Van Gogh Reborn! - Chapter 19

According to Jules Verne’s novel “ Around the world in 80 days”, 80 days is enough to go around the world.

Humanity has entered the era of magic, making things like tablets and televisions.

They might have even made a very fast moving ship.

So if my guess is right it might take less than a month to get to Europe.

Since grandpa said that the duration of this trip is about two months, then probably, we won’t be spending much time in Europe.

In any case, just being able to check out the ‘Van Gogh Museum’ is enough.

‘I need to pack my bags.’

After packing underwear, socks, and clothes to wear for two months, the size of the bag is about my height.

But I am still worried since I haven’t added any drawing tools yet.

It’s not bad to get acquainted with the tablet this time, but I don’t know how long I can last without holding a brush and paints?

‘I can wash my clothes and wear them.’

With the intention of washing once every three days, I only brought three pairs of socks, three pieces of underwear, two sets of pajamas, and two sets of outdoor clothes.

When I put the brush box and paint set in, It couldn’t fit into the bag.

It seems like If I put them into the bag, then they will be crumpled.

I had no choice but to put three sketchbooks in it.

The tablet was well wrapped in a box so that it wouldn’t be damaged.

When I looked at the bag, I became filled with satisfaction.

Grandpa, who was moving things here and there came to my room.

“Hun, have you packed all your things?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

Grandpa came into the room and looked at my luggage.

“Let’s see.”

Even Grandpa will be amazed at this reasonable packing.

“Hey. You packed a lot. What did you put in this?”

“I put only what I needed.”

Grandpa opened the bag and looked inside with bewilderment.

There seems to be something missing.

“Am I missing anything?”

“This guy, where did you put all your clothes, and why have you put only brushes and paints in them? Are you moving somewhere?”

“Clothes are at the bottom.”

Grandpa checked the inside of the bag and asked.

“ So you are going to spend two months in Europe with three dresses.?”

“Well, it’s better than not being able to paint.”

“Hah… Who packs up like this for a trip? Can you even carry this?”

I tried to pick the bag on my shoulder, but I couldn’t pick it up.

“Heh heh heh. Okay, look here, If you feel sorry to leave your drawing tools, then you can just take a sketchbook and colored pencil.”

I forced myself to take out the drawing tool with my hand that refused to move.

⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩

As Ko hun was troubled with the preparation for a trip to Europe.

The crowds at Seoul Art Museum started increasing day by day since the news about Henry Marceau buying [Sunflower] came out.

Thanks to the unusual price with which it was bought, peoples’ interest towards [Sunflower] grew exponentially as the media kept buzzing about it day by day.

The Exhibition Hall 3, which normally receives about 20-30 visitors a day, found more than 500 people every day, making Director Lee Junho very happy.

Security guards were always in place to ensure that the painting is not damaged or stolen, and the new artist’s exhibition was also uncharacteristically advertised.

However, the advertisements did not go into the ears of those who came to see the sunflowers.

It received a completely different reception from how normal paintings were received.

The moment the audience faced [Sunflower], they were overwhelmed by its brilliant colors.

They didn’t think about the techniques used or the colours used or the deep meaning within it.

They were just mesmerized by a beautiful image that had touched their heart.

It was an experience they had never experienced.

After watching such a painting, the students of Korea University and the students of American University sat in a nearby cafe, still intoxicated by the afterglow left by [Sunflower].

Only when one of the student’s cell phone started ringing, they could come back to their senses and started talking.

“We must have gone crazy.Right.”

“Me too. I didn’t really think about anything and just looked at it.”

“How can someone use colour in such a way.? It looks so pure, and yet it’s sad, and it’s so sad, and it’s just about. Aaaak. What should I say.? I don’t have any words to explain it.”

“I think it contrasts more with the hazy looking Sun because of the bright yellow colour.”

“The technique was just like an ink painting.”

“That’s right. There is no background and the lines are very rough, but it is strangely detailed, isn’t it?”

A student who was listening to his friends, opened his mouth.

