Search for Treasure Worldwide Chapter 1382: Distressing Chinese antique artwork
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While walking into the China Pavilion, Ye Tian was also quietly introducing to Betty and the others the origins of the China Pavilion at Fontainebleau Palace and the antique artworks collected in the museum.
“In 1861, when Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, was touring the Palace of Fontainebleau, she asked the architect Alex to build a hall for her to collect art from the Far East.
The architect selected this hall, which was built during the Francois I period. After some renovations, it became what it is today. Its main body is a hall fourteen meters long and seven meters wide.
The antique artworks displayed in the China Pavilion mainly come from three channels, tribute from Siam, treasures from China, and Chinese antique artworks purchased by the French royal family from around the world.
The largest part of the Chinese antique art comes from the Chinese imperial garden, the Old Summer Palace, known as the Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens. It was plundered from the Old Summer Palace by the French army that invaded China in 1860.
On October 7, 1860, French general Charles Montauban led his troops into the Old Summer Palace on the outskirts of Beijing. They carried out a frantic search and plunder of the Old Summer Palace, and robbed a large number of treasures of the Qing royal family.
They snatched away all the treasures that could be taken away. Those huge, extremely heavy treasures and exquisite antiques and artworks that could not be taken away were also smashed one by one and completely destroyed!
This is not the end. After looting the Old Summer Palace, in order to destroy the evidence of the crime, the evil British and French allied forces began to set fire crazily. The fire burned the Old Summer Palace, which was known as the Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens, to ashes! "
"Wow! This is so crazy. Those invaders are simply a bunch of beasts, crazy lunatics!"
Betty said with emotion, with a bit of anger in her tone.
As a Chinese girlfriend, under the influence of Ye Tian, when she heard such things, she naturally felt a sense of indignation!
Even people who have nothing to do with China, as long as they have a little sense of justice, will definitely be angry when they hear such crazy and inhumane banditry!
On the other side, Benoit and all the French people's faces turned red and looked quite embarrassed!
These things Ye Tian said are all extremely conclusive historical facts. No one can deny that this is also the main reason why the Chinese Pavilion of the Fontainebleau Palace has been closed for a long time!
As long as the China Pavilion is open and Chinese tourists come here to visit, they will hear these remarks, which will embarrass them, the entire Fontainebleau Palace, and even the entire France!
France has always advocated freedom, equality and fraternity! The French are said to be a nation that loves art extremely, but they have done such a despicable thing. How can they not be embarrassed?
"Steven, what you said is not entirely correct. The French troops who broke into the Old Summer Palace did take away a large number of antiques and art, and indeed destroyed a lot of things, but it was the British who set fire to the Old Summer Palace!"
Benoit defended himself, his words seriously lacked confidence, and his voice was a little floaty.
Ye Tian looked at the French guy and said with a sneer:
"What's the difference? They're all shameless robbers!"
Hearing this, many French people present were immediately silenced. Their faces turned as red as pig liver, their expressions became even more embarrassing, and there was a hint of anger in their eyes!
Ye Tian ignored them and turned back to continue:
"In the Old Summer Palace, the treasures robbed by the French commander Monttopan filled several carriages, and all the other British and French officers and soldiers who participated in the robbery returned home with their loads!
After these despicable and shameless bandits returned to Europe, they relied on the huge wealth they looted from the Old Summer Palace to live a carefree life. Many of them even enjoyed it for life!
And the Old Summer Palace, a unique garden masterpiece and a rare art treasure in the world, burned in the raging fire for three whole days and nights, and all the prosperity was burned to the ground!
Hugo once wrote angrily, 'One day, two robbers broke into the Old Summer Palace. One robbed something and the other set a fire. These two robbers, one was named France and the other was named English! ‘
What is even more despicable is that the British and French soldiers who participated in the robbery did not understand the cultural value of Chinese antiques and artworks. Many precious Chinese calligraphy and paintings were burned, causing extremely heavy losses!
After the French army transported the antique artworks looted from the Old Summer Palace back to Europe, Montauban dedicated seven cartloads of antique artworks to the wife of Napoleon III, Empress Eugenie!
