The Versatile Master Artist

Algeria was once France’s most important colony in Africa.

Logically speaking, she is most likely to be the Detective Cat.

Yet, Miss Elina merely glanced through the file for a few seconds before shutting it decisively.

This artist follows an avant-garde style, and her signature piece isn’t even a painting but a swordfish specimen preserved in formaldehyde in an aquarium.

Anna didn’t believe the other party possessed techniques as outstanding as Detective Cat’s.

More importantly.

Before she joined the New York LIMU Gallery this month, she was already a three-star painter on the ’Oil Painting’ magazine’s buyer’s guide, and after joining, she was directly upgraded to three and a half stars.

Just that swordfish specimen alone was once bought by a Lebanese merchant for 170,000 euros.

This is the type of artist who simply wouldn’t stoop to drawing ten-dollar illustrations online.

”Just one left, huh?”

With a nervous heart, Anna opened the last document.

And then a bald old face smiling like a meat bun appeared in the girl’s sight.

[Gallery: Ma Shi Gallery]

[Name: Gu Tongxiang]

[Age: 68]

[Oil Painting Buyer Rating: One Star]

”Gu Tongxiang?”

Anna pondered this unfamiliar name.

The girl browsed through this old man’s personal information.

His creative resume was extremely thin, and it seemed Ma Shi Gallery had tried their best to embellish the background of this elderly artist they were representing.

Unfortunately,

This Mr. Gu Tongxiang, although more than twenty years older than the previous two on the list, had an art background that was pitifully thin.

No significant works or awards, and never officially signed with any gallery before.

He hadn’t even been to university.

He’s one of the rare self-taught artists of modern times.

His background information mentions that he resides in Yangon, Myanmar, living in what the United Nations once recognized as the world’s poorest land.

”...Involved in painting and art business for many years, possessing richer experience than younger painters, with his own profound and unique insights into Asian art trends...”

Looking at the bio Ma Shi Gallery painstakingly compiled for Mr. Gu.

Anna almost wanted to laugh.

It’s about hiring an artist, not an agent. Since when did working in the art business for many years count as an advantage in artistic creation?

The latter half of the sentence, phrased in a less tactful manner, plainly says that although the old man she signed is a nobody, he’s old!

Of course, someone approaching seventy is more experienced than a thirty-year-old artist.

Miss Elina understood these galleries’ ways of doing things.

It’s obvious that this old gentleman’s past records had nothing noteworthy, so they had to write such fluffy and pretentious copy.

Anna also noticed.

The recommendation page for Gu Tongxiang in ’Oil Painting’ magazine’s buyer’s guide was newly created, with only ”Ma Shi Gallery’s represented artist” as the information, and the purchase price for artworks was zero.

This means even the editorial department of ’Oil Painting’ had never known or paid attention to this old man before.

The one-star painter rating hasn’t even been up for three days yet.

The star rating evaluation in ’Oil Painting’ magazine’s buyer’s guide uses a ”market objective + editorial subjective” dual-scoring system.

Anyone signed by Ma Shi Gallery, backed by the century-old reputation of a super gallery, starts with at least one star. If signed by Gagosian, they’d even start at three and a half stars.

Gu Tongxiang was purely benefiting from Ma Shi’s reputation, to be noticed by ’Oil Painting.’

”To be chosen by Ma Shi in such an impoverished region, this old gentleman really isn’t simple, I wonder what’s special about him.”

Anna scrolled down the page.

A Peony Painting came into view, and she couldn’t help but blink again.