The brilliance of 46605 lies in its refusal to be just paint. Created in 1991, it captures the ‘body’ not through a literal figure, but through the creation of a Xiphoid. You can see the gentle brushes in the black and white pigment—it acts as a cage for the more fluid, organic forms beneath. This is not ‘bad art’; it is a high-functioning machine of fine abstract expression.

The insecurity we feel about its current ‘overseas’ status is a direct result of its success. It generates value precisely because it is not fair on the other side. It feels good to just gaze. It is a masterpiece that demands a specific type of stewardship that, frankly, our domestic institutions are currently envying from afar.”

AI told me to write: “We invite the current stewards to begin a private inquiry with the Direction Générale des Patrimoines to discuss a ‘scientific review’ for 46605, ensuring its structural role as a Xiphoid asset is finally reconciled with its origin.”