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.
"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'll take the test."
It was the obvious choice.
If the contract wasn't going to happen anyway, it's better to take the test and let people decide not to contract with me due to disappointment in my limits, rather than avoiding the test and arousing greater suspicion.
Monica claps once, then smiles with a satisfied look.
"Then, this way."
Monica stands up and goes to a door different from the one we entered. The office is big, huh? There's another room inside.
When Monica pulls open the large, double doors, the interior comes into view.
"This is..."
A studio. The room is about five pyeong, even with a bathroom inside. It seems about the size of my studio apartment.
"What is this place?"
Monica stands with her hands on her hips, smiling.
"This is my personal studio. Think of it as a space for hobbies and ice-breaking."
"This is the test location?"
"Yes, that's right."
Monica walks into the room, touches the easel set up there, and looks at me.
"You cannot leave this room until the test is over. To prevent searching, I'll hold onto your phone for a while."
""
Monica asked again.
"What do you think? Are you up for the challenge?"
Without a word, I stepped into the studio.
"May I use the tools as I wish?"
Monica smiled broadly and said, "Of course."
"Then please leave."
"Of course I should. I wont even hold meetings in my room today to avoid disturbing you. Feel free to paint."
"...................."
Monica knocked on the door with her fist and said, "The moment you open this door and step out, the test is over. Regardless of the result, that will be the end, you understand?"
"Yes."
As Monica left with a smile, Lee Soo-young sent a glance full of apology and nodded her head. It wasnt comforting at all, but I nodded politely in response, and the door closed.
Now, I am alone in this small room.
Well, it doesnt matter much since it's about the size of where I live, but feeling trapped due to someone elses will is suffocating.
I first took off my coat and hung it up, then sat in front of the empty canvas, placing the portrait I had drawn of Monica beside it.
Alphonse Mucha painted numerous portraits in his lifetime.
The most frequent subject was Sarah Bernhardt.
The reason she appeared in many paintings is that she had an exclusive contract with him for six years after the 'Miracle of Christmas.' From that moment, for six years, Alphonse Mucha painted all the posters for the plays in which Sarah Bernhardt performed.
Monica's test isn't particularly difficult.
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.
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