1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 334 Excessive International Buyers

night.

Lourmaran.

Like two excellent stage actors, Zoe and Codill vividly described to Ronan and Barty the interesting scenes that happened at the auction that afternoon.

Upon hearing that bartering was possible at auctions in Provence, Ronan and Barty exclaimed in surprise, praising it as a truly magical land.

Upon hearing the auctioneer's instruction not to use the left hand to raise the paddle, they kept their left hands firmly to their sides, afraid of accidentally breaking the taboo.

Hearing the auction frenzy sparked by Zoe and the re-enactment of bidding methods from hundreds of years ago, they held their breath, as if they were transported back to the scene by the sounds in their ears.

"It's even more exciting than in the movies," Barty said with a wistful look.

Ronan was both excited and proud, and looked at Zoe, saying:
"You're amazing. Your performance today will benefit the artists of Lourmaran."

Zoe's promotion of Lourmarin is very important; it will attract the attention of countless collectors and artists.

Zoe swirled the pink wine in her glass, raising an eyebrow as she said:

"I learned it from someone."

You started this trend of "killing two birds with one stone."

“Zoe has set the bar too high. What am I supposed to wear to the auction the day after tomorrow?” Barty pondered, stroking his chin. “Not only do I need to dress well, but I also need to think about how to speak.”

Ronan tapped the table a few times expectantly:
"That's right, we need to prepare in advance; the 'response' segment seems to be very important."

After finishing his glass of rosé, Cotillard said in a low voice:

"Don't think too lightly. There are still many things to deal with before the auction. Let's focus on the present first."

"For example?" Barty asked curiously.

Zoe is the first Lourmaran artist to be auctioned, and her debut must not be a failure. In the past few days, Cotillard has focused his energy on Zoe's auction and has not yet had time to deal with Ronan and Barty's auctions.

Gotti slapped his face a few times, seemingly to encourage himself.

"I'll talk to you all about the details tomorrow. I'm busy with four more auctions! Let's drink up and celebrate Zoe's success tonight. Lourmaran has finally produced a well-known artist. We can talk about everything else tomorrow!"

Today is truly a 'learning day'.

Earlier, Cotillard and Zoe explained the auction process and precautions to Ronan.

That evening, after Cotillard and Batty left, Zoe taught Ronan some other scientific knowledge.

"I'll use all 16 francs from this project to decorate our wedding home; it'll definitely be enough for us to design it nicely," Zoe said cheerfully to Ronan, propping her head up with her hand.

Zoe insisted on covering all the costs of the house renovations, and Ronan couldn't argue with her, so he just asked out of curiosity:
"You got this much? I thought a collection worth 24 would only be worth a little over 10 in the artist's hands."

Ronan and Zoe both signed a 25% commission agreement with the event organizers, meaning 25% of the sale price goes to the auction house, which is also the organizers.

25% is considered a high percentage in France, but the larger the event, the higher the percentage. For smaller events, it might be around 15%, but 15%-25% is within the normal commission range.

However, the commission rate at auctions isn't the most hefty; the hefty ones are the taxes and fees.

France is a country with heavy taxes. Before the tax reforms of the 90s, individuals had to pay 10%-60% personal income tax, in addition to a 5.5% value-added tax.

There's a reason why truffle transactions must be conducted in cash!
In order to gain more exposure, some artists sign with galleries or art institutions (similar to agencies). These institutions take a much larger cut, sometimes as much as 50%.

Despite the bustling sales at auctions, very few pieces actually end up in the hands of the artists.

Ronan and Zoe did not sign with any agency, but after deducting auction commissions and taxes, the 24 euro collection should have been worth just over 10 francs.

How could there be as many as 16?
Zoe said in a relieved tone:
"Because this is Provence, where the importance of art is reflected in every aspect. Artists under 35 years old have an annual tax exemption of 10 francs. If their works contain local elements such as special animals, lavender, or olive trees, they can enjoy a 30% tax reduction. If they use local materials such as ochre, they can also apply for a 20% material tax credit. After all these reductions, there isn't much left. The most outrageous point is that if your work is certified as a 'regional heritage' by the Ministry of Culture, your personal income tax will be reduced by 50%."

A lingering smile graced her face:
“Provence values ​​the rights of artists from the government to the local level. I remember a tax official once said in public, ‘We tax paint, but we exempt inspiration from taxes.’ Honestly, doing art in Provence is a very happy thing. You can’t get this kind of treatment anywhere else.”

Ronan also propped his head up to look at her:
"We not only have fulfilling jobs, but we also live fulfilling lives. Happiness is doubled."

He's about to start a family with this amazing woman across from him, and that's so exciting!

The favorable economic situation filled Zoe with anticipation for a happy future, and she said in an expectant tone:

"I didn't expect it to fetch such a high price this time. I originally thought the three works combined would only reach a few hundred thousand, but one of them did. The latter two works together should be worth at least a few hundred thousand francs, right? Plus the few hundred thousand francs I saved up before—"

Zoe excitedly shook her body:

"Ronan, our happy life is really about to begin!!"

