Chapter 55 (2) - The Mysterious Art Museum
Opening the theater door, Min-young asks, "First time at the Catacomb?"
"Yes."
Of course, he's uninterested.
When Min-young opens the door wide, Director Park frowns.
The interior, built with Baroque-style opulence, is overwhelming. Even before entering the theater with the stage, its splendor is dizzying.
'How much money was poured into this interior?'
The report stated that more money was invested in the sound system than in the interior design. The thought of so much money being squandered made my stomach churn, even after a hearty breakfast.
Min-Young pointed to the opulent lobby and said,
"We've put a lot of effort into recreating the splendor of medieval Austria."
Director Park glared at Min-Young and retorted,
"How many people would recognize this as medieval Austrian architectural style? Whether it's German, Italian, or French. The ignorant masses will only think it's fancy and take pictures for social media."
".........................."
Director Park continued his sarcastic remarks.
Min-Young bit her lower lip and patiently endured.
"That may be true, but let's go inside and see the ceiling painting that's still in progress. Only about a third is complete, so please excuse the mess inside."
As Min-Young opened the door to the theater, the sight of many people working was visible.
The scene where the ceiling was being worked on, with white plastic meticulously covering the seats and floor to prevent paint from falling.
Five cranes were hanging from the ceiling, each carrying two people.
Young artists holding different brushes were painting the ceiling, their faces showing intense concentration.
The heat of artistic creation was palpable.
However, Director Park, who had no interest in how passionately the subcontracted workers were working, narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the painting.
A massive picture frame occupied the center of the ceiling.
And slightly covering the ends of that picture were red curtains.
In front of this picture hanging high were a small boy and a dog.
It was a painting of the boy and dog looking at the picture in the frame.
There was something unusual about this still-in-progress painting.
Many ownerless hands holding the red curtain that covered the picture were just that.
Director Park was slightly surprised by the scale and quality of the project, which was more than he expected. But he frowned upon closely examining the partly covered painting.
"What is this, just a replica of a famous painting?"
Director Park grew up in an elite family.
He had the privilege of receiving education in art from a young age. He dismisses the public's artistic literacy, but ironically, he himself has a deep understanding of art.
The picture in the central frame was a famous artwork he remembered.
'That's 'The Elevation of the Cross' by the German artist Peter Paul Rubens.'
Perhaps this was a better choice. A painting by a struggling artist leading a small company might be less effective than a well-known masterpiece. Maybe that's why they could cut costs.
Then Min-Young stepped back and said,
"The artist in charge of the company, Mr. Ban Jeong-Hoon, will explain the painting."
At Min-Young's words, Director Park finally shifted his gaze from the painting to the side.
His eyes fell on a tall, handsome young man.
'I heard he's the artist who designed the new refrigerator model for MG Electronics. Younger than I thought. Belle poque, was it? I heard it's doing well in the market. Of course, it must be more due to Monica Rossellini's talent.'
Jeong-Hoon, dressed in work clothes.
Director Park glanced at Jeong-Hoon's paint-stained apron and nodded.
"Park Kang-Joo."
"Ban Jeong-Hoon, Director Park. It's an honor to meet you."
A polite and fine-looking young man, but not enough to catch Director Park's interest.
Director Park turned his gaze back to the painting and gestured.
"Are you replicating a famous painting?"
Jeong-Hoon smiled broadly and replied,
"It's a bit embarrassing to call my painting a masterpiece."
".........................."
Thinking he was being witty, Director Park furrowed his brows and glared at Jeong-Hoon.
"I'm not in the mood for jokes."
Jeong-Hoon looked surprised and asked,
"Are you not talking about the ceiling painting?"
Director Park pointed at the ceiling painting with an exasperated face.
"Are you mocking me? That painting over there. You think I don't know it's 'The Elevation of the Cross' by Peter Paul Rubens?"
Jeong-Hoon smiled naturally and looked at the painting.
"Ah, you mean the central painting. Yes, it's the one you mentioned. A masterpiece from 1610."
Director Park looked at Jeong-Hoon's unabashed smile with disbelief. He missed his chance to get angry, being so blatantly confronted. Jeong-Hoon stepped forward and looked up at the ceiling painting.
"Don't just look at the picture in the frame. Try this."
Jeong-Hoon formed a frame with his fingers and lifted it towards the ceiling.
"Like this, see the boy and dog looking at the frame, and the red curtain, all in one frame."
Director Park didn't form a finger frame, but he looked at all the elements of the painting as Jeong-Hoon suggested.
Expanding his focus from the central frame, he sees the boy and the dog as part of the whole artwork.
"The boy and the dog are looking at the obscured painting behind the curtain. So, what is that about?"
Jeong-hoon smiles at Director Park.
"Yes, exactly. That's Patrasche and Nello from 'A Dog of Flanders.'"
Director Park's face contorts in disbelief.
"You mean, a cartoon? You've painted a cartoon on the ceiling of a theater!!!"
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