Hunter Biden and gallerist Georges Berges held a second art show over the weekend in SoHo, New York City, to sell paintings to anonymous investors for up to $500,000. Hunter’s previous exhibition in Los Angeles reportedly saw five paintings sold for $75,000 each.
“You’re not going to see much of a crowd today,” gallery owner Berges told the New York Post on Sunday about the secret exhibit, which reportedly is highly vetted for high roller guests who may be in the market to spend $500,000 on work by the president’s son.
“You can’t just walk in here,” Berges reportedly snapped at the Post’s reporter, who was trying to find information on the event. “This is a private place. I don’t just walk into your house. I’m going to have to talk to your mother. She didn’t raise you right.”
On Saturday, the first day of the showing, the Post reported workers in the gallery pealed back the paper covering windows that was meant to shield the event from onlookers before Biden’s wife stopped by to inspect the exhibit.
Paintings by Hunter Biden are seen as Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) questions Attorney General Merrick Garland about price fixing during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the Department of Justice on October 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)
“A documentary film crew was on hand for the hanging of the 15 canvases,” the Post described the scene. “Hunter Biden’s second wife, Melissa Cohen, was spotted in black leather pants, white T-shirt and a black leather jacket leaving the gallery earlier in the day.”
On Sunday, a man who told the Post his name was “Sal” from New Jersey and who was described as arriving in a Green Audi, said he liked six of Hunter’s paintings “very much.” Sal described the works of art as “very good” and “great.”
“It’s great. I’m a Republican and I think those were great. His paintings were very good,” he said, reportedly adding his occupation was retired.
Asked if he would buy any of the art painted by the president’s son, he said, “We’ll see.”
Hunter’s second art show in SoHo was reportedly delayed until spring but that turned out to be untrue. The secret show was held despite the challenges of the “legal vetting” of guests.
The White House has approved of Hunter’s dealings by throwing the onus on the gallerist. “We’ve spoken to the specifics that the gallerist has agreed to and what recommendations were made. I’ve done that several times. I don’t have any other details for you from here, I’d point you to them,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki replied when was confronted about Hunter’s scheme.
White House Under Fire After Hunter Biden Art Show Ethics Debacle pic.twitter.com/wviqLfFJOr
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) October 7, 2021
Hunter’s art dealer, Georges Bergès, has previously talked up his strong ties to Communist China, mirroring Hunter’s former work history with Joe Biden and his family business ventures. Breitbart News reported on those projects previously:
Hunter’s past work as his father served as vice president — striking deals with Chinese officials and raking in tens of thousands of dollars per month serving on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian oligarch-owned oil and gas company, despite having no experience in the energy sector. His father would later brag about threatening to withhold aid from Ukraine unless officials fired the prosecutor conducting a corruption investigation into Burisma.
For his part, Hunter has defended his art business scheme suggesting it’s a “pretty courageous thing to do.”
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø
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