This heirloom national treasure "Qingming Riverside Picture", if it weren't for the name written on the scroll, this was painted by a person named Zhang Zerui, it is estimated that this painter would not be found at all.

Even in the era of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, the compiled "Tokyo Menghualu" did not record Zhang Zerui as a painter, so to speak, this painter is difficult to verify in history, and many historians can only find a little frown from the scattered historical materials.

Lotte's remarks, the implication is that this painting was painted by Zhang Zerui, regardless of the artistic value, then the historical value of this painting, as well as the survival value, is too high, and there is still a basis for saying 15 million.

But the important question is, how to prove that this is painted by Zhang Zerui?

Cao Lao recognized this painting again and again, and even took out a magnifying glass and began to observe it carefully, and finally looked at Lotte meaningfully, at this time Cao Lao no longer had the previous score, and his tone was much more relaxed, and he was not so annoying to look at Lotte again, and asked: "Young man, tell me what you think." ”

Rakuten explains:

"I think you all know that the only literature records that Zhang Zerui is good at painting boats and cars, markets, bridges, streets, and castles, and now there are only two surviving works: "Qingming Riverside Map" and "Jinmingchi Bidding Map".

After Lotte finished speaking, he walked to the picture scroll, pointed to a detail and said:

"Look here, do you feel familiar with the lines of this boat?"

Cao Lao hurriedly took a magnifying glass to carefully identify, and the others also approached to observe in detail, and after a while, Cao Lao muttered to himself:

"Looking at the style of painting, there is indeed a little similarity, but based on this alone, it is a bit decisive to conclude that it is from Zhang Zerui's hand."

Lotte smiled slightly, "From the historical study of the Song Dynasty, and only in the era of Song Huizong, the long scroll Chinese painting reached its peak, but under the pattern at that time, the long scroll paintings did not attract the attention of the times, after all, it was more popular at that time to draw a few strokes of ink to draw a charm of the works, such as the Qingming Riverside Picture This kind of long scroll is not high in the influence of the authorities." ”

Listening to Rakuten's story, everyone thought thoughtfully about something, and Rakuten continued to elaborate his opinion.

"From the artistic level, Zhang Zerui's "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" is not the work of the highest artistic value under the authorities, and it can be seen from the painting style and the painter's skills that Zhang Zerui's painting work is still limited, but please take a look."

When Lotte spoke, he drew everyone's attention to the content of the painting, "If you look closely, you can find that every detail of this painting, not only the boat, but also the river, the bank, and even the people, can faintly see the shadow of the Qingming Riverside picture." ”

Hearing Lotte say this, everyone began to observe carefully, but this is a closer look at the contrast, and it is really as Lotte said, each character in this painting is indeed the style of sketching genre painting, but in this kind of landscape painting, the artistic value of such a picture scroll is basically not much ornamental.

Cao Lao had a decision in his heart, and after putting down the magnifying glass, he stroked his beard and said:

"In this way, this painting may really be from Zhang Zerui, but even so, the artistic collection value of this painting is limited, 1.5 million may be worth it, but where to start with 15 million."

Cao Lao turned his head and looked at Lotte solemnly, and everyone looked up at the two people in dispute.

Lotte smiled slightly, "Old man, the history is exquisite, we can boldly guess that Zhang Zerui in the Song Dynasty was not a very famous painter, he wanted to paint the Qingming Riverside map, but also to contribute only to Song Huizong, the purpose is to enter the Hanlin Painting Academy, but a 5-meter-long scroll is not a matter of a day or two." ”

"Let's make a bold guess, there are 814 characters of all colors painted in the Qingming Riverside map, 73 cattle and mules, donkeys and other livestock, more than 20 cars and sedan chairs, and 29 large and small boats.

"Just ask a painter who doesn't even have the confidence to be nominated on his own scroll, can he paint such a long painting without a little preparation?"

Cao Lao reacted immediately, "You mean, this painting may be a draft work of Zhang Zerui before painting the Qingming Riverside Picture?" ”

"That's right." Lotte pointed to the details of the scroll and said: "Look, if you are familiar with the Qingming Riverside Picture, you will definitely be able to see the similarity, that is, the characters in this painting are basically the same as many places in the Qingming Riverside Picture." ”

"It's indeed hey, look, this character is also this action in the Qingming Shanghe picture, I still remember this expression."

Cao Lao picked up the magnifying glass again and began to identify, and Lotte leaned closer and said:

"The content in this painting is all about the difficulty of painting, and many details are not easy to draw, so I speculate that Zhang Zerui wants to draw a comparison first, and then pay attention to the difficulty of painting the Qingming Riverside Picture when he paints it all."

"I get it, I finally get it." Cao Lao sighed thoughtfully, then straightened up and patted Lotte on the shoulder and said:

"Young man, you are really young and promising, I have watched calligraphy and painting antiques in this capital for so many years, and my insights are not as good as your children who have just debuted, I am ashamed."

