The Versatile Master Artist

In old age, dreams suddenly come true.

Is there anything more gratifying than this?

"Grandpa, are you dissatisfied with some details of the contract?" Gu Weijing turned his head to look at the old man at home.

"Oh, at my age, what is suitable or not suitable. Mr. Hanks Ma Shi gave me two options to choose from. Ten thousand dollars per year as a creative allowance + a monthly guarantee purchase of one painting at 3500 US dollars. Or the allowance remains unchanged, in the form of consignment, with a twenty-eighty split, I take twenty, the gallery takes eighty. These two conditions are already great for an old man with half of his body buried in dirt."

The agency contract follows a three plus five format.

Sign for three years first and then see how it goes. The gallery has the right to decide whether to continue with the five-year clause.

Such contracts are not uncommon in the gallery industry.

In Hank’s heart, Gu Weijing is like the morning’s eight or nine o’clock sun; if Gu Weijing didn’t care, Hank would love to sign him for thirty or fifty years.

When it comes to Gu Tongxiang’s age.

It’s the gallery side that doesn’t want to sign for too long.

The future of elderly painters is highly uncertain.

Optimistically estimating, one might paint for another half a century, having a career as long and illustrious as century artist Elder Cao’s. Or one might be unable to paint in a couple of years; the gallery isn’t a charity and doesn’t want to just provide an allowance without returns.

Sign for three years first and see how it goes.

Considering the relationship with Gu Weijing, Hank directly offered Gu Tongxiang an exceptionally favorable three-category contract for ordinary newcomers.

Gu Tongxiang had no dissatisfaction.

Signing with an Intercontinental Gallery feels like fulfilling a legacy wish for the old Master Gu.

He’d gladly work for free without earning a dime.

It’s just...

"You’re not signing me, Gu Tongxiang, you’re signing me just as Weijing’s grandpa." Gu Tongxiang glanced at Gu Weijing, then at Hank on the side.

"What’s the difference?"

Hank shrugged: "Is there really a way to separate the relationship between you and Mr. Xiao Gu?"

Gu Tongxiang gently shook his head.

"It’s different."

Gu Tongxiang knows his painting skills are not bad, but without remarkable ability. Suitable in Myanmar, but in Dongxia or Europe, they would not stand out.

He is just at the level of ordinary city galleries.

In the eyes of a real grand gallery, he’s worth nothing.

An agent like Gagosian would disdain him, even if Ma Shi Gallery, having given up the super gallery style over the years, widely nets and fishes, signing many fourth to fifth tier small painters.

But internationally, Gu Tongxiang wouldn’t even rate as sixth tier.

Lacking connections, lacking techniques, just possessing ordinary techniques of a professional painter.

From a tasteless, discarded rib to a fragrant drumstick.

And it’s not selling his own face, but that of his grandson!

Gu Tongxiang had no ability to provide better family conditions for his grandson. Watching his grandson about to take off, he couldn’t possibly, in pursuit of his own dreams, drag back his grandson at such a time.

"If you signed me, surely you would want me to continue creating works in the Western-style Heavy Color fusion form, right?" The old Master Gu asked.

"Of course, I think this is the advantageous style for both you and your grandson. Doesn’t Mr. Gu paint these styles of works in your family’s shop?"

Hank spread his hands.

The acceptance level of traditional Chinese paintings among Ma Shi Gallery’s old audience is moderate, asking Gu Tongxiang to paint Oil Paintings?

That’s even more laughable.

With a snap of Hank’s fingers, he could find an artist in Europe with a whole battalion’s worth of talent better at oil painting than Gu Tongxiang, eager to queue up to sign with Ma Shi.

Why bother finding an old man from East Asia to paint oil paintings.

"It’s not the advantageous style for me and my grandson, it’s the advantageous style for Gu Weijing." Gu Tongxiang seriously corrected the error in Hank’s words.

"This painting technique completely belongs to Gu Weijing; these days when practicing a few paintings in my family’s shop, it’s more about completing the knot in my heart from failing my imitation of Lang Shining years ago. Once Weijing goes to university, I won’t touch this technique again."