Dangerous Aesthetics

"I believe that some of you here must still remember or have heard of the two-month lawsuit between the Maurice Museum in the Netherlands and a professor from New York 36 years ago, and the focus of that lawsuit was the painting "Wearing a Pearl Earring." "Girl". Although the professor committed suicide because he lost the lawsuit, the painting in the museum was indeed stolen. What you see today is the authentic one that was stolen 36 years ago! It happened to come to my hands!"

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the audience.

"This is impossible!"

"Old man, are you crazy!"

"I've heard the professor's story, is it true?"

Horton clapped his hands, and the noise lasted for nearly ten minutes before subsiding.

"To prove it's genuine, I decided to do a lead carbonate assay on site! I'll let you know today - what an honor to be here!"

At this moment, David in the audience was very nervous. He secretly took off the communicator and asked Neo for help: "Neo! What should we do now? If it is confirmed that this painting is real, shall we bid to buy it?" ?”

Finally, Neo got an answer: "Don't worry, baby, trust Olivan."

"I believe, I believe... But I haven't heard Olivan say a word, nor have I seen him come to the scene..."

Soon, the identification results proved the drawing time of this painting.

The audience once again fell into an uproar.

The old man wearing glasses raised his hand, asking to step forward and take a closer look.

"Of course, you are an expert at the scene!" Holden also hopes that an appraiser can appraise it on the spot. The more people are sure that it is genuine, the higher its auction price will be.

The old man came up to the stage and stood in front of the painting, looking extremely excited, holding his glasses, inspecting this small oil painting, "Oh my God, this is really similar to the strokes of "Girl Holding a Wine Glass" and "Lace Girl"... …No one in that era could have imitated Vermeer's work!"

Horton became even more excited. He even opened the medicine bottle and took a pill to calm his fast heartbeat. He didn't even know that what Neo prescribed to him was just sugar pills.

"So is there anyone bidding now? The starting price is 5000 million US dollars!"

When Horton finished counting these words, the whole boiling scene suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at him with strange eyes.

"This... this is the real thing... The lead carbonate test proves its age, and this gentleman proves that the painting technique is indeed Vermeer... You bid as much as you want? Don't you want to change this famous painting at all?" Will it become your collection?" Holden looked around, many people whispered, but still no one bid.

Horton looked for David in the crowd, and wanted to ask him what was going on, but he suddenly found that David in his seat had long since disappeared.

Holden suddenly understood that something was wrong. He was about to walk onto the stage with the painting in his arms when several men in suits greeted him. The leader was the vicious-looking "underworld boss".

"You...what do you want to do? Do you want to take my painting away!" Horton hid back in horror, trying to protect the famous painting, but he didn't expect that the other party took out handcuffs and handcuffed them to Horton's body. on the wrist.

"Ivan Horton, you were arrested on suspicion of stealing world-famous paintings from the Maurice Museum in the Netherlands, illegally collecting famous paintings, and illegally reselling famous paintings. You have the right to remain silent, because everything you say will become evidence in court .”

"What...you are the police?" Holden was stunned, and the painting had already been taken away by the police.

"That's right, we received a clue and came to the New York Academy of Art's graduation auction. We didn't expect to catch you, a big fish!"

"Wait... What are you talking about? The New York Academy of Art's graduation auction?" Holden lost his footing and fell backwards, but was fortunately supported by another police officer. "This is impossible... I clearly heard With a transaction price in the millions, how could this be just a graduate auction?"

The old man walked over slowly, shook his head and explained: "Every year, graduates of the New York Academy of Art will sell their works here, and of course many collectors will come here to buy their works, because any of them Anyone can become a master of tomorrow. As for the asking price, Mr. Horton, haven’t you read the admission instructions? In order to make this auction more realistic and to encourage these graduates, all asking prices are doubled by 600 times the price. For example, if you heard about the Impressionist work worth [-] million, the buyer’s bid was actually [-]..."

Holden was even more at a loss. He struggled and searched for something: "David...David? Where is Hovland? I want to see him, he is the one who brought me to this auction..."

"What David? Hovland?"

Holden thought for a while, pointed to the old man and said, "That's the member of your Appraiser Association! Don't you know him?"

