Chapter 114 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum

Chapter 114 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum

Bonus chapter thanks to @Chipala on Ko-fi

There's an interesting anecdote in the history of art.

It happened on the opening day of the 1866 Salon.

At that time, compared to the then-unknown Monet, douard Manet had become famous for his painting "Olympia," which he had exhibited before the national exhibition.

Of course, his fame was due to the scandalous way he portrayed a prostitute in the painting, giving him a bit of a bad boy image in the art world. Nonetheless, Manet was famous.

Manet submitted his work to the exhibition, eagerly anticipating whether his painting would be selected. Upon his arrival, everyone in the exhibition hall started applauding him.

Confused, Manet assumed his painting was selected for the exhibition and responded to the cheers with a bright smile.

"Congratulations, Manet!"

"You've really painted something extraordinary this time. It must be worth the price of a house."

"Your work is really good, isn't it?"

People shook Manet's hand and pulled him in front of his painting, offering their interpretations.

"How did you manage to capture the flowing silk dress so vividly?"

"The lines are both supple and strong."

"It feels soft yet lively."

"It's not some doll's clothing or dream-wrapped muslin; it's real silk!"

"And the woman's figure! It's like she just turned around while walking."

"Manet has finally made a big splash with his figurative painting this time!"

Everyone in front of the painting was showering it with praise.

However, Manet's face contorted in confusion as he was led to the painting.

Noticing his expression, the people around him asked, "Manet? What's wrong? Aren't you happy? All these people are praising your painting."

Manet approached the painting with a twisted face and pointed to the bottom right corner.

Augusto spoke up.

"Time for some coffee?"

"Yes, please."

"No customers right now. Shall we have it together?"

"Sure."

Augusto brought two cups of coffee and sat down where Jeong-hoon had been.

"Ban seems like a really good young man."

"Ha, probably because he eats all three meals here?"

"Ha, that too. But he's definitely a good customer."

"Ha."

"Actually, it's more than that. Ban has a certain... human touch."

"Human touch?"

"Usually, city folks who travel and stop by this village give off a bit of a snobbish vibe. They're always wary of being cheated. But Ban's different. He always looks relaxed and seems to enjoy observing things. I've not dealt with many Asians, but I heard Koreans are hasty and like to eat quickly and move on. They dont spend two hours on lunch like us."

"Is that so?"

"But Ban's different. He eats and then stares out at the square for hours. I dont know what he thinks about, but he looks content. Always smiling too. Thats why he has a human touch. Living life at a slower pace, like people in our village."

Monica's eyes widened as she listened.

"The human touch, Monet, Manet?"

Monica's eyes twinkled as she burst into laughter.

"So that's what you meant, Ban! I finally understand what you meant by combining the two!"

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