After hearing Zolf Henry's clear answer, Fang Lang nodded with satisfaction. He knew that the other party must have regarded him as an art dealer.
As for wanting to make a profit by hyping up Picasso's works, Fang Lang just smiled. After all, his goal had been achieved. He didn't care how the other party understood him.
With Zolf Henry's reminder, Fang Lang thought of investing in art. Of course, he would not only invest in Picasso's works. Even if he added Monet's works, it would not satisfy Fang Lang's desire.
Therefore, he did not hesitate to pursue the victory and said:
"Besides these two painters, do you have any other works you would recommend?"
Hearing this, Zolph Henry, who was leading the tour of the manor, stopped again and stood in front of Fang Lang and said:
“This… As far as I know, there are a lot of famous artists’ works on sale in the market now. If you are interested, you can buy some and invest in them.
For example, the works of Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh are very promising.
But he has passed away, and his works have been recognized by many collectors, so it is impossible to stock them in large quantities for speculation.
...
...
If you want to invest in his work, the cost would be enormous.”
From this Fang Lang could tell that his steward had a very sharp eye for paintings. At least up to now, the painters he recommended were all well-known to Fang Lang in later generations. As long as he had a few works of these people, his family's foundation in the Western oil painting collection market would become extremely profound.
He may not know who Vincent is, but the name Van Gogh is too famous. At least, people like him know that Van Gogh has a work called "Sunflowers", which is very famous in later generations. There should be few people who have not heard of it.
So, when Fang Lang heard this name, he had a clear understanding of Zolph Henry's ability to appreciate art.
Such a person turned out to be a butler. It must be said that the quality of British butlers is indeed high. No wonder some people in later generations said that British butlers are gentlemen among gentlemen. They are more gentlemanly than gentlemen and more aristocratic than nobles.
Some even say that although they are not descendants of aristocrats, they are teachers of aristocrats.
At least, at this moment, Fang Lang was very satisfied with the ability of Zorf Henry, which even far exceeded his imagination.
As for other abilities, we will have to wait and examine them later.
"Vincent Van Gogh, that's the guy who did 'Sunflowers' and 'Starry Night' right?"
Hearing this, Zolph Henry nodded and said with a smile:
"It seems that you are very familiar with the art market. You are right. I am talking about this person. Although Vincent Van Gogh has some mental illness, he is indeed a genius painter.
Unfortunately, his life was very short, and he committed suicide at the age of 37. It is said that he only created 864 oil paintings, 1,037 sketches, and 150 watercolors in his short life.
If you want to hype his paintings, the cost we need to invest will be very huge because his works have been recognized by the world.
There won’t be many people willing to sell easily. I suggest that if you want to hype up, you should look for some painters who are still alive and stock up on them before they become famous, so that you can maximize your profits.”
“Haha… It doesn’t matter. I’m not short of money. Since you think this Vincent Van Gogh is a genius, then I will invest in him, no matter how many of his works are for sale on the market, as long as I can confirm that they are authentic.
You can make the contact on my behalf, and I will then find a professional team to take charge of this business.
As for your suggestion to invest in living artists, it does make sense. Do you have any good recommendations?"
Fang Lang now really recognizes the other party's artistic attainments, so he is really prepared to ask him for advice on his art investment.
Even if the other party really recommends a few artists he is not familiar with for investment, he will not refuse. After all, hyping up artworks is the specialty of some big collectors.
If you own a media organization, it is not too easy to hype up an artist's reputation. As long as the artist's level is not too bad and you have enough works, it will be difficult to lose money.
Besides, judging from the several artists recommended to him by the other party, Zolph Henry’s vision is definitely very sharp.
That's why he continued to ask the other party if there were any other good artists to recommend.
When Zolph Henry heard Fang Lang say generously that he was not short of money, he was stunned. He was not quite sure how much Fang Lang was worth, but he was a boss who could say that he was not short of money.
He believed that it would not be too bad. Since the other party believed in his vision and he was very satisfied with the people he recommended, he did not hesitate any longer. After thinking carefully for a while, he slowly said:
"Sir, I am very grateful for your trust. If you really want me to continue to recommend you, I do have three suitable candidates here, and I can guarantee that you will definitely like their works."
Looking at Zolph Henry's confident look, Fang Lang was somewhat surprised, but at the same time he also found it interesting that the other party actually felt that he would absolutely like his work very much.
You have to know that he himself is not an artist, and he doesn't have any artistic talent. He can't even understand Picasso's paintings. If he didn't know that these guys would become very famous in later generations, or if he knew that these guys' works were very valuable, he would not have spent a lot of money to invest in other people's works!
Now hearing Zolph Henry guarantee that he would like it very much, he couldn't help but become interested.
With a smile on his face, he looked at the other person with a playful look in his eyes and said:
"Oh! There are actually three suitable candidates. Tell me if I have heard of them."
Zolf Henry certainly saw Fang Lang's expression, but he didn't care. He slowly stretched out a finger and said calmly:
“First of all, all three are still alive and have plenty of time to create.”
Hearing this, Fang Lang nodded and motioned for the other party to continue.
Seeing this, Zolph Henry slowly stretched out his second finger and said:
“Secondly, they are all Chinese, and the works they create will definitely suit your aesthetic.”
These words shocked Fang Lang. He did not expect that the other party would recommend three Chinese artists to him. However, since the other party had a deep research on Chinese antiques, it was normal for him to like Chinese art.
It is also very possible to discover several artists with potential in China.
Now he really started to become interested, and his eyes slowly started to light up.