Ronan was affected by Zoe's emotions, and the notification sounds kept ringing in his ears:
"Me too, I saved it too—"

Zoe suddenly covered Ronan's mouth with her hand:

"Keep your money for more important things."

Ronan sat up straight:

"That won't do. Our future life will be together."

Zoe, with great self-awareness, said:

“In Provence, you can live very, very happily on 5000 francs a month. It’s ‘insignificant’ for both of us, no matter who pays. But you’re at the age where you’re striving, and you have so many things to do that will make our future better. I don’t have that many things to do; money in my hands only becomes clothes, shoes, and cosmetics. The meaning is different, okay?” Seemingly unwilling to accept this version of herself, Zoe pursed her lips and said:

"If a great opportunity comes along in the future, you can use my money to make more money together. I can earn about 30 a year now? Um, maybe more. Anyway, remember to include my share in the future. God, I'm so rich? Together, we can definitely be considered a wealthy family in Provence."

Ronan held Zoe's hand, his happiness evident.
"Once the weather warms up next month, we'll immediately get started on setting up this wealthy family."

Zoe suddenly stood up, as if she had been injected with adrenaline:
“I bought a few decorating books, but I’ve been too busy to read them until now. I’ll go back and read them.”

Zoe has relaxed.

With her first work as a foundation, her next two works should not be too bad, but Ronan and Barty have entered a tense 'preparation' state.

Ronan had only seen Zoe's dazzling performance at the auction, but when Cotillard talked to him about the details, Ronan realized that there were actually so many things to worry about.

The next morning, Ronan first spent some time at the sculpture exhibition at the Gold Center, then promoted his temporary knitting stall for a while, before sitting down at a coffee shop with Cotillard.

Godir took a very thick notebook out of his backpack and said quickly:
“Among the buyers who gave you quotes, some have made special requests. I will tell you about them one by one, and you can see if you need to exercise your ‘right to intervene’.”

Ronan asked in surprise:

"Do I also have the 'right to intervene'?"

Codia suddenly lowered his voice and whispered to Ronan:

"Of course, you're more popular than Zoe, okay? Can't you see how many people are watching you right now?"

Upon hearing this, Ronan looked around and noticed that there were indeed four or five tables of customers staring at him. He then said to Cotillard:
"It's a good thing to be liked and noticed. I don't want to exercise my 'right to interfere' anymore. It's good to have more buyers competing for it."

Codia tapped his notebook with his pen and said seriously:

“Listen to what I have to say first. You’ve attracted a lot of international buyers this time, and their style is different from that of local buyers.”

Then she lowered her voice again:

"Moreover, this morning, staff from the Grané Museum contacted me to inquire about your situation. They subtly reminded me not to be overly accommodating when dealing with buyers with special needs, as that could potentially affect your reputation among artists. You could use your 'right to intervene' to remove some overly demanding buyers."

Ronan clicked his tongue and asked Cotillard:
Are there any buyers with unreasonable demands?

Cotillard cleared his throat and lowered his head to read aloud the notes from his notebook:

“American wine merchants want to hold a nationwide tour for ‘Lovebirds’ and require you to attend 20 of their art events and the opening ceremonies of 4 art galleries in the United States over the next year. These are not paid in any way but are additional terms attached to the purchase of the artwork.”

“A gallery in New York asked me to change the color of the ‘lovebird’ to blue to match the main color scheme of their 100th anniversary event.”

"The Greek shipping magnate demanded that his family crest be placed on the 'Lovebirds,' but he promised to provide two more years of maritime transport services on top of the agreed price."

"The Swiss watchmaker asked for the right to rename the watch to their latest couple's watch series, but they could give you a pair of couple's watches at the original price and provide lifetime repair service."

"German car tycoon."

About 10 minutes later, Cotillard closed his notebook and asked Ronan:

Do you agree with these special needs?

Ronan's eyebrows furrowed:
What would happen if I disagreed?

Cotillard shrugs:

"If the organizers respond to our stance, perhaps they will withdraw from the auction."

Ronan said in a low voice:

"If you ask me, let's not bother the organizers with relaying messages. I just want to exercise my 'right to intervene' and kick out these buyers who treat artworks like 'commodities,' changing names, color schemes, and even adding family seals. This is going too far!"

The 'lovebird' is the embodiment of Ronan's love for Zoe, and no buyer who demands a change of heart deserves to own it!

Gotia quickly jotted down notes in his notebook, asking without even looking up:

"Anything else?"

Ronan hesitated and said:

"Am I saying too many no's? Should I go and explain to the organizers in person?"

Codia slammed his notebook shut, looked Ronan in the eye, and said:

“In Provence, the artist’s attitude is paramount. Even if all the interested parties are present, you can still cancel the auction 10 minutes before it starts, and no one will say anything to you.”

Before Ronan could react, she stood up, swaying her hips as she left.

"What happens next is none of your business. How I explain it to the organizers is my problem."

Ronan called out to Cotillard's retreating figure:

"Thanks a lot."

Cotillard, with his back to Ronan, waved dismissively:

"Your performance gives me the confidence to prepare well for the auction three days from now."

(End of this chapter)