Van Gogh Reborn!

Chapter 178: Holy Spring (4)

Chapter 178 Holy Spring (4)

Think about what kind of painting you want to make in the future.

The next morning, I bid farewell to Henri Marso and headed to Vienna, the capital of Austria.

I couldnt get a direct flight ticket, so I had to make a stopover, but thankfully he lent me his plane.

I wondered how much money he had to own a plane, and I was worried about the cost, but he said it was nothing compared to the <Love7> he received.

I wished he was either a jerk or a nice person, not both.

Anyway, his private jet was very comfortable. The seats were spacious and soft.

He seemed to like it, as he was already sound asleep.

What kind of painting do I want to make?

He must have had Gustav Klimt in mind.

Henri Marso seemed to regard me and Klimt as something special.

I could see some similarities between us when I recalled the conversation we had yesterday.

We were both skilled in traditional painting, successful from a young age, and followed by others, but we eventually expressed ourselves in our own ways.

That must have meant a lot to Henri Marso.

I was no different.

Ever since I was reborn, I pursued paintings that would sell.

I didnt want to go back to those days, so I wondered how I could move the hearts of the viewers.

On the other hand, Gustav Klimt declared that he would not make paintings for the emperor, the nobles, or the public, which was different from me.

But I couldnt deny that it was an attractive answer.

His golden period works, such as <The Kiss>, made his name even more valuable.

If Klimt hadnt presented his own works, he wouldnt have been revered as a great master.

I also left my name behind with the help of many people, even though I wasnt recognized in my lifetime, so was it right to pursue uniqueness?

No.

The answer to this question couldnt be divided into two.

Both Klimt and I were able to be recorded in history because we had people who recognized us.

If I could exist as myself and be attractive enough for people to follow, I wouldnt have to worry, but that wouldnt be easy.

Then how could I approach them?

Henri Marso chose to hone himself in this conflict.

His hundreds of self-portraits, which looked like obsessions, were probably his way of cultivating and training himself.

It was a very hard way to make people look up to him, even if he didnt seek understanding.

What about me?

I didnt exclude myself just because I wanted to sell my paintings, so I thought I was balancing myself.

But I couldnt nod my head if I was satisfied with this.

I wanted to paint more beautiful paintings.

I wanted to talk to more people.

What kind of paintings should I make for that?

The answer was never one.

Klimt and Matisse had their own standards and choices.

They were able to exist as great painters because they pushed their own answers stubbornly.

It was the result of repeating the struggles, frustrations, and rises like me back then.

It didnt matter much what choice I made.

About 41 billion won.

According to the data compiled by the lawyer Thomas Arthur, it wasnt exact due to the exchange rate, stock price fluctuations, and other reasons, but my parents left me a fortune that I couldnt even imagine.

Even after deducting the inheritance tax, if I added my money, it would be about 41 billion won.

I didnt know if my grandfather would leave me his fortune someday, but even if he didnt, I didnt have to worry about eating and living.

I didnt have to worry about making a living.

I didnt have to work for money all my life.

How unrealistic and heartwarming this was.

But that didnt mean I could put down my brush. Money was a means to paint, not a goal.

It was important that I got out of the shackles.

I was in a different position from the past when I was desperate for survival, so it was time to find another way.

For now, I was satisfied with communicating with various people and cultures.

I was delighted to be moved by great works and wonderful artists, to tell my story, and to have people appreciate my paintings.

It was a feeling of living that I could never feel in an isolated life.

My lips kept rising.

I was going to meet Klimt today, but who would I meet tomorrow, and what kind of work would touch me the next day?

As I imagined what kind of paintings I would make in the process, my chest swelled.

Yes.

Dont think too deeply.

The worries about the public and myself are very superficial.

Its a waste of time.

Instead of worrying about that, lets draw more and get to know more people.

Thats the way to find myself and not be lonely.

Hoo.

I felt lighter after sorting out my thoughts.

It seemed like there was about an hour left until arrival.

I had nothing else to do, so I browsed through a tourist brochure of Vienna.

As I turned the cover, the first page introduced Ringstrae.

It was a circular road that formed the center of Vienna, and it was also called the fantasy road.

It was a street established by the city plan of Franz Joseph I, the last emperor of Austria in the 19th century.

The main attractions were connected along the road.

The places I wanted to see were the Secession, which was built by Gustav Klimt and his colleagues, and the Belvedere Museum, where <The Kiss> was exhibited.

Both places were slightly away from the circular road.

I wanted to see them soon.

Snore. Gurgle.

My grandfather was snoring, so he must have been tired.

I decided to tell him to rest at the hotel after seeing one place today.

***

It didnt take long to get from the airport to the center of Vienna.

