hollywood billionaire

Chapter 287 "Flagbearer"

"Why do you always like to leave a cliff hanger when talking about things?"

Xu Yiru glared at Han Yi on the screen and protested in a soft voice. Cliff hanger, literally means hanging on the edge of a cliff. In literary and artistic works, it specifically refers to a narrative technique that depicts a gripping and suspenseful scene, but then ends abruptly at a critical point, making the story suspenseful.

It is used a lot in novels because it can stimulate readers to buy the next book in the series.It's also used a lot in TV shows, to ensure that enough viewers come back for the new season to avoid being axed by the network.

The mystery of Sherlock's life and death in the second season of "Sherlock", who the gunman shot at the end of the first season of "The West Wing", and even the end of the fourth season of "Friends" when Ross called out Rui at his wedding to Emily. After Qiu's name, how the relationship between the three people will develop is a cliff hanger that makes the audience unable to stop guessing and discussing it all summer long.

but……

This technique is quite interesting in novels and TV series, but a bit torturous in real life.If you don't finish talking about something, you have to take a breath.Even if the person who did this was her favorite Yi Yi, Xiaoru couldn't help but want to hit him.

If you like to watch people go crazy so much, what is going on?
"I'm sorry, I used to write novels and developed a bad habit." Han Yi made mistakes quickly and apologized readily.

"Ha - you have written novels?" Xu Yiru drawled, her tone full of curiosity.

"correct."

"What kind of novel?"

"It can be considered an autobiography. It covers all aspects of love, career, life, and travel. It can't be written well in anything. And... it can't be completely considered a novel. After all, the critics who have read it say it is a popular science book."

"Hit you, you are talking nonsense again."

Xu Yiru was still listening carefully at first, but before Han Yi could reach the second half of the sentence, she had already begun to sigh.Telling cold jokes without changing a look and talking nonsense in a serious manner are the two most similar traits between Han Yi and Chandler.

"Okay, stop making trouble... What did they show you behind Rembrandt?"

"Rembrandt?"

"That's Rembrandt." Xiao Ru, who realized that he was talking in Chinese, switched to English and repeated the name, then tried hard to imitate Han Yi's accent, and said word by word, "Lun-Bo-Lang, right?" ?”

"I still like Rembrandt's translation." Han Yi chuckled, "It sounds like someone who painted New Year pictures, very festive."

"...I hung up."

"It's still Rembrandt." Han Yi quickly used his answer to save the other party.

"The second set of... works? Are they also by Rembrandt?"

"Ah."

"The one that wasn't sold?"

"It was not sold, but..." Han Yi thought for a while and said slowly, "The situation is a bit complicated."

"why?"

"Because there are many obstacles." Han Yi replied clearly, "The first obstacle is..."

"This painting cannot be taken out of France at all."

"Flagbearer."

Han Yi looked at the high-definition introduction picture on the LCD screen and muttered the introduction on the right side of the painting.

"I just mentioned that Rembrandt completed hundreds of self-portraits in his lifetime, and what you are seeing now may be the most valuable one among them."

“The Flag Bearer was painted in 1636, two years after the completion of the Portraits of Mardan Suleman and Opkin Gobi. In this painting, Rembrandt depicts himself as a Flag bearer. He is wearing the uniform of the flag bearer of the Dutch Republic Army during the 80s War. A large hat decorated with feathers is worn diagonally on one side, and a steel breastplate is worn in front of him. He holds the unfolded flag in one hand. The other hand is on the waist."

"The 80 Years War?"

Before and after the Age of Enlightenment, there were countless national disputes in Europe that lasted for decades. Han Yi was very interested in the disputes between the heroes during this period and read many related books. However, the 80 Years War is still a term that sounds unfamiliar. .

"The Eighty Years' War was a military conflict between the Netherlands under the Habsburg rule and the Spanish Empire that began in the second half of the sixteenth century. People often call it the Dutch War of Independence." Joshua Glazer explained , "The first 80 years were a joint struggle of the Dutch provinces. The specific process was slightly different from our Revolutionary War, but it was roughly the same." The Revolutionary War among Americans is naturally the eight-year war that gave birth to the United States of America. Great war.

"Facing a stalemate, the two sides reached a 1609-year truce in 12. Twelve years later, due to the outbreak of the famous Thirty Years' War, the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands declared war on Spain again. Therefore, although the seventeenth century was the golden age of the Netherlands, But this golden age has always been bathed in the flames of war."

“In 1635, the alliance formed by France and the Netherlands successfully occupied the southern Netherlands, which was then ruled by Spain, which made all the people of the Republic very excited. Although serious atrocities were committed during the sacking of Tynion City, they made Losing the support of the southern people, the southern provinces finally became independent in the [-]th century and established a Catholic and bourgeois Belgium. However, in the first half of the triumphant night of the [-]th century, the joy of victory and patriotic enthusiasm were extremely high, especially It’s in Amsterdam.”

"It was in this feverish atmosphere that Rembrandt created 'The Flag Bearer'. He wanted to use this wonderful work to demonstrate his superb skills to Amsterdam's 'schutterij', the citizens' militia. Received the opportunity to paint a collective portrait of the Amsterdam militia. This was, at the time, the most valuable commission a painter could receive.”

"So, without 'The Flag Bearer,' there would be no 'Night Watch.'"

“In the Dutch militia in the seventeenth century, the flag bearers always shouldered the most dangerous but glorious task: on the battlefield, they wore shining uniforms, waved flags, and led the troops forward. The flag bearers must maintain a high will, Let the soldiers unite tightly around him, and at the same time, they must show enough wisdom and courage to survive on the battlefield. After all, the first impact point of the enemy's shells will always be centered on him."

