Chapter 44

These two photographs are extremely similar.

The content of the photographs is the same: a lady leaning by the window, admiring the flowers and butterflies in the courtyard. Moreover, upon close inspection, it can be seen that the coloring, layout, and background are almost identical.

The only differences lie in the insect damage on the paintings and the depth of the paper color. One painting is slightly yellowish and white, while the other is dark and yellow, with inconsistent colors. However, the differences are not significant.

The key is that the two paintings are too similar, almost like replicas, making it hard to distinguish which is the original.

People gathered around, whispering and discussing. However, no one made loud noises to avoid disturbing Qi Xiang, who was examining the paintings through the photographs.

Under the persistent questioning of the big boss, Qi Xiang no longer avoided the issue and began to analyze.

"This is a painting by Ren Bonian." Qi Xiang recalled and said, "As is well known, Ren Bonian was a famous painter of the late Qing Dynasty, and his main achievements were in figure painting and flower-and-bird painting."

"During his lifetime, he experienced unprecedented changes. First, Westerners used their powerful ships and guns to open the country's doors, followed by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom uprising, leading to a turbulent political situation."

Qi Xiang sighed lightly, "Life was hard, and making a living was difficult. Ren Bonian came from a poor family and had to make a living by selling his paintings."

"In that special environment, he combined folk painting techniques with Western watercolor and sketching, enhancing the realism of Chinese painting. He integrated meticulous and freehand techniques, traditional Chinese painting methods with Western painting methods, and created his own unique style."

Qi Xiang was very admiring, "So Xu Beihong said that he was the first Chinese painter after Qiu Shizhou. Even British art magazines believed that his artistic achievements were comparable to those of Western artists like Vincent van Gogh, and he was considered one of the most creative masters of the 19th century."

"In modern times, Ren Bonian's paintings have achieved high prices at auctions."

"I remember that in 2011, one of his works sold for 167 million yuan. Not only did it break his auction record, but it also proudly entered the billion-yuan club."

"Of course, no matter how high the evaluations of later generations are, they cannot conceal a fact."

Qi Xiang's finger swept over the photograph, and he shook his head lightly, "At that time, no matter how famous Ren Bonian was, he was a genuine folk painter. Well, painter is a polite term; in reality, he was a painter craftsman."

"Because Ren Bonian never considered himself a literati, compared to the literati paintings of his time, his works lacked a sense of pride but had more realism."

Qi Xiang indicated, "This realism can be seen in his works. The attire of the lady in the painting does not deviate from reality. Upon close inspection, it seems to have a hint of a worldly flavor."

"In other words, the original model of the lady, or perhaps a... cough, a fallen woman."

Qi Xiang's words were somewhat tactful, but everyone understood and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

"So the mood in the painting is also very clear."

Qi Xiang slowly said, "The emptiness and loneliness of the lady, her envy and longing for the freedom of the butterflies outside the window, are depicted very vividly and in great detail."

"Brother, we understand the mood you described, no need to elaborate." Someone in the crowd said impatiently, "We just want to know which of these two paintings is the original?"

"Right." Many people agreed and echoed.

Qi Xiang smiled but did not rush to explain. Instead, he continued to describe Ren Bonian's life: "As a master of the Shanghai School, Ren Bonian was not well-known at first."

"But after painting a large number of fans, he gradually gained fame and established his position in the art world. He went from an unknown painter to the highest-paid artist of his time."

Qi Xiang narrated, "At that time, paintings were priced by size, and he charged about three silver dollars per foot, several times more than ordinary painters..."

At this moment, the others began to understand, thinking to themselves, "Your point is that Ren Bonian's paintings sold well, so there were already forgeries at that time?"

"Not necessarily by others."

Qi Xiang shook his head and sighed, "After Ren Bonian became famous, he often received a large number of orders. Sometimes he had to paint dozens of paintings a day. The heavy workload often left him physically exhausted, and he had to rely on opium to stay awake..."

"This was a drain on his life, and at the age of 56, Ren Bonian died of illness. Before his death, his life savings were stolen by relatives, leaving his family in financial distress."

Qi Xiang sighed, "Ren Bonian had one son and one daughter. His son, although he understood painting, was far inferior to him. However, his daughter inherited his skills and could imitate his paintings."

"So after Ren Bonian's death, forgeries flooded the market..."