We had lunch on the plane, so we unpacked our luggage at the hotel and headed straight to Ringstrae.

Wow.

I couldnt help but admire.

The street, which was planned to establish the emperors dignity, was filled with splendid and majestic buildings in Gothic, Baroque, and other styles.

Its like a fantasy road, isnt it?

Yes.

Even if it was a humiliation imposed by the last emperor of Austria, it was still majestic and splendid.

I guess the Schnbrunn Palace is over there.

Grandpa thinks it would be better to visit the art museum first.

Do they have Klimts paintings there?

Grandpa nodded.

I wondered what he was thinking, but I didnt say anything and walked with him.

As we passed the natural history museum, a spacious square between the art museum buildings came into view.

It looked like the landscapers had taken good care of it, as there was not a single branch sticking out.

This is the Maria Theresa Square.

In the center of the square, there was a tower so high that it could be seen from afar.

On top of it, there was a statue of Maria Theresa, surrounded by knights on horses.

She looked both merciful and dignified.

She was a great empress.

No European would be ignorant of Maria Theresa, who was famous for the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War.

She was a hero who fought against the great Frederick the Great of Prussia and suffered a great wound, but ultimately defended her country.

But I didnt see any other emperors.

When Franz Joseph I built the Ringstrasse, he placed the statue of Maria Theresa in the most visible place.

Because she was the pride of the Habsburg dynasty of Austria.

Yes. Do you know the Habsburg dynasty?

Grandpa, who seemed to want to explain something, suddenly turned his head.

I was a little flustered and dodged the question.

I learned it at school.

Hmm. It seems like the school is getting harder and harder to study. They teach things that you dont need to learn yet. I wonder if I sent you there for nothing.

I agreed with Grandpa.

Although I didnt learn European history, Korean elementary schools demanded too much knowledge from the children.

The more serious problem was the atmosphere that the school lessons were not enough.

The children who received private education felt bored with the school lessons.

You dont have to stress too much about the school test scores.

Yes.

Grandpa and I bought tickets and entered the empty art museum.

Since those under 19 could enter for free, Grandpa only paid 20 euros. It was an advantage to have a young body, even if it was uncomfortable.1)

I should travel a lot when Im young.

Oh my god.

I had visited several art museums with Grandpa, but this was the first time I saw such a place.

It was not only magnificent, but also incomparable in its splendor.

The pillars that formed a circle were connected by arches and formed a dome on the ceiling.

The middle was hollow.

Even though I didnt know much about architecture, I could tell that it was a place that was intricately built, leaving the middle of the ceiling, where the most load would be concentrated, empty.

That was not all.

The ceiling, illuminated by the light, shone with a faint golden color, and every detail was carved without any gaps, making the whole space a work of art.

The stair decorations, the floor, and the pillars were all too luxurious.

As I looked up at the central staircase, I saw lions holding shields on both sides.

Among them, a marble statue depicting Theseus subduing a centaur gestured for me to come up quickly.2)

I ran up the stairs.

Wow.

How dynamic it was.

Theseus looked like he was about to strike with his club at any moment, and the centaur was resisting with his waist bent.

The classical style and the delicate muscle expression and dynamic posture created a beauty that was admirable.

Classicism was seen negatively because the ruling class demanded only that, but the work itself was beautiful beyond words.

Lets look up there too.

Huh?

I lifted my head at Grandpas words and felt like I was out of breath.

Oh my god.

Angels were descending from a high place that I had to strain my neck to see.3)

Considering that it was a ceiling painting, the perspective was lowered, and even without that, the high ceiling felt like the sky.

On the lower left, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael Santi seemed to be having a conversation, and I could see Michelangelo Buonarroti in agony.

It was a painting that revered the three geniuses of the Renaissance as divine beings.

It was an amazing masterpiece.

The Apotheosis of the Renaissance by Mihaly Munkacsy.

Grandpa told me the title in English too.

Apotheosis of the Renaissance.

I think I know why he said the words peak and deification together when he said Apotheosis.

I cant think of a word that perfectly corresponds to it in Korean.

To worship?

I couldnt find a suitable word, but I was sure that I knew what kind of art Austria pursued at that time.

This place, along with the Ringstrasse, was a temple for the past, such as Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicism.

*****

1)As of 2021, the admission fee for the Vienna Art Museum is 16 euros for general, 12 euros for seniors, students, and civil servants (including 5% VAT).

Free admission for those under 19.

For seniors, you need to be over 65 and have a pensioner ID, so Goseo Yeol entered at the regular price.

2)Theseus and the Centaur, Antonio Canova, 1819, marble sculpture, height 340 cm.

3)Mihaly Munkacsy (Mihaly Munkacsy), The Apotheosis of the Renaissance, 1888, fresco.