Van Gogh Reborn!

Chapter 220:

Between Art and Art (5)

It was late at night.

Damien Carter was lost in thought as he looked at Henri Marsos hanging in the special exhibition hall of the SNBA Salon.

He had thought that was a finished work, but it was actually a triptych that only conveyed its meaning, emotion, and purpose when displayed side by side.

On the left, there was a painting that depicted the artists who had left their mark on art history.

In the middle, there was the painting that he had presented at the Art Nouveau competition.

On the right, there was a painting that showed a sunflower reflected in Henri Marsos emerald eyes.

It was a work that expressed the past through the artists of the previous era, defined the present by showing his own back, and symbolized the future with his gaze at the sunflower.

From a means of conveying information to a creation.

seemed to summarize the history of art, containing a long story and a reverence that made it look like three altarpieces.1)

Despite being affected by yesterdays incident, Henri Marsos received rave reviews.

Damien Carter nodded his head, thinking that it was a work worthy of such praise.

What a wonderful painting.

Damien Carter was truly amazed by Henri Marsos talent.

Looking at the current art museum in 2028, after undergoing countless changes, Henri Marso was an incomprehensible being.

His way of using form and color was classical, but clearly distinguished from other artists and works.

He did not try to create a unique style, but rather emphasized and refined the beauty of traditional values.

How happy it must be to be loved while painting like this.

Damien Carter was surely envious of Henri Marso.

Carter.

He turned his head at the familiar voice and greeted him warmly.

Detective Go.

Go Soo-yeol looked at the hand that Damien Carter had extended and gently shook it.

What brings you here at this late hour?

Go Soo-yeol shifted his gaze.

You had the same idea, I see.

I just wanted to see it quietly.

Damien Carter smiled faintly and looked at again.

The two masters stood side by side and admired the work in silence.

How much time had passed?

Go Soo-yeol broke the silence.

I wonder if you remember.

What do you mean?

When we were undergraduates, we received a very narrow-minded education, didnt we? We couldnt accept it when they said that Mona Lisa was not art.

Damien Carter chuckled.

From a modern perspective, Mona Lisa could not be considered art.

It was not a painting that the artist had created on his own initiative, but one that was born from a commission, which contradicted the art view that emphasized the individuals subjectivity.

The impression that Mona Lisa gave was not based on artistic quality, but on admiration for the astonishing painting technique.

How could Mona Lisa, which was easy to think of as an art work since childhood, not be an art work?

It was the first conceptual conflict that the students who entered the art college faced.

Back then, I thought that was right. Art had to be subjective. But as time went by, my thoughts changed a little.

Damien Carter listened attentively.

I kept asking myself as I taught the students. Could Mona Lisa and The Creation of Adam really not be art?

Did you find the answer?

Go Soo-yeol nodded his head.

They are art.

The two masters looked into each others eyes.

Even if they were made by commission, how they expressed it depended on the creators creativity.

Haha. The artists would be shocked to hear that.

Damien Carter could not agree with Go Soo-yeols words.

The impression he got from Mona Lisa was not something that arose from the interaction between the work and the individual.

It was a famous painting.

It was painted by a famous person.

It was hung in the Louvre Museum.

It was not a subjective appreciation caused by such fixed perceptions, and even if he was impressed by seeing Mona Lisa directly in the Louvre Museum, the displayed Mona Lisa had a low probability of being genuine.

Do you really think so?

Damien Carter stopped laughing.

I used to think that art was something that depended on the artist. But as I kept questioning, I wondered where the viewers had gone.

I wonder if its narrow-minded to think that art depends only on the subject. If the viewer is moved, wouldnt that moment become art?

Isnt there a possibility that its just a conventionalized experience?

Isnt what we create also based on experience?

The two people paused to organize their thoughts.

Gosuyeol spoke first.

The criterion that it cant be art if its not a voluntary act separates pure art from popular art.

Demian Carter nodded in agreement.

They looked at how past technicians made what the patrons wanted in exchange for money and how modern technicians made what the masses wanted for profit.

Is there really no artistic value in popular art? Is it called popular because its not art, or does it mean art that is popular? I think theres room to think about that.

Demian Carter snapped his fingers and pondered.

I think thats why Marso is loved.

