The Versatile Master Artist

Chapter 44: Chapter 31: The Bet – Last Disciple

”Teacher, what are you doing?”

Lin Tao’s face was filled with astonishment.

Everything had been going so well, and Elder Cao himself seemed very appreciative of Gu Weijing.

Why would he suddenly stop this proposal?

Gu Weijing was also somewhat puzzled. The young man looked at Elder Cao, waiting for the older gentleman’s next explanation.

”Do you mean...?”

”Young Gu, do you want to be my last disciple?”

The small old man’s gaze fell on Gu Weijing. Mr. Cao spoke in a dry and straightforward tone, delivering an utterly shocking piece of news.

”Teacher, what did you say?”

Lin Tao was stunned, he even thought he was hallucinating.

A simple sentence.

Lin Tao saw a different meaning within it.

”I said, I’m already over ninety years old this year, but my health is still quite good. Maybe I have a few more years to live, and I should be able to teach one more disciple. Do you want to be my last student in my lifetime?”

Elder Cao’s tone was very serious.

”Gu Weijing, how could he... possibly...” Lin Tao was so shocked today that he exceeded all the surprises he had faced in the past year. At this moment, he was almost speechless.

”Me? Can I?”

Because this news was so unbelievable that it seemed absurd, Gu Weijing didn’t feel any joy, but rather was equally perplexed.

Why,

Is he worthy?

Imagine a piano boy who suddenly gets an opportunity to become a student of Liszt, how would he feel?

Or.

You find out you’ve won five million in the lottery, and you feel elated.

If someone tells you one day that you’ve won a ten-billion-dollar lottery, you’d wonder if the world has gone mad?

Being the last disciple of Elder Cao, what kind of concept is that?

If becoming Professor Lin Tao’s student is a stroke of luck that ordinary people would envy.

But events where professors of the same level accept inner disciples happen dozens of times a year, which is not rare in the art world of Dongxia, and it’s uncertain whether they will succeed. Looking at the whole world, it’s just a small stone thrown into the pond of painting.

However, if Elder Cao were to accept a disciple, and still intended to make him a unique last disciple, it would be akin to dropping a deep-water bomb into the pond.

As soon as this news spreads, tomorrow morning even Larry Gagosian (founder of Gagosian Gallery), Nicholas Logsdail (leader of Lisson Gallery)... such cultural tsars, art godfathers worth billions, would ask their agents.

”WHO IS FUCKING... Gu Weijing?”

(Who the hell is Gu Weijing? Laughter.)

Becoming a disciple of Lin Tao means you have one foot on the path of becoming a professional painter.

Becoming a disciple of Elder Cao means you have one foot already on the doorstep of modern art history.

If you’re still unclear about what this concept is.

Caravaggio rose to fame at a young age, earning numerous opportunities, becoming a well-known great painter by the age of twenty. This was because he worked in the studio of Peter Zaro, who was a student of Titian, Venice’s chief painter, at the age of thirteen.

How did Titian become famous?

He gained numerous commissions in his teens through the style of his senior brother Giorgione.

And Giorgione? He got help from their teacher Bellini, the former chief painter of Venice.

Collectors might not trust the talents of young painters, but they trust Bellini.

Getting such an opportunity means, on one hand, that your talent is remarkable, and on the other hand, that you receive immense attention and a wealth of resources.

The last time Elder Cao accepted a disciple, Lin Tao remembered it was more than thirty years ago.

That coincided with Elder Cao’s sixtieth birthday, the one who became his disciple was the little junior sister Tang Ning who came from a Jiangnan family with a tradition in painting and calligraphy.

Although it was never explicitly stated, everyone at the time thought the little junior sister would be the last disciple to inherit Elder Cao’s mantle, with almost all the big names in the world of painting and calligraphy attending.

Now the little junior sister is also over forty, residing in the United Kingdom, and last year she had a total of seventeen oil paintings and Chinese paintings auctioned by Sotheby’s and other auction houses.

The most expensive painting fetched 4.5 million US dollars, the cheapest one was 150,000 US dollars. The total amount exceeded 34.5 million US dollars, which made her famous on the Asian artist rich list.

Becoming Elder Cao’s last disciple would mean that the name Gu Weijing will immediately leap from an obscure nobody, past the emerging artist stage, to becoming a well-known artist like Lin Tao.

Although with Gu Weijing’s skills, he doesn’t really deserve the title of artist, at least from a market perspective, it’s like that.

Even if he just takes a blank piece of paper and scribbles on it, after signing his name, many would be willing to buy it. In any case, doing so would be an embarrassment for Mr. Cao Xuan.

The art market often speculates on various concepts and reputations.

”Teacher, think twice, my teaching Xiaogu is just fine, there’s no need for you to personally step in, even if you want to guide him in person, it would be better to do it under my name.”

At this moment, Professor Lin Tao almost wanted to kneel to his teacher.

He now looked at Gu Weijing as if he was a ticking time bomb that might destroy the reputation of the entire school at any moment.

”Elder Cao, I might not be able to handle it.”

Gu Weijing also gritted his teeth, forcibly restraining the urge to immediately kneel and kowtow.

He believed in himself, thinking that one day, he would become a true artist. If he became famous too quickly relying on Elder Cao’s reputation, it might not be a good thing, like pulling seedlings to help them grow.

The highest rating given by the system was only semi-professional, not even considered a professional painter.

Gu Weijing was not self-deprecating; he considered himself excellent among his peers. For example, becoming Professor Lin Tao’s student, a third generation disciple of Elder Cao, was pretty good.

As for the title of artist.

People esteem themselves for having self-awareness, and at this moment he really couldn’t handle it.

When all sorts of public opinions and the glare of cameras from all over the world come bearing down on him, everything about him would be magnified under the spotlight, and Gu Weijing might not be able to endure it.

”Mm, knowing your own worth makes you a good child. If you had immediately jumped at the chance, desperate to become my disciple, although that would be human nature, I would worry that I had misjudged you.”

Elder Cao was not angry, seeming quite satisfied with Gu Weijing’s understanding of his own limits.

”So, teacher, are you joking?”

Lin Tao had almost had a heart attack from the small old man’s words and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.

”Of course, it’s not a joke.”

With that sentence, the heart Lin Tao had just put at ease felt like it was on a roller coaster again.

”Why don’t we make a deal.”

Elder Cao smiled with a playful look on his face.

”This August’s Singapore Biennale.” Old Sir Cao Xuan thought for a moment. ”If you can participate and win an award, then you shall become my last disciple.”

So the teacher just wanted to give the young man some motivation, scared me to death.

Hearing this, Lin Tao breathed a sigh of relief. Given Gu Weijing’s age and skills, making a name at a formal biennale was somewhat far-fetched.

It’s like asking a middle school student to play in a professional league,

It’s very difficult.

”Of course, I am referring to the professional category, not the amateur one. To become my student, you must have some skills beyond the ordinary.” Elder Cao added calmly.

Lin Tao was completely at ease.