Episode 104: Dangerous Masters
Pooooo—
Thick smoke rose every time trains entered the Gare Saint-Lazare.
Amidst the commotion, a man could be seen coughing and hacking away.
Pale complexion. He had a worried and timid look.
“Wa… Wait for me!”
The man, carrying an art box as big as himself, almost stumbled several times while running.
“Hurry up, Sisley. You’re so slow.”
Monet greeted the station master, leaving the struggling Sisley behind.
The station master deeply bowed in greeting.
Thanks to Monet’s clean suit and confident demeanor, the station master thought he must be a famous painter.
“As requested, we’ve added coal to ensure the steam from the train doesn’t stop today.”
The station master smiled softly, and Monet nodded slightly.
“Thank you.”
Monet moved to a spot where he could closely observe the massive locomotive.
From the front platform, he could freely watch the train depart or arrive.
He set up his easel and observed the train, which continuously spewed hot steam as it ran.
As naturally as breathing, the smoke rose. Monet instinctively began to squeeze out the colors he needed onto his palette.
With every stroke of his brush, the steam coming out of the train became more vivid…
“NG!”
Director Fraser frowned and picked up the megaphone.
“How can you draw it like that? Haven’t you seen the original painting of ‘Gare Saint-Lazare’ at the Orsay Museum? Didn’t I tell you to memorize it as if you were an actor memorizing lines?”
The painter, who was acting as a stand-in for the actor, lowered his head.
Despite looking at the original several times and practicing, he couldn’t satisfy Fraser’s exacting aesthetic standards. He wasn’t a psychic, after all; the drawing might slightly differ… Being so sensitive about a few seconds of a scene…
‘Moreover, how am I supposed to immerse myself when the background is all green chroma key? If I could do that, I’d be an actor myself.’
The painter’s frustration grew. He couldn’t feel the authenticity in the scene.
How could one perfectly recreate a 19th-century train station?
The steam locomotive’s appearance would be handled by CGI. The scene just performed was imagined to the best of his ability.
“After the first exhibition planned with friends failed, critics called them a group of fools who would vanish like smoke. That’s why he painted the steam. Do you even understand the script? It’s not just a stand-in role. You’re an actor too.”
“……”
“That scene is about Monet’s determination to show that a moment can become eternal! Imagine how stubborn he must have been to paint this space and heat so meticulously! Can’t you visualize it?”
Claude Monet was an exceptionally sensitive painter.
For a single scene, he embraced the hot steam and inhaled the suffocating smoke that felt like it would destroy his lungs.
That’s how the “Gare Saint-Lazare” series was created.
Every day, he went to the train station and captured the affluent Paris, which was at the heart of 19th-century industrialization.
Fraser couldn’t stand the thought of ruining this scene, which perfectly showcased Monet’s character.
“Let’s go again.”
“Yes, understood.”
As the scene number was called out anew,
Seoyeon grabbed Kang Lim and spoke.
They had stayed here watching for quite a while. It was time to leave.
“Kang Lim, I think they’re going to keep filming that scene.”
“After the scene where they were criticized as a group that would vanish like smoke, they’ll probably connect it to the scene where Monet paints the ‘Gare Saint-Lazare’ series, right? I think Alfred Sisley was deliberately made softer to highlight Monet’s strictness. They modeled his character after his soft brushstrokes… Truly Fraser.”
“Oh my, you’re already analyzing it… You could make a whole movie.”
“Hey, you can never make a movie alone.”
“That’s true. This set was a killer to build.”
They had visited Giverny, near Paris, to see Monet’s house.
Kang Lim hadn’t expected to find an outdoor set built in a large open space.
‘Well, Paris is too cramped to build anything. They must have built this here to combine with location shooting in the suburbs.’
Kang Lim, seeing Seoyeon rubbing her arms as if she had goosebumps, said,
“Well, this set is impressive, but you’re amazing too.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. How can you see the director’s face from this distance? I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t told me.”
“Oh… I just have good eyesight. And he’s such a famous director, I recognized him at a glance.”
