Oak Spring Farm

From the moment Henry drove into the area, Oak Spring Farm revealed its extraordinary nature.

Unlike traditional Chinese courtyards or European royal courtyards, the courtyards here are like botanical gardens, with different areas having distinct personalities.

However, within each unique area, subtle and ingenious touches are everywhere, allowing living plants to complement inanimate sculptures, supports, and railings, creating a harmonious and integrated whole.

All of this was personally directed and managed by Mrs. Rachel Lambert, living up to her reputation as Gardener.

Compared to the diverse and beautiful courtyard, the farm buildings themselves are just a few low houses with gray tiles and white walls, without even a second floor or Penthouse, which can be described as extremely simple.

But once you step inside, you'll find that it's not like that at all. The room is filled with artworks, and the walls are covered with paintings.

Or to put it another way, this is treating artworks like furniture, using classic paintings as wallpaper.

Every scene and object seems to be something you'd see and use in an ordinary home: curtains, window frames, cabinets, chairs, lamps, vases, and so on. Even the cups, plates, and teapots displayed in the glass cabinets are exquisite pieces that exude a harmonious aesthetic.

Apart from the paintings on the walls, there were no real decorations in the room; everything was usable.

Yet it flaunts its wealth, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Upon entering, one is greeted by a wall entirely covered with Renaissance paintings, including the Mona Lisa and the Madonna of the Flowers.

<The Holy Family with St. John>, <Bacchus as a Child>, <Sleeping Venus>, etc.

This probably includes masterpieces by Giorgione, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Bellini, Titian, and others.

Most of Michelangelo's works are on the walls of Church. The Mellon family wasn't crazy enough to pry up Church walls, otherwise they would have truly completed their collection.

Henry, stunned by the wall, didn't realize for a long time that several people around him were staring at him.

Henry quickly composed himself and said, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."

Givenchy laughed and said, "It's nothing. They always like to play little pranks on new guests. And your performance..."

That's exactly what satisfies their eccentric mentality.

Henry, playing along with a friendly smile, asked, "Um, which one?"

Are you wondering if the paintings on this wall are all real?

Henry chuckled wryly and said, "It's hard not to think that way. Even art museums might not have such a complete collection of paintings from this period. It wouldn't matter What If...? it were an ordinary family, but this is the Mellon family's Oak Spring Farm."

Paul Mellon stepped forward and proudly stated, "Over 90% of the artworks circulating in the market and those seen in museums or art galleries are genuine."

"Perhaps a better way to put it is that museums or art galleries mostly display replicas, rather than the originals."

"Of course, I don't deny that some pieces are of such high quality that even museum experts can't tell the difference. But don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of person who would take genuine artifacts home and display them casually."

"Items like these, which bear the weight of history, should belong to all humankind. To ensure their proper preservation, they should be stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. Any damage would be a disrespect to human history."

"Some wealthy people like to display genuine artifacts, wantonly trampling on our history. In fact, whether the genuine artifacts they spend a lot of money to buy are as authentic as the sellers claim is a question."

"I've seen people brag to me more than once, saying that the things in the museum are fakes, and that the real ones are in their hands. But after I take one look, I just find it laughable."

"Such people don't even have the most basic ability to appreciate things, or rather, they don't care whether what they have is real or fake; they just want to show off the power they wield."

"My wife and I are dedicated to building the National Art Museum and have donated many works of art. This kind of mistake that disrespects history is something we try our best to avoid."

"But if you see Impressionist or non-Impressionist works elsewhere in the house, works from the 19th and 20th centuries—these are works collected by my wife Rachel. These are more recent and contemporary works, and I don't deliberately display reproductions."

"But I must say, many times even after I explain it this way, guests still stubbornly believe that the Mellon family doesn't collect anything, that I'm joking, or that I'm downplaying the issue. So..." Paul Mellon shrugged.

"So—" Henry pointed to the wall in front, which depicted Renaissance history, and asked, "Are all of these pieces?"

Paul Mellon readily admitted, "Yes. However, most museum or art gallery copies or replicas are deliberately altered in size or marked in a conspicuous place."

"So what you see here are all high-quality replicas that I specially acquired or had made, used to greet some new friends."

"Most of my friends who know the inside story are happy to play along and keep it a secret from others who don't know. So I hope you won't take offense."

What can Henry say about the wicked tastes of the rich? It's like the Sorting Ceremony at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels.

Everyone knows what's really going on, but they all make up stories just to fool the unsuspecting new students.

Henry was just a freshman today, getting tricked by a few old men and women.

"But—" Henry said uncertainly, "May I get a closer look?"

Paul Mellon waved his hand, while his wife, Rachel Lambert, asked attentively, "Henry, do you think there's a problem?"

Henry walked up to the wall, sniffing the painting from all sides. Then he turned and asked, "Your assessment also considers this Leonardo da Vinci's ' Lady with an Ermine ' to be of good quality?"

"What do you think is different about this painting, ' Lady with an Ermine '?" Rachel countered.

Henry explained, "Aging oil paintings is different from aging other artworks; there are no chemicals that can be used quickly. But the aging process is relatively simple, involving baking in an oven and then ironing it flat."

"Finally, the painting is smoked to give it an aged smell. It's not smoked with firewood, but with commercially available cigarettes. However, the smoky flavor is still slightly different from the actual flavor after hundreds of years of aging."

"I can smell Marlboro, West, Winston, Kool, and so on here. But the painting itself doesn't have any of those smells."

Henry was referring to Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, "Lady with an Ermine," which he found problematic.

"Are you sure?" Paul Mellon asked, frowning.

"Just think of it as me having a dog's nose. It's pretty accurate most of the time."