Chapter 160 “Flight of the Mighty Eagle”
William's painting, titled "The Fledgling Hawk," was as simple as it could be. With just a few strokes and devoid of any background, it looked quite plain at first glance.
What was most thought-provoking was the signature below the fledgling hawk.
Alice?!
York Brimstone, widely acknowledged as a master of oil painting, could discern that though the painting was simple, it showcased profound artistic prowess.
In oil paintings, conveying emotion and spirit is paramount, and this artwork had achieved an incredibly high level in terms of its color depth and light-dark contrast.
York Brimstone had had the opportunity to see some works of ancient masters, yet this simple painting of a fledgling hawk surpassed even those esteemed pieces in technical merit.
What stunned York Brimstone even more was the certain spiritual energy emanating from "The Fledgling Hawk." Just one visual contact with it made him feel a wild surge of energy within.
Clearly, this painting must've been created by a Soulmancer.
And this Soulmancer's skill level was incredibly high!
York Brimstone stood there, looking at Alice, his tone intermingled with shock and deep admiration, "Excuse me... are you Alice?"
He had considered addressing her with the term "master", but hesitated. He himself was already advanced in age; calling her "master" in front of so many people might imply that she appeared much older than she actually was, wouldn't it? Maintaining a respectful demeanor should be enough.
Alice was somewhat taken aback. She could feel his respect, but it left her somewhat puzzled.
She knew that York Brimstone was of her father's generation; why then was he showing her such high regard?
She responded with a smile, "Uh... yes, Mr. Brimstone, I am Alice. In fact, Charles Turner is my grandfather."
Alice wasn't familiar with York Brimstone, and she wasn't sure if he knew her father, so she mentioned her grandfather's name.
Charles Turner, a renowned contemporary healer, surely York Brimstone must have heard of him.
"Mr. Turner is your grandfather?" York Brimstone was even more astounded.
If this were true, Alice must be quite young. Yet, from the painting she produced, it was evident that her skills were incredibly profound.
Charles Turner's granddaughter was a Soulmancer?
Alice nodded, then picked up the piece titled "The Fledgling Hawk" from the table with both hands, saying, "First, have someone properly frame this painting. It is going to be auctioned."
Before York Brimstone could respond, Lucas began to laugh. "Alice, you drew this painting, didn't you? I remember your family is known for medicine, how did you end up painting? Wasn't William supposed to paint? Moreover, this painting really is simple."
"Smack!"
York Brimstone immediately slapped Lucas across the face, the sound of the slap resonating sharply, his hand landing heavily.
Lucas screamed, two bloodied teeth flying out of his mouth as he covered his face, looking at his father in disbelief.
His mother had passed away early, and being the only child, he was doted on excessively by his father. Even when Lucas had made many serious mistakes before, York Brimstone had never hit him.
And now, he had slapped him in front of so many people over such a trivial matter.
York Brimstone yelled angrily, "Get out! Since when did you have a say here?"
Lucas was utterly stunned; his father's slap was far too harsh. Scared, he could only awkwardly retreat.
York Brimstone asked someone to bring a frame and personally set about framing the painting.
It was only when he picked up the painting from the surface that he saw the piece William had painted titled "Flight of the Mighty Eagle."
When William had asked Alice to write her name, he had covered "Flight of the Mighty Eagle" with "The Fledgling Hawk," not caring at all whether the paint would stick to the back of the paper.
The moment York Brimstone saw "Flight of the Mighty Eagle," he felt nothing but utter astonishment.
The visual impact was potent, as if the mighty eagle was about to break free from the constraints of the paper, soaring into the sky!
If the previous painting demonstrated the artist's advanced technique, then this painting's superb craftsmanship and conveyed spirit were absolutely breathtaking.
"This... was painted by William?" York Brimstone nearly popped his eyes out, his voice coming out husky and strained.
If the first painting relied on the augmentation of a Soulmancer's spiritual energy, then the second piece truly represented artistry that could overturn the world's artistic standards!
Among the various masterpieces passed down through the annals of history, York Brimstone could confidently say that this painting was the most perfect work he had ever seen.
Not even Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" or Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" could evoke such a profound sense of astonishment in him.
How could the young William have such depth of skill? The phrase "Dedicated to my apprentice Alice" demonstrated exquisite calligraphic skill, an indescribable beauty perhaps only comparable to John Hancock's signature on the Declaration of Independence.
There were some words on one side of the painting, but they had been deliberately smeared off. However, even this erased script did not bring any sense of discord. Instead, it added a mysterious ambiance to the painting, evoking a desire to speculate on the concealed content. What kind of genius was William?
York Brimstone stared at the painting below and asked, "Alice, is this painting also going to be auctioned?"
Alice excitedly replied, "This one is not for sale! Didn't you see what is written above? It has already been given to me!"
This painting cannot be sold, not even this "The Fledgling Hawk" can be sold!
It bore her writing and William's painting; how could it possibly be sold?
Taking it to the auction is just going through the motions, after all, Alice still has over a million dollars in her bank account. She absolutely needs to buy it back today.
York Brimstone remained silent, just staring at the painting over and over.
"Quickly frame the painting!" Seeing York Brimstone's eager eyes, Alice became somewhat flustered, fearing that he might intend to forcibly take it.
At this moment, she didn't care about any great artist; she wouldn't allow anyone to take away her painting, absolutely not.
They had been making things difficult for William from the start; Alice had only been somewhat courteous due to innate politeness.
"Yes, yes, yes!" York Brimstone exhaled heavily, calling the staff to start framing the painting.
The painting "Flight of the Mighty Eagle" had its emanating spiritual energy forcibly suppressed by William, and since it was dedicated to his apprentice Alice, it essentially confirmed the owner of the painting. Apart from Alice, no one could perceive its special attributes.
But William's painting skill was simply too superb; even without infusing a shred of energy, it was enough to astonish all the great artists in the world.
He was too powerful; there was no way to remain low-key, even if he wanted to.
The artists standing behind all came forward to view the painting.
They were not Soulmancers; many could not understand where the charm lay in "The Fledgling Hawk" above, but the painting below provided them with a tremendous shock.
A true work of art, even those who do not understand it, would find it beautiful.
In this oil painting, William successfully captured a magnificent moment of a mighty eagle. Under the stark contrast of colors, the eagle's feathers displayed breathtakingly delicate gradations. It spread its wings to fly, seemingly ready to sweep away everything, its eyes revealing a dominating spirit overseeing the world.
How would they know, if William did not erase that line of text and suppress the spiritual energy in the painting, the consciousness of everyone present would be drawn into the painting, unable to extricate themselves.
P.S.: I will do my best to update more chapters. I hope all the readers enjoy it. Please give it a high rating of 5 stars, thank you everyone!
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