"Tis a beautiful morning, is it not?" Mrs. Murphy, bless her soul, was puttering around the kitchen and serving us breakfast. Coffee, fresh juice, freshly cut fruit salad and toasted homemade bread.
"Yes, ma’am."
Kelly and I are sitting at the kitchen table in the main house. She takes a sip of her coffee and looks over at me. "There's something that you haven't told me. Come on, what did you leave out?"
"Okay, here goes. On Tuesday morning I receive a phone call from Doo-Wop. I'm walking the Cowtown flea in Woodstown. He's agitated. Tells me that he'd like to see me asap. I say no problem, let's do it now.
"Less than an hour later we're having breakfast at the Melrose Diner. This is what he tells me…"
"Pick, I have a little problem. Probably nothing serious, but just in case, I'd like your help."
"Sure, Anthony, anything. You name it."
When I was young and running wild in the streets, Anthony and Millie sort of took me in. Not that I lived there or anything. But their door was always open to me; literally, I could walk in and help myself to the fridge. Or, they would invite me to dinner. By the time I started buying and selling antiques Doo Wop would bank roll me. The long and short of it is that they were always there for me. In return, there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for either of them.
He's looking slightly nervous. "Yesterday', he said, "I was at the Italian Market. I'm picking out some produce for the wife. Two guys come up behind me. One guy said, 'Hey, aren't you Mr. DeAngelo. You're the famous painter, right. You're him.'"
Anthony said, "Who's asking?"
The other guy says, "Hey, Mr. D, we're big fans. We've seen some of your work. Beautiful man, simply beautiful. Just like them famous painting you see in the museums."
I interrupt him. "What did these men look like?" Guess what, not that I knew it at the time, but the description sounds an awful lot like our new friends, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum." I tell Kelly that's what I named these guys in my head.
DW: "They start asking me what I'm working on now, what do I have for sale, can they come look at my stuff? Me, I don't want any trouble. I said, 'Sure, sure, give me you number, I'll call ya".
"Anthony, what can I do. Tell me."
"Come on over to the house, let me give you something to hold on to. You know, just for the time being."
And, that's just what we do. Go over to his house. He gives me two painting wrapped up in butcher paper. "This is 'Millie'. I want you to hold onto her for the time being. This other painting is for you. My way of saying thanks."
"Anthony, you don't have to thank me for anything. If anything, it is me who should be thanking you."
I finish my orange juice, take a sip of coffee and tell Kelly, "Now you're up to date. You know everything that I know."
"Not quite mister." She grins. "Besides being his wife's name, what is a 'Millie'?"
"Okay. I'll tell you, but this is strictly between us. I mean, no kidding, once I tell you it's just between you and me. You cannot share this with anyone. Agreed?"
Kelly works in the art world. She is what I jokingly refer to as a consulting curator. Quite simply, when an exhibition is being organized, when artwork is coming from several sources for a limited engagement, it is not unusual to retain Ms. Lane's services. As a matter of fact, that's kind of how we met.
What I was about to share with her might be considered, shall we say, a tad illegal. The information that I was about to share would, more than likely, compromise her professional standing.
"Okay, big boy, you got my word. Now spill!"
"Here goes… About ten years ago, possibly a little more, Doo Wop gets it into his head that he wants to set up a retirement fund. Don't get the wrong idea, he makes a pretty decent livelihood from turning out his one good 'copy' per month along with the others that he cranks out for shows.
"But, he's getting up there in years, he's put some money aside but what he really wants is f-you money. He wants a God damn legacy.
"He starts talking to me about it. Just me, nobody else. We've been close for ages and because of our bond he trusts me. For weeks we toss about different ideas and schemes. Finally, one day at the season opener for the Phils, we're sitting in box seats on the third base line, we hit on it. The one that we decide will actually work. The plan that will produce the big score.
"Anthony, God bless his soul, is going to paint a Vermeer."
Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch artist that lived in the middle of the 17th Century. His specialty was interior scenes of domestic life of the middle class. His work is exquisite.
Vermeer is known to have worked very slowly and with extreme care. His paintings exhibit bright colors which often were the result of expensive pigments. He demonstrated a particular preference for cornflower blue and yellow. Vermeer is especially known for his obvious mastery of light.
Johannes Vermeer acquired some modest recognition during his life only to become obscure after his passing. He is just barely referred to in the 17th Century "Grand Theatre of Dutch Painters and Women Artists”. He seems to be completely omitted from other references for close to two centuries.
Then, in the 19th century he was once again rediscovered. Vermeer's reputation has continued to grow and is acknowledged to be one of the most renowned artists of the Dutch Golden Age.
There are thirty-six paintings that are definitely attributed to Vermeer.
The value of an undisputed Vermeer would likely exceed $100,000,000.
"Anthony 'Doo-Wop' DeAngelo made up his mind to create a brand new, never before seen Vermeer. Number 37. As for the model in his painting, he used his wife, Millie."