Chapter 9

Since it is already known to be a genuine Picasso, it cannot be handled carelessly; it must be sold for a good price. Picasso's paintings do not have much of a market domestically, so the best choice is to auction them internationally, as people in Europe and America are more fond of this series.

After some thought, Wang Hao subconsciously thought of an auction house, because when he was an accountant, he had once discovered in the company's financial statements that the company had financial transactions with Sotheby's auction house. At that time, he had specifically looked into the background of this auction house, and now it was just the right time to use it.

Sotheby's has a chain of auction institutions or offices in over 30 countries and regions and more than 100 cities worldwide. In the UK, there are 2 chain offices and 16 branches; in the US, there is a national chain headquarters and 27 branches. Even in mainland China, Sotheby's is the undisputed number one. As the dominant player in the international art auction market, Sotheby's has an excellent reputation among the upper class and has auctioned a series of artworks.

Among them, the auction of the bronze heads from the Old Summer Palace, which caused anger among the Chinese people, was conducted by Sotheby's. The tiger, horse, and monkey heads all came from this auction house, not to mention paintings by Picasso, Van Gogh, and others.

Although it has a branch in Rongcheng, the auction prices in Rongcheng cannot compare to international standards. Therefore, Wang Hao mainly wanted to contact the headquarters through Sotheby's in Rongcheng and auction the painting at a large auction.

Not everything can be auctioned; it must be appraised first. The greatest advantage of the internet era is that it is very easy to find phone numbers, especially for a well-known company like Sotheby's.

"Hello, this is Sotheby's auction house in Chengdu. How may I assist you?"

After dialing the number, a sweet voice reached Wang Hao's ears, so cute that it almost made his heart melt.

Wang Hao did not forget his purpose. He cleared his throat and asked, "I have something I want your auction house to appraise. If it is genuine, I will entrust the auction house to sell it."

"Sure, you can bring the item to the North Ring Road. Our company will charge a certain appraisal fee, and the certification is international standard. Would you like me to make an appointment for you now?" The girl's voice was especially pleasant, and she was very professional.

After registering his name, Wang Hao realized, "By the way, how much is the appraisal fee usually?" If it was too expensive, he couldn't afford it. He had already spent a lot of money on fund investments and the trip to Shennongjia.

"Please rest assured, we charge according to the global standard. The appraisal fee for each artwork is $500, which is about 3,000 RMB."

Fortunately, it was only 3,000 RMB. He looked at his credit card and silently said to himself, "It must be genuine; otherwise, it would be a waste of 3,000 RMB, which is my monthly salary!"

Since it was for appraisal, he couldn't keep it in the space ring all the time. But if he held it in his hands, what if it got damaged? He hesitated for a moment and then hailed a taxi with the painting in his arms.

This is Sotheby's third representative office in mainland China, the first two being in the capital and Shanghai. The fact that a world-renowned auction house has set up an office here indicates that the wealthy people in Rongcheng have extraordinary purchasing power.

After explaining his purpose to the receptionist, Wang Hao was led upstairs by a beautiful woman in a cheongsam. The environment here was very quiet, with a lot of Chinese-style decorations that caught Wang Hao's attention. A few green bamboo plants, carved and latticed windows, and blue-and-white porcelain vases on wooden tables gave it an ancient and elegant feel.

There were few people talking, and he occasionally saw a few staff members nodding to each other. The number of clients was pitifully small.

"Please come in!" The woman in the cheongsam opened the door and made an inviting gesture, looking very pleasant. She waited for Wang Hao to enter and then gently closed the door and left.

Curiously looking around, Wang Hao had to admit the depth of a large company. A middle-aged man in a suit walked up to Wang Hao, extended his right hand, and said, "Hello, I am Li Chen from the UK headquarters. I will be responsible for appraising your painting today."

Wang Hao also extended his hand, shook it, and asked, "If it is genuine, can I entrust your UK headquarters to auction it?"

Li Chen had seen many people like this, thinking they had found something valuable. Many people who came for appraisal didn't believe their items were fakes, and many had the same idea as Wang Hao. However, his professional ethics did not allow him to show any contempt.

He put on white latex gloves and said gently, "Please put the painting down. I will start the appraisal. If it is genuine, we will have other appraisers verify it and then assess the value. If it meets the standard, we will notify the UK headquarters. Please rest assured."

Wang Hao carefully placed the painting on the table and gently removed the leather cover, revealing its true appearance.

When Li Chen saw the painting, he couldn't help but frown. He picked up a black magnifying glass from the table and almost pressed his face against the painting. His surprised expression did not escape Wang Hao's notice.

He looked at it carefully and muttered to himself, "The style is Picasso's, consistent with his later works. Such a rare glass painting technique, why haven't I seen this painting before?"

Hearing Li Chen's words, Wang Hao softly added, "There is a small line of text on the back of the painting. Be careful when you turn it over, don't break the glass!"

Involving his professional field, Li Chen glared at Wang Hao and said, "I saw it long ago. There's no need to turn it over; it's a glass painting, transparent."

Time passed slowly as Li Chen continued to study the painting, or rather, admire it. Wang Hao sat on the side, holding a bottle of mineral water, and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Li, have you finished the appraisal?"

Li Chen straightened up, nodded, and said, "After my preliminary appraisal, this painting is a glass painting by Picasso, given to his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter. It was likely used for display at home. However, I need to conduct a few more tests and have other appraisers verify it. It might take some time, but don't worry."

Now, Wang Hao's mind was filled with only one thought: the painting was genuine, it was genuine!! It didn't matter who it was given to; as long as it was genuine, that was enough. He touched the ring on his little finger and smiled happily.

After contacting a few people on the phone, Li Chen solemnly told Wang Hao, "If the next few tests are correct, this painting will definitely be taken to the headquarters auction. The UK headquarters is currently preparing for the largest autumn auction. As for the handling fees and other matters, a dedicated manager will discuss them with you. I am only responsible for the appraisal."

"No problem, I trust Sotheby's. It won't mess up."

Just as they were talking, a few foreigners walked in. They did not greet Wang Hao or Li Chen but went straight to the glass painting.

"Wow, I never thought I would see this painting in my lifetime. It has been missing for so many years, and I thought it was broken!"

"Looking at the style, it's clearly Picasso. This was a painting he made when he and Marie parted ways, as a keepsake?"

"It's in such good condition. This is one of Picasso's rare glass paintings."

"The Lady with the Red Hat, Marie-Thérése Walter was truly his muse!"

"This was probably painted between 1954 and 1956. We should do a carbon dating test."

Listening to the foreigners, Wang Hao was completely reassured. At this moment, a white man appeared in front of Wang Hao: "Hello, I am Charlie. Let's discuss the auction now."

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