Thinking back, when they worked on a project for Seoul City, she had spotted Sensation Agency’s work from afar. He had suspected then that she might have eagle vision…
Kang Lim looked into Seoyeon’s eyes.
They were clear and bright brown eyes.
“How can someone who studies so much have such good eyesight? It’s fascinating.”
“I don’t know either. It’s probably like your memory? It’s just natural.”
“Haha.”
“Anyway, let’s go quickly. Mom and Professor Shin Hansoo are waiting for us.”
“Did the director come too? I already sent the photos of the work.”
“Yes. He wants to see it in person, wondering how you painted it so quickly.”
“Oh, that’s thanks to a new technique I developed.”
“So, come quickly.”
Seoyeon grabbed Kang Lim and moved.
Was he still lingering? Kang Lim kept looking back as he walked, his wrist held.
The figure of the greatest Hollywood director grew smaller like a dot.
‘If it’s a movie about Paris where 19th-century painters were active… Will it be Fraser’s first failure? That would be quite a shock.’
Ryu Miyeon and Shin Hansoo. The two silently stared at Kang Lim’s painting.
Their gentle gazes were filled with deep-seated goodwill.
Ryu Miyeon slowly nodded and smiled.
“It’s exactly as I heard. It looks delicious but also revolting.”
“Really?”
“Yes, you’ve captured the composition well. The mix of materials also gives it a unique color.”
After Ryu Miyeon’s review, Shin Hansoo showed Kang Lim several artworks.
These were by Eastern artists who had recently gained recognition in the international art scene.
Kang Lim looked at the artworks and said,
“Choi Jeonghwa, Yue Minjun, and Takashi Murakami.”
“Yes, in the art world dominated by Europe and America, these artists succeeded. They know their roots well.”
Kang Lim recalled the works of the three artists.
First, Choi Jeonghwa.
He creates works using everyday items you might find in a traditional Korean market or folk village.
Obangsaek bowls, brooms, aluminum pots, cast-iron cauldrons, brassware… He stacks and piles all these objects to create a gigantic form.
‘It looks like a modern tower… The materials themselves are distinctly Korean.’
Next, Yue Minjun.
An artist active in China. The colors he uses predominantly are representative of China—red.
The humans depicted have red skin and all have wide-open mouths, smiling broadly.
Whether being shot, urinating, or running, they wear bizarre smiles.
His paintings symbolize China’s unique mass production, human collectivization, and lack of individuality.
As for Takashi Murakami? No need to mention.
He’s someone who turns otaku animation into art.
Where else would you see such works? It’s a culture only Japanese people could create.
Shin Hansoo allowed Kang Lim some time to contemplate the artworks before speaking.
“I know your knowledge of art history, so I won’t talk about the artworks themselves.”
“Yes, the common theme among the three artists is that they say ‘life itself is art.’ They use images we can easily encounter in everyday life. What you see is the truth, and art requires no embellishment.”
Shin Hansoo smiled contentedly.
“Exactly. That’s why they naturally gathered materials from their home countries. This approach felt fresh to foreign eyes.”
“In the end, it’s ‘Where are you from?’ A universally asked question.”
“Precisely, that’s what I’m getting at. ‘So, where are you from? What are your roots?’ That’s considered important. Since one’s life becomes art, it cannot be separated from their country.”
Shin Hansoo pointed to Kang Lim’s painting.
“But you’ve taken it a step further. You started in your homeland but embraced the world. Mixing East and West, how very you.”
Ryu Miyeon, listening to their conversation, opened her mouth.
“But I’m curious about one thing. Kang Lim, you know exactly how to adhere to tradition. Were you never hesitant about mixing in Western materials? After all, many think Korean painting is disappearing.”
Kang Lim looked into Ryu Miyeon’s eyes.
They were straightforward.
“Actually, both of you see it as a mix of East and West. Of course, that’s also correct, but I think this is a very Korean approach. I kept thinking about what modern Korean painting is… and I believe mixing materials is the right direction.”
“Why?”
“In our country, even elementary school kids have cell phones, and no household lacks a computer. Even if they’re poor, they never want to fall behind in information or education. As an IT powerhouse, we receive news quickly and are closely connected. So, I think the culture of easily merging, blending, and mixing is inherently Korean.”