The old man was even more at a loss: "Sir, what do you mean by the Appraiser Association? I am a professor at this art college... I have joined the Art Appreciation Association and the National Art Conservation Association, but I have never joined any appraisal Home Association..."

"You lied, you must know David! Otherwise, why did you smile at him just now!" Holden was about to go crazy, and finding David at this moment was his only lifeline.

"You mean the young man sitting next to you? Isn't there a small tag pinned to his chest? That's the name tag given to every student in our school. I wonder if he has some works to sell. He looks very I was nervous, so I smiled at him, hoping he could relax a little..."

Holden yelled: "This is impossible! He is not a student! He said he is a member of the Association of Appraisers. You can check the website of the Association of Appraisers, and his name is on it!"

The sheriff made a phone call and got a reply five minutes later.

"Mr. Horton, that's right. There is indeed a member of the Appraiser Association called David Hovland, but he has already traveled to Scotland on a business trip. We still have his entry and exit records. He has not returned to the United States yet. !"

This answer made Holden almost desperate. How did he know that Neo had already hacked into the immigration system, tampered with the information in it, and made an alibi for David.

"Okay, Mr. Horton, we are tired of hearing your lies! You were caught on the spot now, and nearly a thousand students and professors present are all witnesses, so just follow us obediently!"

No matter how Holden struggled, he was taken away by the police.

All of a sudden, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" became a topic of discussion throughout New York. The newspapers were full of news about Horton's theft of famous paintings, and the trial of him by the court was scheduled for one month later. There are many contemporary art masters as well as collectors.

Neo and David nestled pitifully on the sofa, because they were both seen by Horton, so they could not show up, and could only watch the video that Neo had accessed after intruding into the court surveillance system.

But they could all feel Olivan's seriousness about this matter.

Waking up early in the morning, Olivan fixed his hair, shaved, and put on a very formal suit to attend Horton's trial.

When Horton declared that he did not steal the famous painting from the Maurice Museum, but after the identification of professional appraisal experts and professionals sent from the Maurice Museum, the painting by Horton was confirmed to be genuine, but it was a pity that The curator of the museum has passed away. The museum publicly apologized to the professor who committed suicide, and is willing to return the professor's legacy to his family.

A copy could have blinded the eyes of so many appraisal experts 36 years ago. Although the original curator of the museum also interfered with it, the professor's painting skills have to amaze the world.

Due to the special significance of this painting, it has been hyped from a copy worth only two thousand dollars to nearly one million dollars, and even many columns have expressed their regret for the professor.For other painters, it is a great honor for their copied works to be authentic, but he persistently pursues truth through death, and has won the respect of the art world.

What surprised David the most was that this work will be returned to Olivier?Kane, he is the grandson of that professor.

"So...that's why he planned to return the painting to the Netherlands?" David was stunned, then laughed again.

Sure enough...the difference between myself and Oliwen is too far.

Oliwen was born in an artistic family, and the cells of artists flow in his blood.

Also, David could never guess what he was thinking, what he was after.

But in fact, in Oliwen's pair of calm eyes, there is an unimaginable persistence.

Neo handed over the popcorn, "Hey, you know what? There's going to be a good show tomorrow, remember that painting by Sibby? It was the young man who was going to sell you the painting in the restaurant, and then that Wasn't the painting bought by Holden?"

"I remember!" David nodded.

"So do you remember the auction when you first met Holden?"

"Remember, it was an auction after a charity dinner. Didn't I outbid Houghton for Olivan's work "Charm"? Then I exposed the painting as a fake in public, and the police were everywhere Are you looking for that painting? I guess it should be hidden by Olivier."

"That's right, Olivier hid that painting in the frame of the painting Sibby bought for Holden. This time the police searched Holden's house and found the painting, which means tomorrow The host of that banquet and Olivan want to jointly sue Horton."

"Oh..." David opened his mouth wide, "This time Olivan avenged his grandfather very thoroughly!"

"That's why I said that an artist not only has romantic feelings, but also a mind that you can't figure out." Neo pointed to the direction of the temple, "You should learn from Oliwen, and you will become a world-class liar."