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.

"This isn't my painting!"

With that, he turned and left the exhibition hall.

The baffled audience gathered around the painting again. Standing in front of Manet's familiar signature, they looked closely and suddenly realized, exchanging surprised glances.

"It's not Manet, but Monet! Who is this?"

This unknown painter, who had lived in obscurity for nearly 30 years, was Claude Monet, a pioneer and master of Impressionism. His emergence was marked by this incident, which confused people between his painting 'The Woman in the Green Dress' and Manet's.

Later, it was said that Manet initially snubbed Monet when he came to greet him in society. However, the master soon admitted that his attitude stemmed from jealousy and apologized to Monet, becoming close friends with him thereafter.

These two great masters, not only sharing similar names but also living in the same era as Impressionist painters, have given students of art history a hellish time distinguishing them.

As Monica reflected on these anecdotes, she watched Jeong-hoon getting up after finishing his meal.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, it's about time Lea shows up. We promised to paint together."

How did you make a promise with a kid you can't even communicate with? Monica wanted to ask, but instead, she smiled as she watched Jeong-hoon climb up towards his house to fetch the painting materials.

"It's Ban after all. Of course, it will go well."

Monica didn't fully grasp what it meant to combine Monet and Manet, but she decided to trust Jeong-hoon and called over Augusto for the check.

"Sir, the check, please."

"Huh? Ban already took care of it."

"Ban did?"

"Yeah, he asked to split the bill."

"Ha, I have much more money, but still, that's nice of him."

It wasn't about the money, but the gesture that mattered.

Monica recalled how Jeong-hoon always paid when they went to restaurants he recommended in Korea.

"A good person."

From Jeong-hoon's perspective, raised in Korea, it was customary for men to pay when dining with women, a habit that came naturally to him. But for Monica, raised in Europe, this gesture was seen as an act of kindness.

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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