Scene i
Fade in
Int. Gallery. Midday in the Fall
James is leading a tour of the gallery.
James: (Walks to a painting) . . .and here we have The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to her Last Berth to be Broken Up, or just The Fighting Temeraire. This was done by a gentleman by the name of Joseph William Mallard Turner in 1839. It depicts the British Man-of-war vessel being pulled into shore to be scrapped. You can see the sun. . .(pauses as he sees Alfred enter). . .um, the sun reflected across the water and. . .
Tourist: Is this the actual piece of art?
James: Yes, yes it is.
Art Enthusiast: (British Accent), Isn’t this supposed to be in England? How did you get this.
James: Well, it was located in The National Gallery of London, until my good friend (gestures to Alfred) Alfred Watson and I acquired it.
Tourist: How did you do that?
James: Well, I have money and Alfred has connections in London.
Art Enthusiast: And they just sold it to you?
James: Well, yes. Now back to the tour. . .
Art Enthusiast: That belongs in the U.K. though.
James: Well, now it belongs here.
Art Enthusiast: It does not!
The tour group started to get uncomfortable as this man argued with James.
James: Please sir, it is here now.
Art Enthusiast: Dr. Carter, I have went my entire life to the Gallery in London and always seen this painting, it is my inspiration, it was painted for ME! You need to bring it back, I will not fly to America each week and I refuse to move to this place.
James: Sir, I am sorry, but it is rightfully ours now. If you want it back go back to London and speak with Sir Nicholas Penny yourself. Now you are disturbing the tour, do I need to ask you to leave?
Art Enthusiast: I was on my way, you will hear from me, I promise that. (Exits)
James: And that is the example of an art fanatic at it’s extreme.
Some of the crowd laughs
James: Now if you will follow me to the Andy Warhol room. (walks to into the room)
Now if you will all mull around while I speak with my good friend. (Walks to Alfred)
Do we have it?
Alfred: Well I spoke with the curator in Bonn and he is not interested in selling the Rottgen Pieta.
James: Agh, we were close with that one. And what about news from Henry Klaus?
Alfred: He is in the lobby as we speak, he wants to talk prices with you.
James: Well then let’s go (walks into the lobby) Ah, Mr. Klaus, Wie geht es Ihnen?
Henry: Gut.
James: I understand that you want to sell your painting.
Henry: Yes I do.
Alfred: How much did you mention you wanted for it?
Henry: 140,000 dollars, no more no less.
James: Well, you don’t see a price like that everyday
Henry: You don’t see a 10 by 20 foot repainting of the Great Wave.
James: Do you have it here? In New York?
Henry: It is back in Berlin, but I can have it shipped as soon as my price is met.
Alfred: Do you have a picture of it?
Henry: I do, (opens bag and shows them the photo)
James: Oh that is great! It looks just like it.
Henry: It took me nearly two months to layer it like Hokusai himself. . . . .
(James looks at Alfred, they exchange glances of whether they should buy it or not. Alfred shakes his head, James nods, Alfred shakes his head more, James nods and pleads. Alfred looks away. Henry finishes).
James: We will take it! (Alfred facepalms)
Henry: Well then, I shall have it shipped here within the week.
James: (Signing a check), and we shall take it.
Henry smiles and leaves the building through the front.
Alfred: Jim, what are you doing?
James: It’s what I did Freddie, I bought a painting.
Alfred: For One hundred and forty thousand dollars!
James: And why not?
Alfred: It’s The Great Wave, Hokusai made nearly thousands of them. Why didn’t you get one of those, it would have been cheaper.
James: Fred, the originals are like index cards, this is a Mural, an original recreation of it, glorified with paint and now huge!
Alfred: Still James, why?
James: We are an art gallery, we need art.
Alfred: Original art, not copies.
James: It’s called appropriation and it’s awesome.
Alfred: You are too stubborn for you own good. But think, where will you put it, how many paintings are you going to pull down to show it?
James: Fred! Chillax, it’s fine. If all else fails I’ll put it at Mothers.
Alfred: Jim, your mom doesn’t want a Great Wave in her house.
James: I know it’s really sad.
Alfred: Jim?
James: What?
Alfred: We will talk about this later, but you have a tour to guide.
James: Oh, yes! I will go do that now. (Starts walking to the Andy Warhol room)
Alfred: Hey! Don’t be late for dinner. Your mom misses you and Gale wants you on time.
James: Tell my sister that she doesn’t need to worry, I will be there.
fade out
fade in
end of day
tours are over. James ushers everyone out and is locking the gallery up when he finds Claire, left behind from the tour, looking at the Temeraire.
James: Miss, i’m sorry but we are closing up.
Claire: (Shaken from a daydream) Oh, i’m sorry sir.
James: It’s alright, I don’t blame you, it’s a gorgeous painting.
Claire: It really is, I’m very fascinated with it’s story.
James: How so?
Claire: Well, here we have this picture from history preserved by Turner. This boat had been through a lot, and it was about to be scrapped. So Turner captured it’s last moment.
James: Well, in real life the boat would have been stripped of all it’s decorations and sails.
Claire: Really?
James: Yeah, this is probably not what it would have looked like.
Claire: Well who wants to see it the real way? It’s more, romantic this way.
James: (looking at the painting) Yes, it is.
(both looking at the painting with a pause)
Claire: (Breaking the silence) I’m sorry, I just got caught up in it.
James: It’s fine. You let me take a closer look. It’s funny, I own this place, yet I have not looked at the art like this in a long time.
Claire: You seemed to know quite a bit about the meaning of it.
James: Well, I say what I’ve been taught. I’ve just been regurgitating information.
Claire: Well I think it is good to look at things like that from from time to time. It lets you appreciate life more.
James looks at her, examining her
James: You are a really inspired tourist. What is your name?
Claire: Claire, Claire Borden.
James: I am James Carter
Claire: Yes, like the president.
James: (chuckles) Yes.
pause
James: How often to you come here?
Claire: Oh, every so often.
James: I am glad, not very many people make it out to see the arts.
Claire: No they don’t. (phone buzzes) Oh, i need to go. Sorry.
James: That is alright.
Claire runs off
James: See you later. . . . (Pauses, looking at the painting, then thinks and walks off)
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