior was quite different from that of other auctioneers. While other auctioneers would deliberately extend the auction of a work indefinitely in order to fetch a higher price, Jefferson did the opposite. He seemed eager to proceed with the next auction, leaving little time for the audience.
Jefferson's final statement seemed to intentionally or unintentionally omit the fact that it was a painting, directly proclaiming that whoever bid for the work would gain the emperor's concubine, which aroused some of the indignation of the Chinese audience.
"120,000 euros, I'll offer 120,000 euros..."
As Jefferson swung his hammer, seemingly about to bring it down a second time, someone in the audience finally made a bid. Although it was only an increase of 20,000, it made Jefferson, who had been looking calm on stage, finally feel his heart, which had been in his throat, settle down.
"I think it would be amazing to be able to buy a work by Giuseppe Castiglione from over 300 years ago for 120,000 euros. Are there any other bidders?"
Jefferson was reminding everyone in the room that the painting was worth far more than 120,000 euros. Although everyone knew his intention, they were all eager to participate, and even Zhuang Rui had the urge to raise his paddle.
It is important to know that very few of Giuseppe Castiglione's authentic works have survived. Before this one, only two works could be confirmed, one in the Palace Museum in Beijing and the other in the Musée du Maler in Dole, France.
The price of Lang Shining's works should be between 10 million and 20 million. 120,000 euros is only about 1.2 million yuan, which is really a bargain in the eyes of most people.
A middle-aged Chinese man sitting in front of Zhuang Rui raised his sign, offering "140,000 euros," but his bid was not high, showing some restraint.
"160,000 euros..."
"180,000 euros..."
"I'll offer 220,000 euros..."
"280,000, I'll offer 280,000 euros..."
As one person raised the price, the herd mentality of Chinese people finally erupted. In the first two bids, the price only increased by 20,000 euros, but later, the price increased by 40,000 and 80,000 euros.
"280,000, bidder number 21 offered 280,000. Oh, that price is outdated. Bidder number 78 offered 360,000. The current price is 360,000. Anyone else bidding?"
Jefferson felt that the situation was under his control. He stood on the stage with ease, and although he didn't talk as much as before, the price of the painting continued to rise.
Chapter 648 Auction (Part 2)
Huangfu Yun is quite well-connected in the international auction market, especially in auctions featuring Chinese cultural relics. He has attended many such auctions in recent years, so he knows most of the collectors, both domestic and international, who enjoy collecting Chinese antiques.
Before the auction began, Huangfuyun rallied a group of people to boycott the Chinese art auction in Paris, at the very least to prevent foreigners from cheating them with a "rolling ball" trick.
Huangfu Yun's efforts in connecting the market were quite effective. In yesterday's auction, only three items were actually sold, while the remaining dozen or so antiques were bought by foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes. Everyone saw this and understood why.
However, the situation yesterday was partly due to the auctioneer's poor management, but it was also related to the types of artifacts auctioned. Most of the items auctioned yesterday were relatively niche, such as swords, bamboo and wood carvings, and ivory and horn artifacts. There are not many collectors of these items, so it is understandable that many items went unsold.
However, Jefferson's adjustments today caught everyone off guard, and the starting price of the "Portrait of Consort Chunhui" was outrageously low. Even those who hadn't originally been interested in the painting were swayed by the price and started bidding.
"400,000 euros..."
"480,000 euros..."
"620,000, I'll offer 620,000 euros..."
The price war continues. The oil painting "Bust of Consort Chunhui", which had a starting price of only 100,000 euros, has now increased sixfold, and judging from the trend, no one is willing to give in, and the price continues to rise.
"Damn, this Jefferson's got some skills. No wonder he's the auction house's front man..."
When Huangfu Yun saw that the collectors who had sworn to him just a few days ago that they would never make a move were now fighting tooth and nail, he couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.
"Brother Huangfu, this won't do. If we keep pushing it up, I'm afraid even 2 million euros won't be enough..."
Zhuang Rui frowned. Actually, Zhuang Rui had originally wanted to make a move, but before he could decide, the price skyrocketed like a rocket.
"780,000 euros! Buyer number 123 has offered 780,000 euros. Are there any other bidders? If no one else bids, congratulations to buyer number 123! You should know that this painting, according to our professional appraisal, is worth over 1 million euros..."
When the price reached 780,000 euros, the auction room fell silent. However, Jefferson was not in a hurry. This phenomenon was normal. As soon as someone made another bid, everyone would immediately participate, just like before.
If no one bids, aren't there still his shills sitting below? So Jefferson calmly continued to tempt the crowd with words. What he said was true: the minimum appraised value for Lang Shining's work was 1.2 million euros.
"800,000 euros..."
Finally, after more than a minute of silence, someone started bidding again, but this time the bids were only 20,000 euros. The buyers in the audience all wanted to get the painting at the lowest possible price.
To snag something at an auction, you not only need to outwit the auctioneer, but also to understand the psychology of your fellow bidders. Only when your bid is neither too low nor too high, but slightly above others' expectations, can you possibly win the item you desire at the most suitable price.
