The Versatile Master Artist

Though the main structure of the Good Fortune Orphanage remained unchanged, many of its original small external decorations and furnishings had long vanished.

This was the reason Gu Weijing did not initially recognize it.

Upon closer reflection,

the photograph in the oil painting matched the general structure of the orphanage in his memory almost perfectly.

The biggest difference was the two statues of the Virgin at the entrance of the building in the oil painting.

This was something the real Good Fortune Orphanage did not have.

Or rather, it wasn’t exactly missing; the original two statues of the Virgin at the entrance of the orphanage had long been lost in the turbulence of history.

Gu Weijing vaguely recalled that the orphanage’s female director had mentioned the history of the orphanage to him.

It used to be a church relief institution called ”Saint Teresa’s Church,” and there were indeed two statues of the Virgin at the entrance.

However, with the onset of the Anglo-Burmese War in the 1890s, when church forces and the nuns withdrew, one statue was destroyed by shelling during the war, and the other was moved into the yard by volunteers.

That was indeed the statue that Gu Weijing had seen, with the copper plaque bearing the words ”Thou shouldst love thy neighbor as thyself.”

”Calculating the time...”

Gu Weijing’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

If the theme of the painting was truly the Good Fortune Orphanage,

then it was quite intriguing.

He might have really found a big catch.

This would mean that the painting’s creation date was not in the 20th century, but in the 19th century, or more accurately, before the 1890s.

Half a century earlier or later,

this meant a completely different significance for Impressionist works.

In the painting industry, the first batch of those who endured public pressure and art criticism mockery to forge their own paths were true masters.

The second batch were warriors.

The third and fourth batches could only be artisans.

Whenever a painting trend arises and market value becomes recognized, a swarm of followers immediately rushes in to seize the market.

Impressionism was a foundational genre of modern art, with countless followers afterward.

If it was the 20th century, there were plenty of painters imitating the Impressionist style.

But in the latter half of the 19th century, Impressionism was still a niche circle.

The vast majority of artists working in the Impressionist style in the 19th century, except for a few unlucky ones, all left their names in art history.

Their prices were fundamentally incomparable.

This painting, whether in technique or emotion, was a superb piece.

Could it be that the author of this painting belonged to those few unlucky ones?

Gu Weijing carefully inspected the painting paper; many artists would sign their names on their official works or add a special mark of their own.

Of course, there were many exceptions as well.

For example, some artists signed on the frame, or it was a practice piece with no signature at all.

Gu Weijing did not originally hold much hope for finding a mark determining the artist’s identity, as those earlier brokers, no matter how unprofessional, wouldn’t ignore a genuine work signed by the Name Family.

Unexpectedly,

he indeed found the identity information of the painter of this painting.

On the back of the painting paper, the artist had signed their name with black ink, entirely consistent with the painting’s main tone—Coral.

”A female painter?”

The confusion in Gu Weijing’s heart immediately found its answer.

Why did this painter, despite possessing exquisite skills, fail to leave her name in history?

Because she was a woman.

Historically, female painters had long suffered from extremely low social status, and it was not until after World War II that many female artists became recognized.

Historically, many daughters, sisters, or wives of painters actually possessed superb painting skills, but only a few were able to leave their names in history.

Moreover, stories of these painters often accompanied by tragic elements like being sexually assaulted by mentors or sponsors.

Gu Weijing etched the painter’s name in his memory, planning to research and find any relevant materials later.

If he could trace the origin and provenance of this oil painting, its value might increase several times.

Even if he couldn’t find anything, this painter with exceptional skills would still earn his respect.

Gu Weijing took out his bid card and filled in the amount of two thousand five hundred dollars in the bid box beside him.

That was all the cash he had on him.

Though the package bid for these miscellaneous items was only one hundred fifty dollars, he couldn’t pass up the chance to catch such a treasure just because he wanted to save a little money.

Gu Weijing would never forgive himself.