pdf-ebookys Chapter 995: The First Female Collector of the Great Zhou Dynasty (1 million votes plus additional c
Chapter 995: The First Female Collector of the Great Zhou Dynasty (1 million votes plus additional c
If Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine Chen knew the seriousness of the situation, she would have taken advantage of the situation and backed down.
Those who cared about Shen Zhinian also gave her admonishing looks.
Since the King of Jin has given me a way out, I should step down. Otherwise, if I continue to make trouble, what if I really lose my position as the Imperial Concubine?
Shen Zhinian glanced at Prince Jin and Princess Yun'an, and said with a half-smile, "Isn't it still necessary to identify the 'traces' and prove the 'history'?"
"The appraisal has not been completed yet, why is Princess Yun'an so anxious? Could it be that you are guilty of doing the crime for Prince Jin?"
Princess Yun'an's eyes suddenly filled with anger: "Good! Good! Good! Since you are determined not to give up until you see the Yellow River, then please continue to tell us the results of the appraisal, so that our Concubine Chen can take a good look! Let's see if she can turn white into black with her eloquence!"
There was a hint of displeasure in Nangong Xuanyu's eyes when he looked at Princess Yun'an.
Although Yun An's rank is higher than Nian Nian, Nian Nian is his favorite concubine. How can she speak to Nian Nian like this?
However, today, Nangong Xuanyu wanted to use this incident to question King Jin, so he couldn't be too biased towards Shen Zhinian, otherwise he would not be able to convince the public.
Following his eye contact, several ministers continued, "To identify the 'marks', we need to look for the traces of time and the flaws of aging."
"You can tell the difference between natural aging and artificial aging from the stains and damage on the painting."
"Real ancient paintings may have mildew spots, insect holes, etc. due to their age, and the distribution is natural, such as the corners are more serious. Fakes may be smeared with tea or soot to make them look old, and the stains are evenly distributed without layers."
"Also, after the pigments of ancient paintings fade naturally, the colors become soft, such as stone green turning light gray. Antiques may have dark colors, or some parts may fade abnormally, such as only a certain part fading."
"This painting, Fishing Alone on a Cold River, is in excellent condition, with no stains or damage, but judging by the signs of fading, it is an authentic work."
Many people listened with fascination, their eyes full of amazement!
They were originally just curious about whether what Concubine Chen said was true or false, and who would be defeated today, her or Princess Yun'an?
Everyone's focus is on the authenticity of "Fishing Alone on a Cold River".
But tonight, after listening to what the cabinet ministers and grand secretaries had to say, they finally understood that there were so many details and knowledge involved in identifying ancient paintings!
You know, it is usually very difficult to get advice from the senior officials and the Grand Secretary! Tonight, thanks to the Royal Concubine Chen, I can see the talents of the senior officials.
Especially for noble ladies, who have lived in seclusion for a long time, they have fewer opportunities to gain knowledge than men. Now I know that there are so many skills in the appraisal of an ancient painting!
Little did they know that it was because of this episode tonight that a noble lady developed a strong interest in studying ancient paintings! Many years later, she became the first female collector in the Great Zhou Dynasty...
The Grand Secretary said, "There are also traces of repairs and unmounting."
"If ancient paintings from different periods need to be repaired, they are all made of paper and silk from the same period, so that the seams blend naturally. Replicas are generally repaired with new paper, so there is a clear color difference at the edges."
"We can also find clues from the number of times the mounting is removed."
"If an ancient painting is unmounted and mounted many times, the paper and silk will become thinner and the ink color will fade. If the ink color of the painting is rich and bright, and the paper and silk are thick, it may be a new imitation."
"Of course, this painting, Fishing Alone on a Cold River, has no signs of repair, so I won't discuss it in detail here."
He was just fascinated by calligraphy and painting, and when he started talking about it, he couldn't help but say a few more words.
"The last step is to verify its 'history' by looking at the literature and the inheritance context."
"If the painting is not recorded in the history of paintings or collection catalogs of past dynasties, or if the records do not match the details of the painting, such as size and inscription, then it may be a fake."
"Real ancient paintings often have clear records of being handed down, which can be linked through collection seals. If there is no record of inheritance or it suddenly appears, it may be a forgery."
"Of course, everyone in the world knows about Master Yu Bai's "Fishing Alone on a Cold River", so this point does not exist."
After hearing this, the third place winner Bai Mufeng was no longer concerned about the bet between Concubine Chen and Princess Yun'an. He valued the opportunity to seek advice from the senior officials and the grand secretaries more.
Bai Mufeng stood up and bowed, then asked respectfully, "May I ask, Grand Secretary, what are the common methods of counterfeiting ancient paintings? How do they appear? What are the main identification techniques?"
"If students encounter this in the future, they will know how to distinguish it, and it will not be in vain for the teachings of you adults tonight!"
Which scholar doesn't love calligraphy and painting? Not only Bai Mufeng, but Zhou Yuhu and others also listened attentively.
The concubines in the harem and the generals who were not interested in such flowery things all frowned when they heard this.
They wanted to watch the fun, but why did these young Hanlin scholars veer off topic?
However, the emperor loved young people and was particularly tolerant of talented young people.
His Majesty didn't say anything, and even if they were dissatisfied, they didn't dare to speak.
The senior ministers looked at the young Hanlin scholars, their old eyes full of admiration.
They are getting older day by day, and the future of Da Zhou will eventually belong to these young people!
Not only do their majesties like young people, they also like energetic faces!
Only by passing on knowledge from generation to generation can the Great Zhou develop better and better.
Perhaps some of these young Hanlin scholars who are highly valued by His Majesty will take over their positions in the future.
An elder said gently: "It seems difficult to distinguish between authentic and fake ancient paintings, but it is actually easy to identify them."
"The imitation is based on the original work, with dull brushwork and in-coloring. You can observe the continuity of the lines. The original work is discontinuous but the imitation has stiff lines. Then compare the ink levels. The original work has natural shades, while the imitation is flat."
"If it is a piece of torn and spliced painting, piece together the fragments to form a complete work, check the paper and silk at the seams to see if the texture is continuous, if the ink color is uniform, and if the inscriptions and seals span different parts."
"Then there is ..."
The Hanlin scholars listened very carefully.
Some noble ladies who were interested in this matter also seized this rare opportunity and listened with an open mind.
Even Shen Zhinian's expression became serious, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes when he looked at these senior ministers and grand secretaries.
Although she supported Lu Jianglin all the way to becoming a marquis and a prime minister in her previous life, Shen Zhinian believed that she was no less capable in politics than these old ministers.
However, compared with the man who had been well-read since childhood, her literary background was still a little lacking.
Tonight, Shen Zhinian also humbly accepted the teachings!
After listening to the elders' speeches, the Hanlin scholars, led by Zhou Yuhu and Bai Mufeng, all stood up and bowed to the bottom: "Thank you all for your advice!"
Princess Yun'an didn't understand all this flowery talk and her face was full of impatience.
She had been holding it in until now, and finally couldn't help it anymore, frowning and asking, "So after all the gentlemen have said so much, does it mean that this painting of Myna's "Fishing Alone on a Cold River" is an authentic one no matter where it is authenticated?!"