"The old gentleman laughed, and I just made a bold guess." Lotte hurriedly greeted him.

"No, no, this is not as simple as speculation, although historical research does require bold imagination, but there is no vision, speculation is useless, you are right, this painting is indeed worth more than 1.5 million."

There was a middle-aged man in a suit present, who heard the words and asked:

"Old Cao, can you explain, what is the value of this painting? Why can't I see it? ”

Cao Lao laughed twice and said, "It's normal that you can't see it, this painting can't be seen alone." ”

Seeing that Cao Lao was about to preach, everyone waited with bated breath and listened quietly.

I saw Cao Lao take out a white handkerchief from his pocket and put it on it, and then approached the scroll and pointed to some of the details of the characters and said:

"Have you noticed that this painting is a bit nondescript?"

"That's right, looking at Siliu is not reliable, let's say it's a genre painting, it's not a side, let's say it's an art painting, the level of painting style is not enough, so you said before that the art collection value is not high." Said the middle-aged man in a suit.

"Hmm." Cao Lao nodded and said, "That's right, I did say it, but this little brother woke up the dreamer with a word, and I was a mouthful!" ”

"How do you say this, Elder Cao explains." Boss Song and the others hurriedly asked.

Cao Lao said solemnly: "The reason why this painting has a nondescript feeling, that is because, he is the predecessor of the Qingming Shanghe Tu, and it should also be regarded as a draft, the ancient masters painted, although they are all done in one go, but the long scroll is not, there is a flaw is equivalent to the abandonment of the previous efforts, and this painting is precisely the Qingming Shanghe Picture Scroll, the sum of all the most difficult places, this little brother guessed right, Zhang Zerui is also afraid of making mistakes, so he first made a draft, that is, this painting. ”

"Really?" A group of people stepped forward to identify them again.

Cao Lao said with emotion: "You can't see anything so you look at it, if you want to see the value of this painting, unless you put him next to the Qingming Shanghe map, you can see the way when you compare it." ”

After Cao Lao finished speaking, he looked back at Lotte and said: "Little brother, you can memorize such a long scroll painting as the Qingming Riverside Picture in your chest, I admire the old man!" I don't know if you're the son of a famous family? ”

"Celebrities don't dare to be." Lotte hurriedly responded, "I just have a better memory, I can remember everything I've seen, and the rest is just guessing." ”

"Oh! It's even harder. Cao Lao stroked his beard and sighed: "The old man has read countless people, and it is the first time I have seen a young man like you, what is your name?" ”

"Li Letian." Rakuten replied.

Cao Lao muttered a sentence and memorized Li Letian's name, and the seller who had been waiting hurriedly asked, "Cao Lao, can you give me another estimate for this painting?" ”

As soon as these words came out, the audience was silent, and the collective eyes fell on Cao Lao's face, waiting for Cao Lao's re-evaluation.

"About 4.5 million." After speaking, Cao Lao looked at Lotte and explained again: "Lotte, although I can see the origin of this painting, but from the perspective of the collection value of artworks, it is worth this money, 1500 numbers, it is still unattainable, after all, the artistic value of this painting is here." ”

Lotte said he understood, and then a group of people began to discuss the painting again.

After the controversy over the picture scroll ended, Lotte returned to his desk, Zeng Wen hurriedly came over and said, "Senior Brother Lotte, I didn't expect you to really understand, tell me when you started studying antiques?" ”

Lotte smiled and said: "This thing, just read some books, and the rest depends on understanding, and I can't tell when." ”

"It's so mysterious, it seems that I want to learn it anymore." Zeng Wenwen suddenly weakened.

But at this time, Boss Song took Cao Lao and a few old people to the table of Lotte and sat down, and Boss Song explained: "Lotte, I brought a few experts to take a look at your objects, and you gave us long eyes." ”

Cao Lao said with a smile: "Little brother Lotte, I heard that you have a tribute snuff bottle in your hand, I only have a lot of research on calligraphy and painting, but this one next to me is a connoisseur, an ancient, Chinese antique appraisal master. ”

Lotte looked at the old man Cao said at this time, he is also an old man, with gray hair, and his age should be around sixty or seventy years old.

Lotte nodded in greeting, took out the wooden box and handed it over, Gu took out his gloves and put them on, and the moment he opened the wooden box, he looked stunned, and then carefully took out the snuff box and carefully appreciated it.

After about a minute, the ancient opened the snuffbox and sniffed it, then put it down and said with a look of regret:

"You look like an old thing, but it just looks very similar, little brother, you have an eye!"

As soon as Lotte understood these words, this means that the snuff box that Lotte took out was an imitation, and even Zeng Wenrou understood it, and hurriedly asked in a low voice:

"Senior brother, did you take it by mistake?"

Lotte smiled slightly and did not answer Zeng Gentle's words, but looked at the few people in front of him and said:

"I don't know why the ancient said that, can you give me an explanation?"

This article is from Reading Books Novel