The painting showed a slightly tilted face of a woman against a deep green background. At a glance, the painting would look simple like a third-grader’s painting, but somehow it drew your attention.
The woman’s neck tilted at a weird angle, the simple but intense construction and the colors, they were characteristics of Modigliani’s paintings.
Modigliani was born in a Jewish family. His father was a businessman, but his business failed around the time Modigliani was born, so he couldn’t grow up in a good environment.
He was born weak. After he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, he went to Rome and Florence for his health. Then, he learned about classic art and decided to become an artist.
Hyoyeon came close to Haejin while saying, “I didn’t know I would get to see you here.”
“Please don’t talk in private while I’m working.”
“Hey, you do know that men hard to win over are not popular these days, right? They’re boring.”
“That kind of stubborn misunderstanding is also boring, especially in front of a painting like this,” Haejin replied.
“Would you like a glass of wine? You should have wine when appraising Modigliani’s painting.”
She offered wine to Haejin and Mat, but Haejin shook his head.
“Unlike Modigliani, I have discipline.”
“Oh, he would be so sad to hear that,” Hyoyeon replied.
Modigliani spent his life drunk on absinthe and drugs. He then would start painting.
That was why he was able to go to France to study art. At first, his mother was strongly against it, but when he started to do drugs and absinthe then paint in cafes and bars, she reluctantly gave her permission.
Absinthe was made first in Switzerland in 1750. It was quite popular in the 19th century around Europe.
Many Romanticist artists like Manet, Picasso, and Gogh loved it, and it was because of its ingredient.
Absinthe was mainly made of artemisia absinthium (wormwood), which contained thujone that caused severe disorder to the central nerves. Consumption of it brought nerve distraction and perceptual disturbance.
As Hyoyeon said, if Modigliani were to hear what Haejin just said, he would have been very disappointed and commented on how Haejin didn’t know art, but he was already a dead man.
Haejin took his eyes off the painting and looked at Hyoyeon who was smiling as brightly as she could.
“Where have you bought this painting?”
“Umm… why are you asking?”
Haejin felt sorry for her, but he had to continue speaking.
“Because… you might have to fire the person who bought it?”
At that moment, every person in the room stopped and looked at him in shock. Hyoyeon froze as well.
“What, what do you mean?”
Instead of answering her question, Haejin turned to Mat who asked, “How is it?”
Although Mat couldn’t understand Korean, he could guess Haejin had said something shocking as everyone was dumbfounded.
“I think it is Elmyr’s.”
Haejin didn’t even have to use magic to know the painting was fake. However, it wasn’t because he had great skills, but because the person who had appraised it had either made a huge mistake or didn’t know much.
Maybe it would be asking too much to hope for Korean western painting appraisers to know as much as foreign appraisers.
Even the authenticity of Cheon Gyeongja’s Beautiful Woman had been controversial.
Since even appraisal of Korean works of art was full of different opinions and corruption, it would be a lot harder to study how to appraise western paintings.
“Elmyr? Elmyr de Hory?”
“Yes.”
Mat slowly approached the painting and started to examine the canvas again.
At this, Hyoyeon and the other people of Hwajin-Nomura consortium stood up and watched him while looked worried.
After some time, Mat slowly stood up and nodded at Haejin.
“Yes, it appears to be Elmyr’s.”
“Ex, excuse me, but what do you mean?” Hyoyeon interrupted.
Mat explained, “Elmyr de Hory. He was a Hungarian of the early 20th century. He started with making his own paintings, but when they didn’t sell well, he started making fakes. He forged paintings of masters like Picasso and Modigliani, he made huge money with it. However, he wasn’t a master forger like Eric Hepburn and Tom Keating, so you can find flaws in his paintings if you look closer. This painting is Elmyr’s.”
“How? What makes you so sure?” Hyoyeon started to yell.
Mat pointed at the bottom of the painting.
“Elmyr de Hory painted in the style of the original artist but put in his own signature. I guess your appraiser bought it because he couldn’t see that was the signature because of the dark background and wrinkles of the clothing. His paintings have once brought chaos in Europe, so many appraisers are now used to his patterns, but as Korean appraiser couldn’t have had any experience like that, they can make this kind of mistake.”
“Oh…”
Hyoyeon turned pale, and her face distorted in anger.
Jeonggu, who couldn’t take it longer, came to Haejin.
“So, this painting is fake?”
“Sadly, yes. I don’t think Prince Mohammed can take this painting, so you should just keep it.”
Jeonggu bowed to Mat while saying, “I am sorry. We didn’t know art was so difficult and there were so many fakes. We just wanted to give a gift to His Highness to show our respect, but… I don’t know what to say.”
“No, I know the art market has been full of problems recently. His Highness knows it, too. That is why he sent me here. I don’t think you were trying to send a fake. It’s a shame,” Mat replied.