"Okay, buyer number 132 has offered 800,000 euros. Does anyone want to make another bid?"
Hearing someone raise the price, Jefferson was overjoyed. He didn't even need to use his own connections to push the price up; completing the auction was definitely not a problem.
The auction house set a target of 1.2 million euros for Jefferson's painting. He would receive a commission for any amount exceeding that price. Now, Jefferson is confident that he can sell the painting for a record-breaking 2 million euros.
Generally speaking, for an item priced at 1.2 million euros, the starting bid should be no less than 500,000 euros. Jefferson defied public opinion and demanded a starting bid of 100,000 euros, which put him under considerable pressure.
But judging from the current situation, Jefferson is completely relieved. He has successfully taken control of the situation. The next question is how much he can raise the price of the painting above the pre-sale price.
“I’m offering 1.2 million euros. Considering the intrinsic value of this antique, this price is quite fair. If someone else makes a bid, I highly suspect that person might be a shill arranged by the auction house.”
This was stolen by the Frenchman Fauré back then. The Qing Dynasty's incompetence made us, their descendants, pay for it. I can buy this painting back, but I cannot allow it to be extorted by some people with ulterior motives.
"I think we can't let these foreign devils use guns and cannons to open our country's doors more than a hundred years ago, and now they're using the things they stole back then to plunder the wealth that rightfully belongs to us." Suddenly, a clear and powerful voice rang out in the auction hall. Except for the bid of 1.2 million euros, which was said in English, the rest of the words were spoken in Chinese. The resounding words echoed in the huge auction hall for a long time.
Everyone understands the logic, but no one has ever said such a thing at an auction. These words shocked all the Chinese people in the room, and they all stood up and looked in the direction from which the voice came.
The person who stood up and spoke just now was Zhuang Rui. At this moment, Zhuang Rui calmly cupped his hands in greeting to the four directions, then sat back down, his face expressionless, showing neither anger nor joy.
Who is this young man?
"I don't know, they're so young. They seem to have come with Huangfu Yun. I'll ask around later..."
"This person looks familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before..."
"Hey, China is so big, have you seen everyone?"
"Anyone who can afford 1.2 million euros, or more than 1,000 RMB, must be someone of considerable importance. I'm not bidding on this painting..."
"I'm not going to call it anymore. What's the point of fighting over something between our own people?"
"Yes, the foreigners got it for nothing. I'm not going to call this painting anymore..."
After Zhuang Rui spoke, the room became noisy. Everyone was expressing their opinions, and many people were asking about Zhuang Rui's background. However, Zhuang Rui rarely appeared in auctions, so no one knew him.
However, although no one knew Zhuang Rui, it didn't mean they couldn't judge the accuracy of his words. Just as Zhuang Rui said, the painting was worth at most around 1.2 million euros. If they raised the price further, they would indeed be doing the auction house a favor.
Even those who originally liked the painting and had ample financial resources were embarrassed to raise the price further after hearing Zhuang Rui's words. If they did, they might be criticized behind their backs.
Of course, some people suspect that Zhuang Rui's motive for saying this was to prevent others from raising the price, but who could blame him for not thinking of such a method? Now he can only accept it with a heavy heart.
In an instant, the Chinese buyers in the room reached a consensus without any communication: no one would continue bidding on the oil painting "Portrait of Consort Chunhui".
"Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet. Buyer number 156 has offered 1.2 million euros. Does anyone else have a bid? To reiterate, buyer number 156 has offered 1.2 million euros. Does anyone else have a bid?"
Jefferson, standing in front of the auction stage, only understood Zhuang Rui's initial bid, but he didn't understand a single word of the Chinese that followed. However, Zhuang Rui's words caused a stir in the room, and Jefferson felt uneasy. He guessed that Zhuang Rui hadn't said anything nice.
Sure enough, after Jefferson stopped the murmurs from the audience, no matter how eloquently he spoke, not a single Chinese buyer in the audience was willing to raise their bidding paddle. Jefferson's smile also became somewhat stiff.
"Quickly check that out. I need the information for buyer number 156. Also, please translate what he just said..."
Jefferson tilted his head slightly, turned his mouth away from the microphone on the auction stage, and used the miniature microphone hanging by his ear to communicate with the auction organizing committee. Zhuang Rui had not participated in the auction yesterday, so Jefferson had not paid much attention to this auction number.
"Brother, impressive, impressive!" Huangfu Yun, who was sitting next to Zhuang Rui, did not expect Zhuang Rui to suddenly stand up and make such a statement. He was stunned for two or three minutes before he could react. Only after the room quieted down did he give Zhuang Rui a thumbs up.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the "white-glove" auctioneer on stage looked extremely displeased, while the Chinese collectors in the audience were overjoyed.
Just now, they were caught off guard and instigated by that foreigner to bid against each other. Now that they have come to their senses, they naturally realize that they have fallen into that foreigner's trap. Seeing Jefferson get the short end of the stick, they are naturally extremely pleased.
