Chapter 18: The Mysterious Art Museum

Chapter 18: The Mysterious Art Museum

Monica holds the competition drawing with a dazed expression.

"When I first saw this painting, I thought it represented a strong personal world through one's own paradise. It seemed like a painting rooted in the pursuit of happiness, a fundamental human essence, amidst the superficialities of modern society and urban life."

Monica sets aside the competition drawing and picks up the portrait I drew.

"This portrait shows a strong adherence to fundamentals, likely the result of diligent study during your school days. It's a flawless sketch that anyone would find faultless, especially impressive considering it was done in just 30 minutes. This indicates a solid foundation of skill."

Monica lifts both paintings together.

"Firstly, every artist has a style. Especially, the use of lines, both straight and curved, seems completely different between these two paintings. The competition drawing mostly uses curves with few straight lines, but the portrait expresses curves through multiple divided straight lines. They are completely different styles."

Of course, they are different.

It's another person's painting.

Even if I redrew it in reality after dreaming it, the fact that it's someone else's work is clear. I just can't say it.

I feigned calmness while internally panicking.

Maybe I had anticipated such a question and was able to respond composedly.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

"So, what do you want me to prove?"

Monica looks intently at my expression, then sets the painting down and leans comfortably against the sofa's backrest, observing my face for a while. It's quite a rude action among Koreans, but maybe not in Italy? Or is it just her unique way?

Thankfully, Soo-young helps me.

"Monica, in Korea, it's considered rude to stare at someone like that."

Monica raises her index finger and says,

"Oh, if you pass the test, I'll have to apologize for my rudeness so far. Let's save the apology for then."

While talking to Soo-young, Monica doesn't take her eyes off me and says,

"Mr. Ban."

"Yes."

"You don't have to take my test. If this is truly your painting, I'm currently committing a grave mistake. Therefore, you deserve compensation."

"?"

"If you pass the test, I'll compensate for your effort and the injustice with additional incentives and an increased down payment."

The talk of money weakens me.

I really wanted to ask how much more she could offer, but it seemed too desperate, so I swallowed the words.

"What's the test?"

Is it to replicate the competition submission without seeing it? That would be ideal. Since it's a recreation of a painting I saw in a dream, there's no reason I couldn't replicate it.

Monica looks at me intently and asks,

"I'll ask again. You can get a greater reward if you pass the test. Will you take my test?"

"What happens if I refuse?"

Monica shrugs her shoulders.

"We won't do anything. But then, you'll leave me with the impression that you're a suspicious character with unclear motives."

We won't do anything. Meaning, no contract either.

I pondered for a moment and then said,

I could just mix and match various works of Alphonse Mucha. Flowers from this painting, a window from that painting, the face from the portrait I drew, and the dress from a gorgeous one I remember seeing somewhere.

"But can I really say I passed the test with that?"

It's not a test with a predetermined answer.

I have to think about what Monica would focus on.

I gazed at the portrait I had drawn, lost in thought.

"Monica compared my two paintings and said they couldnt be recognized as from the same artist. That's probably a technical aspect. But she wouldn't have called me here just for a technical assessment."

Though she mentioned the use of lines and curves, that's just a skill. I recalled the time when I heard about Alphonse Mucha's thoughts while painting.

"As a child, I always longed for a family like this. Having nothing, I didn't have a family until well into my thirties. But now I have it all. The people in this painting represent my family."

"Why is the sunflower blue?"

"Why not? The word 'blue' originates from the idea of growth. I hope the children's time is used for proper growth."

Embedding one's wishes into a painting.

That's something only someone who knows exactly what they desire through introspection can do.

Alphonse Mucha was probably such a person.

"What kind of wishes did Sarah, who loved Mucha's paintings, have while waiting for them?"

I thought about the portraits of Sarah Bernhardt in Mucha's paintings.

In Gismonda, she portrayed a cold and ruthless goddess. The plays in which Bernhardt starred, for which Mucha created posters, mostly belonged to the revived Romantic drama and the popular Boulevard theatre of the late 19th century.

These posters advertised not only the plays starring Bernhardt but also effectively created and highlighted the public image of the popular actress known as 'Saint Sarah.'

When my thoughts reached this point, my eyes suddenly opened wide.

"Creating the image of the subject."

What does someone expecting a portrait want? A highly realistic portrait? Unlikely. If that were the case, it would be easier to just take a photograph.

People expecting a portrait want to be portrayed more beautifully than they are. Why?

"Its the desire within, the longing to be seen as the person they aspire to be."

Sarah Bernhardt must have liked the poster for the play Gismonda not just for its aesthetic beauty but also because it perfectly matched the image of the role she had to play.

And that would have influenced her inner self as an actress, repeatedly recalling the image in the poster and immersing herself deeper into the role.

The conversation we had yesterday, the five powers of a good painting: expressiveness, style, personal world, ideas, immersion.

Imitating Alphonse Muchas style ensures a solid style. Although mastering just one of these five elements can earn recognition as a great painting, having adopted Mucha's style, I feel the need to have my own strength.

Expressiveness is related to skill, but it's not entirely technical. Personal world and immersion don't happen in an instant. So, what's left is one thing.

"Ideas."

The best thing I can do now is to ponder what kind of self-portrait Monica wants and how to express that idea.

I pursed my lips and stared at the canvas.

"Waiting for inspiration is for amateurs."

My pencil began to dance across the canvas.

And at some point, I forgot whether the pencil was moving me, or I was moving the pencil.

Tomorrow Ill post chapters till the end of Reasonable Doubt. Afterwards it will be alternate day releases.