He nodded to Zolfo Henry, signaling him to continue.
Seeing Fang Lang's expression, Zorf Henry also smiled and said more confidently:
"Third, most of their works are in Chinese style, which will definitely suit your aesthetic."
Fang Lang never expected that the people recommended to him were actually Chinese, and that their works were also in Chinese style. No wonder he was so sure that he would like them.
It seems that this Zolfo Henry must have understood human nature to a certain extent.
Fang Lang was indeed very moved by the three points he mentioned, so he said anxiously:
"Haha... Then tell me quickly, who are these three artists? I want to know which artists from my hometown caught your eye. You actually suggested that I invest in them."
When Zolph Henry heard Fang Lang's words, he was obviously convinced of his own vision, which made him very happy. He was able to make the new boss recognize his ability during his first meeting, which would certainly make it easier for him to carry out his work in the future.
Since Fang Lang had already asked the other party's name, he certainly couldn't continue to tease the other party, so he stopped hiding it and spoke directly:
"The first painter is Qi Baishi, who should be nearly 80 years old now, but as far as I know he is still alive and is still creating works. His works are very valuable for investment.
The second painter is Xu Beihong, 51 years old. He once studied in France. His oil painting "Old Woman" created in France was selected for the French National Art Exhibition.
Later, he visited and studied in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Switzerland and other countries. He was the only one among the three painters who had studied in Europe and the United States.
The third painter is Zhang Daqian, now 47 years old, who studied in Japan in his early years.
These three painters have their own unique characteristics and great painting skills. I think their works are very collectible.”
When Fang Lang heard the first name, he was stunned. He never thought that Zolph Henry, who was far away in the United States, would know Qi Baishi's name and recommend him to him.
Before he could finish being shocked, the other party called out two familiar names. At this moment, Fang Lang was very suspicious whether the other party was also a time traveler.
Otherwise, the few names the other party casually reported were all famous figures in later generations. If he was not a time traveler, he should not be so unknown just because of this vision.
Thinking of this, his eyes narrowed and he became alert. He asked Zorf Henry tentatively:
“Do you know Bruce Lee and Michael Jackson?”
Since he was testing the other party, he certainly couldn't directly ask the other party if he was a time traveler or something like that, but for a household name like Michael Jackson, it was unlikely that he had never heard of him.
As for Bruce Lee, he is one of the Chinese stars that left the deepest impression on Fang Lang. Since he knows Chinese culture so well, if he is a time traveler, he must have heard of this name.
After saying that, Fang Lang's eyes were fixed on the other person's expression, for fear of missing any details.
But the other party's behavior did not show any abnormality. After thinking seriously for a while, he said with some doubt:
"Excuse me, sir, are these two people you are talking about also painters?
I'm really sorry, I haven't heard of their names. If you like their works, I can also ask around in the circle and try to buy some for you."
Fang Lang stared at the other party without blinking, confirming that the other party did not show any abnormality. This made him feel complicated, relieved but also a little disappointed.
He shook his head gently and said:
"No, they are not painters, but two of my friends. I really like the works of Qi Baishi you mentioned. I have told them this before.
When I heard you recommend Qi Baishi to me, I thought you knew these two friends of mine and they told you about my preferences.
Since you don’t know them, forget it.”
Fang Lang's words made Zorf Henry smile like a gentleman. He bowed slightly to Fang Lang and said:
"Sir, I don't know these two friends of yours, but since you have also discovered the excellence of Mr. Qi Baishi, it means that my recommendation is correct, right?
Gold will always shine, and you are also a connoisseur who can find the real gold among the gravel.
I think my recommendation will satisfy you. ”
Hearing this, Fang Lang laughed loudly, stepped forward, shook Zorf Henry's hand, patted his arm and said:
"Mr. Zolf Henry, can I call you Zolf?"
"Of course sir, it's my pleasure!"
“Zorf, I want to tell you that you are excellent and definitely an excellent butler. I admire you very much.
If you can be absolutely loyal, I will make you my lifelong steward."
Fang Lang was indeed very satisfied with Zorf Henry's performance, but he had to say something in advance. In his opinion, the most important quality of a butler is loyalty, and other abilities are secondary.
After all, his identity was very sensitive. As his butler, he might hear about a lot of military and national affairs in the future. For example, the European support plan that he came here to discuss with Morgan this time was still kept absolutely confidential.
If he fails to be absolutely loyal and spreads the news he heard here, not to mention whether he can let him go, the US government will definitely choose to kill him without hesitation.
In addition, Fang Lang is very cautious in the use of people around him. Almost everyone is subject to investigation and surveillance by his intelligence agencies. If any abnormality is found, he will kill them without hesitation.
In other words, working next to Fang Lang is actually very dangerous, and your life might even be in danger.
After hearing Fang Lang's words, Zorf Henry was startled and said seriously:
"Sir, thank you for your recognition of my work! Being loyal to your employer is the most basic professional ethics, and I am very clear about this. Please believe that I will be able to do this perfectly.
I feel very honored to be your lifelong steward."
Fang Lang smiled indifferently:
"Zorf, I hope you can understand that my job is very special and requires very high confidentiality. If you work with me, you will definitely be investigated by the intelligence department and may also be monitored.
Once you are found to have leaked information, you may be arrested directly.
So, I hope you won’t rush to give me an answer. Just take me on a tour today, and then think about it carefully when you go back and discuss it with my family.
If, once you make a decision, it cannot be changed for life, I hope you can think it over carefully before giving me an answer. This is not an easy job. "
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