“Doesn’t it feel like Van Gogh?”

The group thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes. A little.”

“If Van Gogh had seen ink paintings, he might have painted like that.”

A student fell on the table.

“Haaah. I want to draw like that too. Didn’t they say it was drawn by a 10 years old boy?”

“Yes. Professor Sooyeol’s grandson.”

“ Just 10 years old?”

The students were shocked deeply that a 10-year-old child had drawn the picture that overwhelmed them.

They sighed.

“I envied him. At first I thought how can he get 2 billion won for just a painting, but after seeing it with my eyes, I can feel it, it’s really worth it.”

“2.8 billion won.”

“Yeah that. After all, it’s money we can’t even look at in our lifetime.”

“I don’t think this is the end.? In the future, the paintings that Ko Hun paints will sell like hot cakes. Henry Marceau bought the first one. Next, even if the price goes down, it wouldn’t sell for a small amount.?”

It was very important for an artist to have their works to be bought by celebrities.

This is because a large publicity effect can be expected by the celebrities name.

“…Should we just give up?”

“What?”

“Painting. To be honest, I don’t have the confidence to paint like that, and I don’t even know what to paint. It’s so hard to paint and I don’t know what I am even doing.”

Everyone couldn’t retort anything to their friend’s remarks.

When preparing for college entrance exams, they spent 14 hours a day in front of the canvas to get admitted to the best art college in Korea.

They repeated the same thing to the extent of memorising the plaster statue as it is and painting it.

As a result, when they entered college, they were exhausted both physically and mentally.

They killed their individuality and adapted to the art of the entrance exam that forced them to answer the questions.

It was so hard to attend the college class now, which tells them to find their lost individuality.

It was the absurdity of college entrance exams and art colleges that all art students go through.

While trying to understand and sympathise with their friend’s concerns, they became concerned about their own concerns.

Then a student opened his mouth.

“But….After seeing [sunflower] I’m… feeling a little energised today.”

The eyes of the friends were focused on the one spoke.

“It might seem like a bit of an oversight.”

The student carefully analysed his thoughts.

“That [sunflower] looked so lonely. There were also scars on the stems and leaves, and it didn’t seem like it could live that much. Still, it gave its everything to look at the sun… Oh, what I am trying to say is.?”

“What.”

“I thought it was an expression of sunflower’s desire to not give up no matter how many hurdles were placed in its path. I felt like I shouldn’t give up on my art easily.”

When their friends didn’t say anything, the student chuckled.

“he he he. Maybe I read too much into it.”

“No. There’s nothing wrong with thinking. It’s your opinion.”

That student became relieved at his friend’s words.

“Yeah. That…. I think you are right. Maybe it really was intended in that way.”

“ Really…You thing a 10-year-old boy….. thought of that.?”

“…Maybe….. He drew this while thinking of Ko Hae and Lee Soojin.”

“Ah.”

“It was too big of an incident for a ten-year-old boy to handle.”

“Perhaps that dazzling yellow colour in [Sunflower] was an expression of his will to not yield to the pain symbolised by the damaged stems and leaves.”

“He probably wouldn’t have thought about it like that, but wouldn’t it be really something if there be such a feeling inside him?”

“Yes.”

The students drank coffee and gathered their thoughts for a while.

Thinking of the [sunflower] in each of their memories, made their weary heart motivated .

They stood up

“……I going to draw a painting.”

“me too.”

“Yeah, let’s go together.”

⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩⏩

The app called Infinity Drawing installed by Aunt Mirae is truly a wonderful tool.

I can choose any colour I want, just by placing the pen on the screen and it produces an unexpected result.

Even the thickness, shape, and texture of the lines can be varied, so a few days passed just by learning how to use them.

I got used to it to some extent, and I wanted to draw a picture with this today, so I got down, then suddenly I heard a loud noise from the front door.

I went out of my room to see the source of the sound.

There I saw someone coming up, it was Aunt Mirae and a man I had never seen before.

“Hi?”

“Hello.”

Both Aunt Mirae and the unknown person were carrying something in their hands.

