🎨🔍 Mystery of Da Poof! Van Gogh Stay Missing, Brah!

Wot? Afta one Van Gogh painting wen make big kine sale at da auction, one movie produca wen stake claim like da real owna. But latas, da painting stay disappear, brah, no can see um no mo’! Da trail lead us to some shady tax hideouts down Caribbean side and one rich guy from China stay behind bars. 😲💰🚁

“Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies,” stay one of da last work Van Gogh wen make before he take off in 1890. Dis painting stay private only, no public ownas. In 1911, Paul Cassirer from Berlin, dis art dealer guy, wen buy um.

Fast forward to 1962, da painting wen hang out at Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo side. Stay there for plenny years, till one private collector wen buy um. 🖼️🏛️

So den, in 2014, da painting wen show up again at Sotheby’s, sell for whopping $61.8 million! Short while afta, um wen show face in Beijing, but only small kine. Da auction start from $23 million, for Lot 17. 💸👀

Inside da crowded room at Sotheby’s, Manhattan, da price wen start climbing quick quick: $32 million, $42 million, $48 million. Den, new potential buyer from China wen join da game, make um one two-man contest. 📞🎉

One crazy night in November 2014, get all kine artwork for sale from dose time painters and modern kine sculptors. But one painting stay catch everybody’s eyes: “Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies,” dat Van Gogh wen finish just few weeks before he say aloha. 🎭👏

China man wen pump da price up to nearly $62 million and he wen score da big prize. Highest offer ever for Van Gogh still life at auction. 🏆🎨

In da fancy world of high-end art, usually buyers stay anonymous. But dis winna guy, one important movie produca, wen shout out loud in every interview dat he stay da new owna of da painting. Da produca, Wang Zhongjun, stay all stoked. His company wen just help bring “Fury,” dat World War II movie with Brad Pitt, to da big screen. He dream of making his business like China’s Walt Disney Company. 🎬🎥

Da sale, according to China media, wen cause big kine “sensation.” Was like one sign — afta one Picasso wen get bought by one Chinese real estate big kahuna da year before — dat China was becoming one big kahuna in da global art market. 🌐🎉

“Ten years ago, I could not have imagined purchasing a van Gogh,” Mr. Wang wen say in one interview with Sotheby’s. “After buying it, I loved it so much.” But maybe Mr. Wang no stay da real owna. Two odda guys wen get linked to da purchase: one strange middleman in Shanghai who wen pay Sotheby’s bill through one Caribbean shell company, and da person he stay answer to — one quiet billionaire in Hong Kong. 💼💸

Dis billionaire guy, Xiao Jianhua, stay one of da most influential tycoons of China’s rich boy era, making one financial empire in recent decades by hooking up with da Communist Party big guys and one new class of super-rich businessmen. He also stay control one hidden offshore network of more than 130 companies holding over $5 billion in assets, according to some corporate documents da New York Times wen scoop up. Among dem was Sotheby’s invoice for da Van Gogh. 🏝️💼

Nowadays, Mr. Xiao stay one fallen man. He stay kidnapped from his fancy apartment and now stay locked up in mainland China. He stay guilty of bribery and odda bad stuff dat da court say wen make danger for da country’s financial security. Meanwhile, Mr. Wang stay struggle, selling properties as his film studio stay lose money every year. 📉🔒

And da still life, according to some art experts, stay up for private sale. For one century afta Van Gogh wen gather flowers and place dem in one earthen vase to paint, da artwork’s history could be easily traced, and da piece was often shown in museums for visitors to check out. Now da painting stay missing from public view, no can find where um stay. 🏺🌸🔎

And da painting get plenny history, brah. In May 1890, Van Gogh wen arrive in Auvers-sur-Oise, one local village outside Paris. He stay all sad, he had cut off much of his left ear one year and a half earlier. His stay at one mental hospital no help. But soon as he reach da village, he wen meet Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, one doctor and one art fan. 🏞️👨‍⚕️🎨

“I’ve found in Dr. Gachet a ready-made friend and something like a new brother,” Van Gogh wen write to his sister. Da doctor wen encourage Van Gogh to forget his sadness and concentrate on his paintings. He wen make nearly 80 of dem in two months, including “Portrait of Dr. Gachet,” considered one masterpiece. He produced “Vase With Daisies and Poppies” at the physician’s home and maybe wen give um to him in exchange for treatment, according to biographers. 📝🌼🏵️

Afta Van Gogh’s death in July 1890, da painting wen go to a Parisian collector, and den, in 1911, as da artist’s fame was rising, to a Berlin art dealer. A series of German collectors owned it before A. Conger Goodyear, a Buffalo industrialist and a founder of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, bought it in 1928. His son George later wen grant part ownership to Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which displayed it for nearly three decades. 🖼️🏛️

In May 1990, topping years of record-breaking prices for van Goghs, a Japanese businessman spent $82.5 million for “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” at Christie’s, then the highest price paid at auction for any artwork. 💸🎨