Shin Hansoo’s ears perked up at Kang Lim’s intriguing response.
“New things are created in that process. For example, you won’t find Korean-style jjajangmyeon in China. Various toppings on pizza or chicken… They all became uniquely ours by adopting and transforming different cultures.”
Shin Hansoo nodded.
Indeed, Kang Lim lived a life far removed from the images that come to mind when thinking of Korean painting.
Not to mention the Joseon era, he didn’t experience the Japanese colonial period or the Korean War… nor the sorrow of the nation seen in modern art.
Thus, his interpretation was even more valuable.
Kang Lim must break away from the first generation of national art.
For the sake of new Korean art.
As Shin Hansoo nodded slowly, Kang Lim spoke again.
“But I believe there are certain emotions we share because we are the same ethnicity. Words like ‘han (恨)’ or ‘jeong (情)’… terms that exist only in our country. You can feel them without learning. So, while I use hanji as the base with Eastern materials, I finish by mixing in Western materials.”
Is he trying to embrace even modern art, which he hasn’t experienced?
Shin Hansoo burst into laughter at the statement that completely overturned his thinking.
“Haha. A wonderful attempt. But the message you intended to reveal when you shone a light on the painting… That’s why the paint is thickly applied only to the left edge. I think it’ll peel off in a few years. That’s the problem.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I mixed it according to a ratio I’ve studied since I was young, so it won’t peel off. It’s an Eastern material technique.”
“…If that’s true, even lasting ten years would make you a genius.”
“Of course. It’s my secret.”
Shin Hansoo shook his head in disbelief.
How did he come to know such techniques? The years of solitary research were impressive.
Ryu Miyeon, having already seen Seoljookdo, could smile leisurely.
She took out the artwork’s wrapping paper and said,
“I’ll include the piece in the preview exhibition right away. Since it’s not a large painting, there’s no need to call the transport team. Although, it’s quite big for something painted in a day.”
Kang Lim’s painting was size 40. It’s impossible to paint such a large piece in a day using traditional methods.
It was only possible due to the mix of various paints.
Ryu Miyeon, satisfied with the outcome, looked at Shin Hansoo.
Her look said, ‘Didn’t I choose a great artist?’
‘But what’s that? My evaluation material?’
Kang Lim looked at the file Shin Hansoo was holding since he came in.
He was cradling it like a mother hen protecting her egg.
Unable to ignore the intense gaze, Shin Hansoo opened his mouth.
He couldn’t ignore Kang Lim’s curious expression.
“Are you curious about this?”
“Yes, is it important?”
Shin Hansoo chuckled. Kang Lim had a nose for these things.
This was indeed a significant research outcome that would leave a mark in art history.
“This is for the upcoming Western Art Society conference. There will be a symposium in Germany the day after tomorrow. I plan to publish it as a book. The manuscript is already finished.”
“Wow… A new work from you! What’s it about?”
“Well, since it’s about to be announced, I’ll show you. It’ll be in the news soon, so read it carefully. It’ll be helpful.”
Kang Lim opened the file that Shin Hansoo handed over.
It contained reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings and interpretations of them.
All the content pointed towards… identifying a forgery.
‘Professor… Are you seriously going to announce this as a forgery? Even though it’s already recognized as an original?’
It would certainly cause a huge stir in the art world.
With clear evidence supporting his claim, Shin Hansoo’s reputation wouldn’t suffer much, but… convincing others that this work was a forgery would be tough.
It would be hard to misinterpret a painting owned by royalty.
‘In my past life, the professor didn’t fail because of this. It just ended up slightly scratching his pride.’
But Kang Lim wanted to discuss it with Shin Hansoo.
Kang Lim had also thought a lot about Da Vinci’s paintings.
‘…I wonder what he would think of the Da Vinci code I discovered?’
In the end, Kang Lim swallowed hard and opened his mouth.
It was a statement that would throw cold water on Shin Hansoo.
“Professor, I believe Da Vinci deliberately painted it to look like a fake.”
As expected.
At those words, Shin Hansoo’s eyes shook strongly.