At this, everyone including Jeonggu relaxed. They were grateful.
“Thank you so much for your understanding. It is embarrassing to ask you this, but as you already have come here, could you give us one more chance?”
Mat hesitated while looking troubled.
“I’m sorry. Actually, my business here isn’t done yet. I have another meeting to attend.”
Jeonggu’s face quickly hardened and asked, “What? Is it Yuseong-SG consortium…”
“Well, you will find out soon anyway… yes. I am about to meet people from Yuseong-SG consortium,” Mat confirmed.
“And is Mr. Park Haejin here going with you?”
“Yes.”
If Haejin was going with Mat, it could be for only one reason.
Of course, Jeonggu and his colleagues frowned as if they were trying to swallow something inedible.
“Okay. I hope you have a good time. But… could you give us one more chance? Just one more.”
Jeonggu didn’t give up. Haejin was a little impressed and wondered if that kind of persistence was what had taken him to his current position.
Even Mat was surprised. He hesitated, but soon he accepted, “Okay. I will think about it.”
It was enough. Jeonggu bowed again while saying, “Thank you. We will be waiting.”
“Then we should go now.”
After Mat and Haejin left, a heavy mood filled the room.
Hyoyeon plopped down on a chair and muttered something to herself.
Jeonggu thought she was probably cursing the appraiser who had recommended the painting and those who had bought it.
“Are we going to despair like this? Yuseong and SG are about to win. Are we going to let them win?” Jeonggu yelled.
Director Lee Hyeonu then quickly took a step forward and said, “I will work with Ms. Hyoyeon and find if there is something better.”
“Bring the best appraiser in this country! And work with him to bring another work of art in two days! You understand? Two days?”
“But that man who just left is the best appraiser in this country…”
Jeonggu then replied, “Then try to win him over! Why not? It would be best if we could recruit him to be on our side! If he refuses, find the second-best appraiser! Go to Saeyeon Gallery, Insadong, or raid a smuggling scene in Incheon or Busan! I don’t care! Just get us the best work of art!”
“Okay, sir. Miss, we should go now.”
Hyoyeon didn’t say anything. She just quietly stood up and left the room with Hyeonu.
After they left, Jeonggu cursed at them while lighting a cigarette.
“Hu… they say a tiger father cannot have a dog son, but that girl isn’t even a cat…”
After Mat and Haejin left the hotel, they headed to Haevici Gallery in Bukcheon right away.
The entire staff had come out to greet them, and Haejin even recognized a few of them.
“Welcome to Haevici Gallery.”
The woman who greeted them in front was, of course, Yaerin.
She was wearing a neat white two-piece suit. Her usual sharpness was gone, and she now greeted Mat with a brilliant smile.
“This gallery is very beautiful.”
Mat really meant it. The Haevici Gallery was a contemporary building with neat and smooth curved lines.
It had been selected as the most beautiful building in 2001 when it was first built. At the time, Yuseong had hired a famous architect from Europe.
“It is nothing compared to Louvre Abu Dhabi.”
“Haha, no. Although it is smaller, such building with Korea’s unique beauty is quite impressive,” Mat replied.
“Haha, thank you. Shall we go in, first?”
Yaerin lightly winked at Haejin as she showed Mat the way.
She had really prepared a lot. She took them to the deepest part of the gallery through a route where there weren’t any ordinary visitors.
As she walked, she whispered to Haejin, “Have you had a good time with Hyoyeon?”
That good time didn’t mean a date, of course.
“Well, umm… I don’t have much to tell you. It wouldn’t be fair for me to tell you what happened.”
Haejin wasn’t going to tell her, but her eyes sparkled.
“Oh… haha, I see. She failed, didn’t she?”
It seemed like women had this ability to discern truth in men’s words.
“Um, I didn’t tell you anything. You should just imagine what happened,” Haejin replied.
“Fine, you told me nothing.”
However, she was clearly in a better mood now. In the deepest part of the gallery, a wide space had been prepared.
Additionally, in the middle of the space, surrounded by black walls, a wooden statue was waiting for them.
It was a statue of Guanyin (Avalokitesvara). One of its legs was on the black stand. Its clothing, necklace, and various decorations had been depicted with great care and details.
It was about 175cm tall, almost as tall as a grown man. Its huge size made it even more valuable.
Yaerin stood in front of it and started to explain.
“It is a wooden Guanyin statue. It shows the huge change that occurred to the Chinese statues in the ancient market. It is assumed to be made in Northern China. At the time, wood was commonly made for Buddhist statues, but as it is a material hart to preserve, there are only a few wooden statues left now. This one is one of them.”
Mat examined it carefully and exclaimed, “Remarkable. Such artifact…”