Qi Xiang looked around and smiled faintly, "This situation is not unfamiliar to everyone, right?"

A group of people looked at each other and smiled subtly.

Not only was it not unfamiliar, but it was also an industry rule.

In recent years, it has been repeatedly exposed that after the death of some modern famous painters, their families and students used the painters' seals to mass-produce so-called "posthumous works" to make money.

This situation is a chronic problem, a cancer in the market, and many people detest it.

The issue is that as long as there is profit to be made, such practices will not be stopped. They existed in the past and will continue in the future, causing headaches.

At this moment, everyone understood, and someone clarified, "Brother, your point is that one of these two paintings is a forgery by Ren Bonian's daughter?"

"Probably..." Qi Xiang nodded.

"Where's the evidence?" Someone asked impatiently, "Which one is the forgery?"

"The forgery... should be..." Qi Xiang raised his finger.

At the same time, the others became excited and focused intently. All the talk was just a prelude; this was the key.

The big boss's heart followed Qi Xiang's finger, floating in the air, uneasy. From the bottom of his heart, he didn't care about one or two paintings, but giving them away so easily made him feel uncomfortable and conflicted.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Qi Xiang seemed uncertain and sighed, "To be honest, these two paintings really put me in a difficult position..."

Seeing Qi Xiang stalling, a group of people glared at him, their eyes almost spitting fire.

"Cough..."

Feeling the collective anger, Qi Xiang quickly added, "The main issue is that both paintings have problems and don't look genuine!"

"What?"

The unexpected answer naturally stunned everyone, leaving them puzzled and skeptical.

"Both paintings have problems? How is that possible..."

Many people expressed disbelief, but some began to suspect, looking at the big boss with suspicion, wondering if he had deliberately set up two forgeries to fool people.

"Don't look at me." The big boss felt wronged and emphasized, "I've already said that the forgeries were not arranged by me. If you have any complaints, go to those old masters."

"Uh..." The others reacted and looked at the few appraisal masters.

At this moment, an old man stroked his long beard and said with a smile, "Young man, we can guarantee with our reputation that one of these two works is genuine and the other is a forgery."

"That's right, one is real and one is fake, but you can't just guess. You need to accurately point out where the real one is real and where the fake one is fake. Otherwise, even if you guess correctly, if you can't explain why, we will consider it a failure..."

Another old man said with interest, "What the result will be depends on your insight."

The old men laughed unscrupulously, showing no intention of nurturing talent or helping the younger generation.

Qi Xiang inwardly criticized, his gaze becoming very serious, and he carefully analyzed, "These two works appear identical, but there are still some differences in the brushwork."

"As is well known, Ren Bonian was a versatile painter, skilled in figures, landscapes, flowers, and birds, but he painted the most figures."

Qi Xiang pondered, "Ren Bonian came from a common background and learned the art of portraiture from a young age. He was good at observation and learning, and he integrated Western painting techniques into traditional Chinese literati painting, achieving great success and attracting many requests for his paintings."

"However, due to his long-term opium use and drinking, his health and energy declined in his later years. To support his family, he often had his daughter paint for him."

Qi Xiang commented, "But his daughter, being relatively young, could not match his skill. Moreover, due to her gender, her lines often have a delicate quality..."

"Everyone can see this by comparing the two paintings."

Qi Xiang pointed to one painting and indicated, "The face, hands, and especially the clothing of the lady in the painting have very soft lines, giving a very delicate feeling."

Some things, if not noticed, are easily overlooked. But once pointed out, they become clear and obvious.

The crowd quickly gathered to examine the paintings and indeed found that the lines of the lady in the painting Qi Xiang pointed to were very delicate, giving a refined and delicate impression. The other painting did not have this feeling.

After a comparison, someone asked curiously, "Brother, do you think this painting is by Ren Bonian's daughter?"

"Most likely..." Qi Xiang nodded, "Female painters tend to focus on fine and 'fragmented' details when painting."

"For example, head ornaments, patterns on clothing, and the colors of flowers and butterflies..."

Qi Xiang smiled, "These details are painted very meticulously, with bright colors, exuding a delicate and refined quality. I'm not belittling female painters, but such paintings, while beautiful, can sometimes be a bit imbalanced."

"Focusing on details often leads to neglecting the overall picture. Therefore, the overall image of the figure appears somewhat stiff and lacks the grandeur of a master's touch..."

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