The Versatile Master Artist

Chapter 71: Chapter 63: Found You, My Van Gogh

A score of [10] for one piece, [9] for the other.

All the crew members on set and all the viewers watching the video knew that the suspense of this competition’s champion would only lie between these two works.

After Anna finished scoring, the suspense continued with the other amateur judges’ scores.

The burly, bearded insurance officer seemed dead set on believing that the work by artist Van Doorn should be the winning piece of this competition.

He only gave Jean Arnou [9] points, while the Colored Pencil Drawing received only [8] points.

When it came to the fan guy, the scores completely flipped, with the former receiving [8] points and the latter getting a perfect score of [10].

”It seems the ending is not surprising. Even in such a viral art competition, Master Jean Arnou can still claim the final victory.”

At this moment, Yakai Gangchang believed that the outcome was already without suspense.

Because Mr. Hibernian was the only one left to give his score.

The fan guy with dreadlocks liking the Colored Pencil Drawing did not surprise him.

This kind of realism in art is naturally more pleasing to the eyes of non-professional judges.

But Mr. Hibernian is different.

Yakai Gangchang has been a long-time fan of the ”Mr. Hibernian Channel,”

and from the past videos he’s seen, this super influencer is a person with very high emotional intelligence.

Master Jean Arnou winning the competition would be a win-win situation.

Mr. Hibernian had no reason to embarrass a master-level artist.

Moreover, the judge in the wheelchair also pointed out that the other piece of art was far from perfect, providing an opportunity for a lower score.

”I guess he’ll give Jean Arnou’s work [10] points, and as for the other Colored Pencil Drawing...”

Mrs. Sakai surmised: ”Most likely [9] points, though [8] points is also quite possible. It’s a pity, the tale of David defeating Goliath is ultimately just a myth.”

”It’s such a shame, even though it’s just a YouTube-hosted competition, a champion is still a champion. Even a one-point difference between champion and runner-up carries completely different significance.”

Koizumi Katsuko shook her head somewhat regretfully.

”However, this video is already quite buzzworthy, and losing to a world-class artist like Jean Arnou is still an honorable defeat to some extent.”

She also couldn’t understand why the painter would make a mistake on such trivial details, squandering such a great opportunity.

Growing up, winning a string of awards in various art competitions, Shengzi understood well that sometimes the difference between champion and runner-up could mean a world of difference in benefits and attention received.

Just like the classic English saying, ”People don’t remember the second person to set foot on the moon.”

She felt sad for that unknown painter.

Even though this video was already quite notable and whoever that mysterious artist was, they would become famous overnight.

But competing on the same stage as a master and having the opportunity and honor to defeat them may only happen once in a lifetime.

”Both works currently have 27 points each. The last two cards in my hand will decide the ending of this one US dollar to one million dollar challenge... Who is the champion of this competition?”

Thomas did not hold back the suspense.

He directly revealed the card in his left hand.

”Let’s congratulate Mr. Jean Arnou for winning the competition.”

A slight, almost imperceptible disappointment flashed in Anna’s eyes.

Thomas unsurprisingly gave Jean Arnou’s crayon drawing a perfect score of [10], which was something she had anticipated.

When she pointed out the flaws in the other Colored Pencil Drawing, Anna knew she had killed the other’s chance of winning the championship.

This was the fool of an artist’s own doing.

She felt a bit sad, yet did not regret it.

”And—”

Thomas unexpectedly drew out his words: ”This mysterious artist also wins the challenge with a total score of 37 points.”

He flipped over another card, which astonishingly also had another [10].

”This was not a good choice.”

Anna shook her head.

She felt Mr. Hibernian gave the other, who wasn’t sincere about his work, an undeserved victory, for the sake of the video’s effect.

If a person who made a mistake doesn’t pay a price, they won’t remember the lesson the mistake teaches.

In this regard, Anna’s view was almost identical to what Elder Cao used to scold Gu Weijing.