In order to collect these antique artworks from the Old Summer Palace, Queen Eugénie ordered the construction of the China Pavilion. Since then, many antique artworks from the Old Summer Palace have been added here.
Among the museums outside of China, it should be said that among all the museums in the world, the China Pavilion at the Palace of Fontainebleau has the largest collection of antiques from the Old Summer Palace, unparalleled!
The antique artworks collected here from the Old Summer Palace number in the thousands, some say tens of thousands, of which many are priceless treasures and are top-notch antique artworks.
There has never been an exact number regarding the number of these antique works of art. For well-known reasons, the Palace of Fontainebleau has never given an exact number! "
Having said this, Ye Tian turned his head and looked at Benoit and the other French people!
The faces of the French guys were red, their expressions were very embarrassed, their eyes were flickering, and they seemed not to be prepared to respond to Ye Tian's words!
Every one of them knows very well in their hearts that no matter how they respond, even if they are eloquent, they cannot change the fact that has already happened. If you say more, you will be wrong, so why say more?
At the same time, they have no intention of announcing the number of antique artworks from the Yuanmingyuan collected by the China Museum. That would only cause unnecessary trouble!
Ye Tian glanced at these guys, then withdrew his gaze and continued:
“The Chinese Pavilion at the Palace of Fontainebleau contains so many Chinese antiques that were looted from the Old Summer Palace that even Empress Eugenie herself felt embarrassed!
She once sighed as if she had a conscience: "The emperor of China gave me treasures and playthings, but what I gave in return were troops." But this was just a hypocritical sigh!
It was precisely that catastrophe that made all Chinese people feel extremely humiliating that I had such a deep obsession with the antique artworks from the Old Summer Palace that were crazily looted and lost overseas!
During my previous treasure hunt in Boston, I had already obtained a batch of antique artworks from the Old Summer Palace that had been lost overseas. This time I hope to get more and better treasures! "
When he said the last sentence, Ye Tian was full of confidence and his tone was decisive!
Even if the object of this art transaction is not the Palace of Fontainebleau, but the Guimet Asian Art Museum, it doesn’t matter at all!
The real drama will not begin until the Napoleon treasure buried at No. 15 Avenue de Chanunes is revealed!
You know, many of the antique artworks in that treasure are closely related to Napoleon, and they are all priceless treasures in the eyes of the French!
For all museums and collectors in France, and even for all famous museums and top collectors in the Western world, those antique artworks related to Napoleon are the treasures they most want to acquire!
By then, as long as you are willing, you can clear out the entire China Pavilion of the Palace of Fontainebleau, and it probably won’t be a big problem!
"Dear, I believe you can achieve this goal, get more Chinese antiques and art lost from the Old Summer Palace, and return in triumph!"
Between her and Betty said softly, her words equally full of confidence and expectation.
While talking, Ye Tian and the others had already passed through the front hall of the China Pavilion and officially entered the exhibition area.
The first piece of Chinese antique art appeared in front of Ye Tian. At the same time, the situation in the exhibition area was also clearly presented in front of Ye Tian.
This is an exhibition hall with an area of about 100 square meters. The decoration is luxurious and elegant, a typical French palace style decoration, but the displays are Chinese antiques and art, giving people a nondescript feeling!
There are so many Chinese antiques and artworks displayed in the exhibition hall that they almost occupy all the space, leaving only some narrow aisles!
Maybe it’s because it’s closed all year round, or maybe it’s because you don’t understand traditional Chinese culture at all!
The way the French display these Chinese antiques can be said to be simple and crude, without any beauty at all. It is almost unbelievable that this is something done by the French!
The Chinese antiques and artworks here are all stored in a warehouse style and placed on shelves. There is no emphasis on display at all, let alone matching. They are placed one next to the other, which looks very messy and distressing!
Seeing the chaos in the exhibition hall, Ye Tian couldn't help but cursed secretly.
“What a **** who chews barley and wastes things! I feel so bad for you!”