But the following minute, Jonathan decided to alter tactics and questioned Bert with purposeful calm.

"Conversely, sir, I'd be interested in your analysis of this still life."

After all, you are an artist, but I am merely an art lover.

But, honestly, I invest in it for more than just love.

OK, Jonathan, Bert started to talk as a professor educating pupils. 

 

His still-life paintings are fantastic. Look at how Fechin grabs light. The blossoms sparkle from inside. It's as if he's managed to instill them with inner energy. It's a new type of realism: more intense and direct. 

Fechin's approach to still life is far from conventional. He doesn't merely paint what he sees; he converts the topic into an intense experience.

 The brushwork here is lively, and the colours are brilliant and profound. It's as if he's trying to capture both the sight of these blossoms and their soul and vitality." 

And it isn't only the flowers.

Look at the backdrop and how he contrasts the delicate colours of the petals with the deeper, almost melancholy tones behind them. It produces a dramatic impact that pulls the viewer into the artwork.

Hughes agrees, continuing to play his role as a student, but his excitement is palpable.

 "Exactly. Consider Fechin's background. His early schooling in Russia and subsequent influences from his experience in America gave him a distinct viewpoint. He merged traditional methods with a contemporary sensibility, as seen by his approach to the still-life genre. He raises it from an essential depiction to something practically sublime.

As an artist, Phillips understands Fechin's work's technical qualities.

At the same time, Hughes, with his enormous experience as a collector, provides a surprising offer: "Now tell me honestly, my dear friend, would you dare to deny a woman (my bride) the pleasure of witnessing this masterpiece in her own home? 

Are you, as a genuine gentleman, truly capable of accepting this?