”This is my first tie in the one-dollar to one-million-dollar challenge during the video series. I assure everyone, this was not a pre-designed script, nor did I intentionally choose the score with the most views. I just felt that the mistake this painter made was understandable.”

Being a challenge, in Thomas’s previous series videos, there also appeared instances where projects with lower costs got higher scores.

For example, in the underwater challenge episode, everyone generally thought the one-million-dollar underwater dive was dull and boring, while the one-thousand-dollar speedboat surfing seemed more interesting.

But this controversial tied championship.

It was indeed the first of its kind.

Thomas signaled the camera to pan towards the seven illustrations now lined up in front of the camera.

He was the only one who knew the details of the seven illustrations.

Unlike Anna, whose artistic demands were stringent, Thomas wasn’t as harsh, and willing to give the astonishing Colored Pencil Drawing an equally perfect score.

”I think it was good enough that I had to give it a perfect score, due to its price,” he commented to the camera.

The video moved on to reveal the authors of each illustration.

The first to be unveiled were the few paintings from the earlier recording which no longer held any suspense.

The two relatively abstract paintings were the one-dollar graffiti by a vagrant and the ten-thousand-dollar avant-garde piece by artist Mr. Van Doorn.

The crayon drawing that just won the challenge championship also unsurprisingly revealed the name Jean Arnou and a long string of zeros representing one million dollars behind it.

The remaining four illustrations of unknown origin—Thomas handed them to the four judges.

They would unveil the artists and corresponding amounts in the order of the scores.

The fan guy was the first to take off the tape from the back of the altered illustration—”Nutshell Shop Owner, Crayon Shin-chan, one hundred dollars.”

Followed by the insurance officer uncle’s perfectly serviceable but art-characterless mundane piece—”Nutshell Shop Owner, Bruno Painter’s Studio, one thousand dollars.”

”Wait, seriously... this outcome can’t be that absurd, right?”

At this moment, the Sakai family watching the video by the coffee table seemed to realize something.

Everyone held their breath.

”Unbelievable, if this is the case... just like Mr. Hibernian said, everything is explained.”

Koshiba Tarou’s voice was as light as if in a dream.

Anna blinked.

As if finally figuring something out, she looked down at the picture frame in her arms, her previously pale face suddenly turning a bit red.

While admiring these artworks, she recognized Jean Arnou and Van Doorn’s works.

As for the stunning Colored Pencil Drawing in her hands.

She had always thought it was the one thousand dollar piece by a lesser-known, introverted top-tier painter from the arts circle.

There are countless illustrators in the world, and it’s common to have a few hidden gem painters, especially those who seem unconcerned with their work and behave like quirky characters.

Anna’s privileged upbringing led her to make the same mistake as Koshiba Tarou.

She was accustomed to seeing expensive art pieces, and naturally assumed that any excellent painter could earn a remuneration matching their painting skills.

Van Gogh is known for his tragic plight because such cases are exceedingly rare.

There is only one in all of history.

Even in the twentieth century, posthumously famous artists are numerous, but looking at the so-called late bloomers and posthumous renowned painters in modern art history, they only see a leap from selling a painting for tens of thousands of dollars to selling for several million dollars.

Hardly ever, as pitiful as Van Gogh, selling nothing even for a few Dutch guilders, unable to afford canvas and yet gaining fame posthumously.

In fact,

Van Gogh’s tragedy is also connected with his dysfunctional personality.

He was not a normal artist.

After Van Gogh’s death, his sister-in-law sent his collection of paintings to some exhibitions and it didn’t take long for them to become famous.

Anna never realized that the painting’s price could be below one thousand dollars.

So now, only two works remain undisclosed.

One priced at ten thousand dollars, and the other absurdly low at ten dollars.

Ten dollars!!!

She and Thomas almost simultaneously revealed the tape from the back of the painting.

”Nutshell Shop Owner, Detective Cat—ten dollars.”

Seeing those letters, Anna’s mind went blank.

”I’ve found you, my Van Gogh.”

Such a thought flashed through her mind.