Bout dat time, Mr. Goodyear wanted to sell the 26-by-20-inch still life to raise money for anoda museum. It failed to sell at Christie’s in November 1990, where it had been expected to fetch between $12 million and $16 million. Soon after, a lower offer was accepted from a buyer who remained anonymous. 💵🤐

Most of da 400 or so oil paintings Van Gogh produced during his last years — considered his best work — are at arts institutions around the world. About 15 percent are in private hands and not regularly on loan to museums. In the past decade, just 16 have been offered at auction, according to Artnet, an industry database. Among them was “Orchard With Cypresses,” from the collection of the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, which Christie’s sold last year for $117 million to an undisclosed buyer. 🖼️🌳💰

Da Producer and da Billionaire For one year afta da November 2014 auction, Mr. Wang kept da still life at his $25 million apartment in Hong Kong. In October 2015, da film producer was da guest of honor at a five-day exhibition in da city. An amateur artist, he had more than a dozen of his own oil paintings on display. 🏠🎥🎨

But da main attractions were da Van Gogh and a Picasso he had recently bought, “Woman With a Hairbun on a Sofa.” Sotheby’s said Mr. Wang had paid nearly $30 million for da work. 💵👩🛋️

Until then, Japanese industrialists, followed by American hedge fund managers and Russian oligarchs, had captured headlines for record-breaking purchases. Around 2012, newly rich Chinese buyers, who had benefited from their country’s market-opening policies, came on the scene. 💼📈

“All da auction houses really jumped on that,” said David Norman, who headed Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern art department when da Van Gogh was sold. Chinese billionaires were often stoked to announce their big-ticket purchases. In 2013, a retail magnate bought a Picasso for $28 million at Christie’s, following up with a $20 million Monet at Sotheby’s in 2015. The same year, a stock investor spent $170 million at Christie’s for a Modigliani. 🖼️💸

“It is a combination of vanity, investment and building their own brand,” said Kejia Wu, who taught at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and is the author of a new book on China’s art market. Mr. Wang, 63, enjoyed being in the spotlight. In interviews, he spoke of his admiration for Van Gogh and the artist’s influence on him. “Few people in the world would buy this kind of painting — there aren’t that many who love Impressionist art this much and can afford it, right?” 📚🎨

At least, that’s what he like people fo’ think. But not everyone believes him. The disappearing painting and all da hidden deals behind da scenes show dat da art world, even for da richest guys, still stay full of mystery and intrigue. As for Mr. Wang and da missing Van Gogh, only time going tell where the painting will show up next. Stay tuned, k? 🧐🔍🎨

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🎨🔍 Mystery of The Disappearing Van Gogh!

“Mystery of The Disappearing Van Gogh! 🎨🔍

What? After a Van Gogh painting made a huge sale at auction, a film producer claimed to be the real owner. But later, the painting disappeared, and the trail leads us to some shadowy tax havens in the Caribbean and a wealthy Chinese man now behind bars. 😲💰🚁

“Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies,” is one of the last works Van Gogh completed before his death in 1890. The painting had been privately owned and not public. In 1911, it was bought by Paul Cassirer, an art dealer from Berlin.

Fast forward to 1962, the painting was in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo. It remained there for many years until a private collector purchased it. 🖼️🏛️

Then, in 2014, the painting resurfaced at Sotheby’s, selling for a whopping $61.8 million! Shortly after, it appeared in Beijing, but only briefly. The auction started at $23 million for Lot 17. 💸👀

In the packed room at Sotheby’s, Manhattan, the price started climbing swiftly: $32 million, $42 million, $48 million. Then a new potential buyer from China joined the game, turning it into a two-man contest. 📞🎉

One wild night in November 2014, various artworks for sale included those from old-time painters and modern sculptors. But one painting caught everybody’s eyes: “Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies,” that Van Gogh finished just a few weeks before his demise. 🎭👏

The Chinese man raised the price up to nearly $62 million and scored the grand prize. It was the highest offer ever for a Van Gogh still life at auction. 🏆🎨

In the high-end art world, buyers usually remain anonymous. But this winner, an influential film producer, declared in every interview that he was the new owner of the painting. The producer, Wang Zhongjun, was elated. His company had just helped bring “Fury,” a World War II film starring Brad Pitt, to the big screen. He dreamt of making his business akin to China’s Walt Disney Company. 🎬🎥

The sale, according to Chinese media, caused a massive “sensation.” It was seen as a sign — following the purchase of a Picasso by a Chinese real estate tycoon the previous year — that China was becoming a major player in the global art market. 🌐🎉

“Ten years ago, I could not have imagined purchasing a Van Gogh,” Mr. Wang said in an interview with Sotheby’s. “After buying it, I loved it so much.” But maybe Mr. Wang isn’t the real owner. Two other individuals were linked to the purchase: an odd middleman in Shanghai who paid Sotheby’s bill through a Caribbean shell company, and the person he answered to — a quiet billionaire in Hong Kong. 💼💸