“what is it?”

“A gift for the teacher. It’s his birthday today.”

I thought it was strange because there were dozens of people who delivered parcels all day, but I didn’t know that was the case.

“Is it a painting.?”

“Yes. He said he liked it before. So I wanted to give it to him this time.”

“Can I take a look too?”

“I’ll let you see when the teacher comes later. Hun, wait a minute. Get away from her it’s heavy.”

“I’ll help you.”

“No. It’s heavy, Jin, just put it here in the front .”

“Yes, Professor.”

The two put down the canvas with difficulty.

“Hey. Good job. thanks.”

“It’s not a big deal. Don’t forget your promise professor?”

“Ugh. Okay. I’ll come with you for a dinner.”

“Yes…Yes….Thank you professor. I will make it a best dinner….Then I will take my leave professor. Bye. Hun.”

Who is he and how did he know my name

After waiting for the front door to close, Aunt Mirae turned around keeping her hand in her face and sat down on the sofa.

“I don’t want to..…go on a dinner with someone younger than me….Ahhh…..why did I make such a promise.”

Aunt Mirae kept murmuring about something I didn’t understand.

I slowly tried to leave the room without making a noise.

But Aunt Mirae found me trying to leave.

“Hun…Where are you going.”

“I’m going out to buy something.”

“Huh..What? At this time?”

“Grandpa’s birthday gift.”

“Are you going to buy a present now?”

“Yes.”

“Hun, Your Grandpa will come soon and you can’t go anywhere alone.”

I wish I had known sooner.

While thinking about what to do, Aunt Mirae said as if she read my mind.

“Isn’t it the greatest gift for Grandpa is to have Hun grow up healthily?”

“That’s is that, and a celebration is a celebration.”

“Then how about drawing him a picture. He really wanted the [sunflower].”

A painting….

Hmmm maybe a portrait would be good.

It’s a good idea because it’s good for character practice and it’s meaningful to my grandfather.

Soon I headed to the studio to bring a chair and easel to the living room.

At that moment I heard grandpa’s voice.

“Little Hun, Grandpa is here.”

“Come here Grandpa.”

“okay. Ho ho ho. what do we have here.?”

He is surprised to see the paper boxes and canvases piled up around the front door.

“It’s a birthday present.”

Aunt Mi-rae poked her face out.

“ Ah…Professor Jang, you were here. What birthday? What is the big canvas you are holding?”

“Last time, teacher said you liked it. So I wanted to give it to you as a present.”

Jang Mi-rae tore the paper that wrapped the canvas.

Whenever the picture is revealed, the neat figure of the peony flower that seems to bloom became visible.

A painting as realistic as Grandpa’s potato pizza.

The fresh petals seem to come out of the canvas.

However, it is not simply a still life, it is only the purest beauty of its inner world in a canvas

How can someone draw a picture like this?

I don’t know who it is, but it must be the work of a master who built his own idea in the canvas.

With the help of Grandpa’s paintings, I have realised many things about this realistic yet ideal style of painting.

Seeing through the essence of things and ideally put them on the canvas.

The figure is clearly a trace of the noble painter Jean-François Millet.

“Oh oh.”

Grandpa also looked very happy.

“I don’t know if it’s fine with me to accept Professor Jang’s painting.”

“It’s nothing compared what you taught me teacher. Do you like it?”

“What do you think about the painting little Hun.? The painting of your Aunt Mirae.?.”

I stood confused for a while

“Did aunt Mirae draw this?”

“Yes..So how is it.?”

Aunt Mirae squatted and asked.

How could this person who I only thought as a weird person who always hugged me create such a masterpiece?

I can not believe it.

I can assure that this painting will continue to be talked about among people along with many masterpieces.

“Aunt Mirae’s painting is so cool and awesome.”

“really?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the picture.

I replied with nodding my head.

Then suddenly Aunt Mirae hugged me tightly.

“ Thank you…Hun.”

Not again…..

Even though she is a great painter, she is still a weird person.