"Zhuang Rui, is this painting worth that much money?"
Qin Xuanbing asked quietly from the side. She knew that Zhuang Rui was short of money recently. 1.2 million euros was more than 12 million RMB.
"It's worth it, anything under 2 million euros..."
Zhuang Rui replied softly. Although he was sitting far from the display stand, he was still within the range of spiritual energy observation. Zhuang Rui had already detected the authenticity of the painting through spiritual energy and confirmed that it was indeed an authentic work by Giuseppe Castiglione.
According to China's cultural relic classification system, Lang Shining's oil paintings could definitely be rated as second-class protected cultural relics. Zhuang Rui's museum is currently penniless, so it will not let go of these items.
Chapter 649 The Bottom Line (Part 1)
The state has relatively strict requirements for classifying cultural relics. For example, Lang Shining's works can only be classified as second-class national protected cultural relics, but their collection and market value is not low.
Putting aside everything else, among all the museums in China, only the Palace Museum has a collection of Lang Shining's works, which is quite rare. However, including this one, Zhuang Rui already has three or four of Lang Shining's oil paintings. If he could exchange all of Lang Shining's works from the Guimet Museum for his own, he could open a separate exhibition hall in his own museum.
This is also one of the main reasons why Zhuang Rui took action. A museum should have some unique features, and works by Qing Dynasty court painters are certainly something worth showing.
Moreover, although Lang Shining's oil paintings are far inferior to Picasso's works, and are worth at most one or two million euros on the international market, they can easily fetch twenty or thirty million RMB in China. If Zhuang Rui can acquire them for 1.2 million euros, it will definitely be a sure thing.
"Damn it, how can there be a nationalist..."
Jefferson, who was on stage, had already received the translation through his earpiece and understood the meaning behind Zhuang Rui's words. Although Zhuang Rui had offered 1.2 million euros, it still annoyed Jefferson, as it was far from the bid he had expected.
"1.2 million euros, anyone else interested? I guarantee this painting of a Qing Dynasty concubine has extremely high collectible value. In another year or two, it will definitely sell for over 3 million euros. This is a rare opportunity, please consider it..."
Jefferson continued to use his silver tongue to incite the Chinese collectors in the room. If someone made another bid, the current deadlock could be broken, and Jefferson's intention would be achieved.
However, Jefferson underestimated the influence of Zhuang Rui's words. Although Chinese people like to fight among themselves, the people in this setting were all of relatively high status.
Furthermore, according to Chinese etiquette, raising the price after Zhuang Rui made those remarks would be a clear disrespect to him.
Although Zhuang Rui looks relatively young, there is an old Chinese saying: "It's better to deceive an old man than a poor young man." No one who can enter this are simple. Who knows what kind of power Zhuang Rui might have behind him? It's wise to leave a way out for others; that's what the many old foxes in the room are thinking.
"1.2 million euros, this is the second and final chance, ladies and gentlemen. This is a rare opportunity. If you miss this precious oil painting, we don't know if you'll ever have another chance. Please consider it carefully..."
After a full three minutes, Jefferson reluctantly struck the gavel a second time, making a final effort to urge the Chinese buyers present to participate.
Jefferson wasn't unwilling to let his shill bid again and raise the price, but he didn't dare. That's right, he didn't dare. This was the first time Lang Shining's work had been auctioned internationally, and its price was between 1 million and 2 million euros. This was the price determined by the auction house's organizing committee after extensive research and evaluation.
The price Zhuang Rui offered was just within people's psychological tolerance limit—not too high, but definitely not too low either. It was like a fishbone stuck in everyone's throat, neither going up nor down, and they were afraid of overpaying if they offered any more.
Jefferson felt the same way, because he hadn't reached an agreement with the owner of the painting beforehand, unlike yesterday's auction items where the auction house had made agreements with the owners before the auction started.
But this painting is different. If I let others bid and no one else does, the auction house, for the sake of its reputation, will definitely have to buy the painting myself, and that would be a huge problem.
So Jefferson hesitated for a long time and ultimately did not dare to give a signal to the pawns in the audience, because the consequences of this matter were something he could not afford. If the pawns failed to sell or were bought by his own people, he would be ruining his reputation as a "white glove" pawn.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your last chance. Otherwise, this painting by Giuseppe Castiglione will belong to buyer number 156..."
"Alright, this painting has already taken up almost half an hour of your time. Let's hurry up and move on to the next one..."
Jefferson had barely finished speaking when he was interrupted by an impatient buyer in the audience. These people were all mature middle-aged men, and having already made their decisions, they would not be swayed by Jefferson's words.
"Alright, congratulations to buyer number 156! Today's first lot, the oil painting 'Portrait of Consort Chunhui' by the Qing court painter Giuseppe Castiglione, is yours..."
Hearing the impatient voices below, Jefferson knew his efforts had been in vain, and that it had taken too long and could not be delayed any longer. With no other choice, he brought down the gavel, and the first item of today's special auction fell into Zhuang Rui's hands.