Gosuyeol looked at .

He revealed himself without reservation and functioned as a subject, while delivering a clear message.

People marveled at the amazing technology and felt his thoughts and emotions at the same time.

When the eyes and the heart resonated with high density, wouldnt that be what they were looking for?

Gosuyeol believed that people didnt come to the exhibition because of the educated art museum.

He didnt think they were satisfied with vanity, self-hypnosis, and false appreciation.

Hooni bothered you yesterday.

Demian Carter shook his head.

But I also think the same as Hooni.

Gosuyeol didnt apologize.

Lets try to answer todays conversation the next time we meet.

He only promised the next.

Im looking forward to it.

Demian Carter smiled kindly.

Huff. Huff.

Refreshing, isnt it?

Grandpa asked with joy.

I had no strength to answer or stand, so I just slumped down and nodded.

Ive been exercising with Grandpa every morning for a week.

I knew he liked to exercise, but I didnt know he would be so happy.

He looks happy these days.

Tired?

I nodded.

If you keep it up, youll soon gain stamina and want to run more.

I doubt that.

I held Grandpas hand and got up.

Didnt you like going up the mountain?

Theres a lot to see.

Walking or hiking is fun because you can slowly look around, but running is hard to like.

But to eat delicious food and stay healthy, I have to run.

How tragic is that?

I can endure the physical pain for tomorrows food, but I cant give up high-calorie food even though I know it will hurt tomorrow.

Humans are pitiful beings.

Lets see. If we eat breakfast and go, itll be about right.

Grandpa checked the time.

Today is the day to shoot the documentary with Martin Jansen. Bang Taeho also agreed to join us at the shooting site.

I want to work quickly.

If I stay here, Ill have to keep running because of Sherry Gados cooking.

I put that thought aside for a moment.

A delicious smell that was hard to describe tempted my nose at the restaurant I found after showering.

Whats that smell?

I looked for Sherry Gado.

I baked some bread for the first time in a while. I slathered it with Izni butter. Want to try?

Yes.

The croissant that Sherry Gado baked was so delicious that it could revive a dead person.

I wondered if I could come back to life if I just put this to my nose even if I died from running.

Can I have one more?

Sure. You wont gain weight from eating one more. Your fat goes to your height anyway.

Sherry Gado was right.

I need to have a smooth nutrition supply during my growth period.

I felt the richness of bread and butter just now, so this time I want to eat it with jam.

Sherry Gado searched for the jar of walnut jam that she had made herself.

She was struggling to open the tightly sealed lid when a hand suddenly appeared in front of her and snatched the jam away.

She looked up and saw Henri Marso staring down at her.

He seemed to be looking for some excuse to bother her, but then he opened the lid for her.

How strange.

Thank you.

Thank you, indeed.

He took a small knife and scooped a generous amount of jam.

500m.

Not eating?

What do you mean by that?

Youll have to run at least 500m more if you eat that much.

She wished Bang Tae-ho would come soon.

Good morning.

Just then, her grandfather, who had finished his shower, entered the dining room.

Good morning.

Are you here?

It smells good today.

Her grandfather greeted Marso and Sherry politely and picked up a croissant.

He liked walnut jam, so he didnt hesitate to spread it thickly.

Henri Marso chuckled when she glared at him as if to say why he didnt say anything to her grandfather.

Can you compare someone who manages themselves and someone who needs to be told what to do?

This guy was so annoying before, but now he acted like he was her tutor or something.

Sir.

She was about to say something when another butler, who had replaced Arsen who was on vacation, came looking for Marso.

Henri IV Middle School has asked when you can visit them.

Tell them Ill go when I have time. And dont bother me.

Ill let them know.

?

She looked at the door where the butler had left with a vague and uneasy feeling, and her grandfather asked.

Henri IV Middle School? Isnt that where Hun wants to go?

Yes, it is.

Why do they want you to go there?

They said the art teacher was not satisfactory.

What was he talking about?

Do you mean youre going to give a lecture?

No way!

She jumped up, afraid that her grandfathers words might come true.

Triptych format.

This is a format that declined after the Renaissance and the Reformation, as the power of the church diminished, but it had a long history and a great influence on Western art.

A famous example of a work that used the triptych composition is Pablo Picassos .