"In the painting, Rembrandt depicts himself as a truly brave soldier. You see, his facial expression is unruly, yet tough and brave, which strongly proves that the lifelikeness of "The Night Watch" is not just an accident. The gift of knowing is the continuation of his outstanding skills."

"This painting was first sold for 1771 florins on September 9, 2. In the next 61 years, it changed hands four times, and was finally paid by the art dealer Pierre-Joseph Lafontaine. In the bag, the price is 20 francs."

"Mr. Lafontaine himself is also a painter, but he is most praised by the world for his vision as a collector. The painting was created by Rembrandt in 1644 and purchased by the National Gallery in London. It is currently on display in the British Museum "The Adulterous Woman" was discovered in the Dutch-speaking area of ​​Belgium through Mr. Lafontaine's continuous search." "Avignon, Orleans, Dijon, Lille, and the Louvre, France cooperated with him There are countless museums where art is traded. But his closest and most powerful associates are actually here - in London."

"The then King George IV was known as the 'First Gentleman of England' because his style and taste led the fashion trends of the upper reaches of British society during the Regency period for a long time. King of Brighton The establishment of the Pavilion, the reconstruction of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, as well as the preparation of the National Gallery in London and King's College London were all initiated by him. He loved art and bought many works from Mr. Lafontaine in his life. "Flagbearer" is also one of them."

"Later, George IV used "The Flag Bearer" and exchanged it for several other oil paintings from Mr. LaFontaine. The "Flag Bearer" that returned to its original owner was properly kept in La Fontaine's London store until the Clark family Simon Horton-Clark, the 1820th Baron, the seventh richest man in England in the [-]s, bought it.”

"After Sir Clark's death, his wife kept the work for eight years. Finally, in 1840, it was acquired by Baron James de Rothschild and brought to Paris."

"Rothschild again?"

Although I had long read about the huge wealth of the Rothschild family in books, after hiring Antoine Gachet as an asset manager, I also gained a deeper understanding of the power of this prominent Jewish family in the business world from another dimension. But no matter how many text descriptions, no matter how many anecdotes and scandals, it is not as shocking as the actual collection.

Just take two paintings from the vault of the Bank of Paris, and they will be masterpieces of Rembrandt's level.

"Portrait of Mardan Suleman" and "Portrait of Opkin Kobi" together cost 1.6 million euros.

"Flag Bearer", how much will it cost?

"Yes, Mr. Han. The cooperation between Christie's and the Rothschild family is long-term and close. In the past two years, they have been more willing to liquidate their assets, and the list they have given us... is also richer than before. a lot of."

Joshua Glazer smiled. The Rothschild series is his favorite collection to show to clients at Christie’s.The storytelling, historical heritage and investment value are all impeccable.

“Christie’s Rothschild collection includes not only Rembrandts, but also oil paintings. The dazzling crystallizations of civilized societies from all over the world are all gathered in our auction house. Louis XV’s gilded walnut sofa chair, seventeenth-century Venetian crystal relief bronze mirrors, German Renaissance silver-plated and engraved Nautilus cups...London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, Naples, the four branches of the Rothschild family, the past glory of the five strongholds, are only one price away from you. distance."

"In other words, by purchasing these collections, you are actually collecting two stories - the history of the artifacts themselves, and the years experienced by the collectors."

"Mr. Glazer, you just said..."

Han Yi stared at the paintings on the screen and pondered for a while before slowly responding.

"When Lafontaine bought this painting, it cost 3095 francs, right?"

"Yes, that was the price in 1780." Joshua folded his hands in front of him. There was no difference in his tone, but the information in his words was conveyed very effectively. "In that year, the average price of French workers The hourly wage is 0.09 francs."

"What about the price in 2016?" Han Yi looked at Joshua Glazer, "How much has time and the Rothschild seal increased its value?"

"This is the subtlety of private sales, Mr. Han. There is no starting price here, and there is no minimum price increase in each round. There is only you and your approval of this work." Joshua did not directly respond to Han Yi's question , but chose this ambiguous routine, "The seller has a psychological price range, and you also have a psychological price range. What we need to do is try to make the two overlap as much as possible."

"So, where is the seller's psychological price range...?"

"A...a little tall." Joshua raised his hands flat in front of him and grinned one corner of his mouth.

"A little high?"

"Yes, it depends on what angle you think about this issue."

“What angles are there for me to choose from?”

“An artistic perspective, an investment perspective, and just a pure money perspective.”

“From an artistic perspective, what is the seller’s asking price?”

"It's very fair, because there is only one Rembrandt in the world, and there is only one authentic painting of "The Flag Bearer."

“From an investment perspective, what is the seller’s asking price?”

"Investors may need to consider the liquidity risks brought by wholly-owned purchases, or the financial risks brought by financing purchases, but generally speaking, it is an excellent return rate and can continue to increase the value of family wealth measured in hundreds of years. , an investment project that will be passed down stably.”

"What about...from a purely monetary perspective?"

"Thinking about it from a purely monetary perspective... you will sigh that human society actually has such an ultimate treasure. The numbers are almost filling the amount column of the check, and its value cannot be reflected."

"Nine digits?"

"Nine digits."

"One hundred million...euro?"

"You were right about the currency unit."

Joshua Glazer pressed the sensor in his hand, and below the text description on the right side of the screen, a long string of milky-white text gradually emerged.

"The private sale price given by the Rothschild family for this 1634 work, The Standard Bearer, is -"

"1.75 million euros."

　Today is still not very comfortable, but the promised update must be fulfilled, but the word count is a bit short, and the story will need to be told in several paragraphs. Sorry, sorry

　　
　
(End of this chapter)