This billionaire, Xiao Jianhua, is one of the most influential tycoons of China’s affluent era, building a financial empire in recent decades by aligning himself with Communist Party bigwigs and a new class of super-rich businessmen. He also controls a hidden offshore network of more than 130 companies holding over $5 billion in assets, according to some corporate documents The New York Times obtained. Among them was Sotheby’s invoice for the Van Gogh. 🏝️💼

Currently, Mr. Xiao is a fallen man. He was kidnapped from his luxurious apartment and is now incarcerated in mainland China. He was found guilty of bribery and other wrongdoings that the court said threatened the country’s financial security. Meanwhile, Mr. Wang is struggling, selling properties as his film studio loses money year after year. 📉🔒

And the still life, according to some art experts, is up for private sale. For a century after Van Gogh arranged flowers and placed them in an earthen vase to paint, the artwork’s history could be easily traced, and the piece was often displayed in museums for visitors to see. Now the painting is missing from public view, its whereabouts unknown. 🏺🌸🔎

The painting has quite a history. In May 1890, Van Gogh arrived in Auvers-sur-Oise, a local village outside Paris. He was depressed, having cut off much of his left ear a year and a half earlier. His stay at a mental hospital had not helped. But as soon as he arrived at the village, he met Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, a doctor and art enthusiast. 🏞️👨‍⚕️🎨

“I’ve found in Dr. Gachet a ready-made friend and something like a new brother,” Van Gogh wrote to his sister. The doctor encouraged Van Gogh to put aside his sorrow and concentrate on his painting. He created nearly 80 of them in two months, including “Portrait of Dr. Gachet,” considered a masterpiece. He painted “Vase With Daisies and Poppies” at the physician’s home and perhaps gave it to him in exchange for treatment, according to biographers. 📝🌼🏵️

After Van Gogh’s death in July 1890, the painting went to a Parisian collector, and then, in 1911, as the artist’s fame was rising, to a Berlin art dealer. A series of German collectors owned it before A. Conger Goodyear, a Buffalo industrialist and a founder of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, bought it in 1928. His son George later granted part ownership to Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which displayed it for nearly three decades. 🖼️🏛️

In May 1990, breaking years of record-breaking prices for van Goghs, a Japanese businessman spent $82.5 million for “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” at Christie’s, then the highest price paid at auction for any artwork. 💸🎨

Around that time, Mr. Goodyear wanted to sell the 26-by-20-inch still life to raise money for another museum. It failed to sell at Christie’s in November 1990, where it had been expected to fetch between $12 million and $16 million. Soon after, a lower offer was accepted from a buyer who remained anonymous. 💵🤐

Most of the approximately 400 oil paintings Van Gogh produced during his last years — considered his best work — are at arts institutions around the world. About 15 percent are in private hands and not regularly on loan to museums. In the past decade, just 16 have been offered at auction, according to Artnet, an industry database. Among them was “Orchard With Cypresses,” from the collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, which Christie’s sold last year for $117 million to an undisclosed buyer. 🖼️🌳💰

The Producer and the Billionaire For a year after the November 2014 auction, Mr. Wang kept the still life at his $25 million apartment in Hong Kong. In October 2015, the film producer was the guest of honor at a five-day exhibition in the city. An amateur artist, he had more than a dozen of his own oil paintings on display. 🏠🎥🎨

But the main attractions were the Van Gogh and a Picasso he had recently purchased, “Woman With a Hairbun on a Sofa.” Sotheby’s said Mr. Wang had paid nearly $30 million for the work. 💵👩🛋️

Until then, Japanese industrialists, followed by American hedge fund managers and Russian oligarchs, had made headlines for record-breaking purchases. Around 2012, newly wealthy Chinese buyers, who had benefited from their country’s market-opening policies, entered the scene. 💼📈

“All the auction houses really jumped on that,” said David Norman, who headed Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern art department when the Van Gogh was sold. Chinese billionaires were often eager to announce their big-ticket purchases. In 2013, a retail magnate bought a Picasso for $28 million at Christie’s, following up with a $20 million Monet at Sotheby’s in 2015. That same year, a stock investor spent $170 million at Christie’s for a Modigliani. 🖼️💸

“It is a combination of vanity, investment and building their own brand,” said Kejia Wu, who taught at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and is the author of a new book on China’s art market. Mr. Wang, 63, enjoyed being in the spotlight. In interviews, he spoke of his admiration for Van Gogh and the artist’s influence on him. “Few people in the world would buy this kind of painting — there aren’t many who love Impressionist art this much and can afford it, right?” 📚🎨

At least, that’s what he wanted people to think. But not everyone believes him. The disappearing painting and all the hidden deals behind the scenes demonstrate that the art world, even for the wealthiest individuals, remains full of mystery and intrigue. As for Mr. Wang and the missing Van Gogh, only time will tell where the painting will resurface next. Stay tuned. 🧐🔍🎨