Van Gogh Reborn! - Chapter 97
“This painting [Portrait of Beatrice] gave us the word Stendhal’s syndrome.”
“Stendhal?”
“It’s a phenomenon where you experience heart pain and hallucinations while you’re looking at a work of art. A writer named Stendhal coined the term from what he experienced when he saw this painting in Florence.”
“Ah.”
Is it Stendhal, who wrote the novel “Red and Black?”
It seemed to have been a name that I had never heard of, but when I thought about it, it was often mentioned even before Stendhal’s anecdote.
Although I had never been to Italy before and never actually saw it, the [Portrait of Beatrice Cenci] was talked about for quite some time in my previous life.
I didn’t expect to see it like this.
Looking at the portrait of Beatrice Cenci once again makes my heartbreak.
Just the head shape from the head to the shoulder conveys the character’s emotions and stories so clearly.
I can roughly predict how Stendhal felt.
“And there are two more paintings like this,”
I turned and looked at grandpa in surprise.
“Let’s see the original first.”
I was surprised.
“Is this a fake?”
I was surprised to hear that this masterpiece that shook my heart was not the original.
“Well, it can’t be called fake, since it’s an agreed-upon imitation. This painting is a copy of the work of Elisabetta Sirani’s teacher, Guido Reni.”
“Oh.”
She was the disciple of the famous Guido Reni.
I’ve never actually seen his work, but I’ve heard of a genius Italian painter named Guido Reni.
I wondered how she painted such a masterpiece at a time when women’s social status was suppressed.
Maybe it was because Guido Reni was impressed with Elisabetta’s talent and gladly accepted her as a disciple
Grandpa found the Portrait of Beatrice Cenci painted by Guido Reni, Elisabetta Sirani’s teacher.
They are indeed a teacher and disciple.
Elisabetta, the student who values Beatrice’s inner self, while Guido Reni, the teacher emphasized her emaciation and focused on the tragedy Beatrice experienced.
Elisabetta came up with a new interpretation, not just a simple imitation of her teacher’s work.
It’s a wonderful relationship.
However, the teacher’s work was not in good condition.
“Reni expressed Beatrice’s experience.”
“Yeah, he did a good job.”
I can’t think which one did better.
It’s because they have different perspectives.
However, I am attracted to the painting of Elisabetta Sirani, the student.
“Ironically, the imitation was more well-received than the original. So some people even argue that Elisabetta’s painting was done by Reni.”
Maybe it’s because Elisabetta’s painting easily conveys the feelings of Beatrice Cenci.
“Then let’s look at the next painting.”
Grandpa looked for another painting and explained that many artists were influenced by Beatrice Cenci’s portrait.
“Here it is.”
“It’s a Beatrice painted by an artist who lived in the 19th century called Achille Leonardi.”
The name Achille Leonardi tells that he’s an Italian painter.
The title says [Reni, who sketches Beatrice Cenci’s portrait].
What does it mean by ‘Reni sketching portrait’?
“Didn’t Elisabetta’s painting become more known than Reni’s?”
Grandpa just said that the student’s work was more famous than the teacher’s, and Achille Leonardi, who painted this, drew the teacher Reni.
“Because everyone thought Elisabetta’s work was done by her teacher.”
I don’t understand what it means.
When I tilted my head to ask for an explanation, grandpa said, smacking his lips.
“It’s not known exactly why, but there was such a misunderstanding.”
Did they mistake the Beatrice drawn by the disciple, Elisabetta, as her teacher’s?
How could that be?
Did they happen to think that a woman couldn’t paint a picture like that?
At that time, there was a bad trend of not looking at women equally.
If it’s true, that’s so sad.
In the 19th century, women were excluded from many fields.
What’s more, it was a century ago.
Elisabetta Sirani.
I will remember that name.
Once again looking at Achille Leonardi’s painting, I can tell who Guido Reni is, just at a glance.
He’s wearing a garment worn by Italian painters in the 17th century.
Achille Leonardi expressed other people’s clothes in detail.
Beatrice Cenci is beautiful.
Unlike Beatrice, which was painted by the two artists earlier, the appearance of shining softly under the light seems to describe a saint.
The body is expressed in a virtuous manner, which must also mean abundance and charity.
“It’s a symbol.”
This is not a painting of Beatrice Cenci, nor is it a painting for Reni, who draws her.
“Yes, Beatrice Cenci was seen by many artists as a symbol of resistance to power after her death. This painting depicts Beatrice as resistance to power rather than an individual.”
It’s not a heart-throbbing painting.
Obviously, this work was also meaningful in its own way.
While I was thinking about the painting, I suddenly realized why grandpa wanted me to see a painting related to Beatrice Cenci.
He wanted to tell me what I should value when painting the character design of ‘ The Strange Castle’.
Achille Leonardi’s work is problem-conscious and well-proven, but it did not express the person named Beatrice Cenci more deeply than the work of its predecessor, Elisabetta Sirani.
The painting that can clearly answer the question of who Beatrice Cenci is can be found only in the paintings of Guido Reni and Elisabetta Sirani.
I looked up at grandpa and smiled.
“It was a great lecture, grandpa.”
“That’s a relief.”
Grandpa playfully disheveled my hair.
I wanted to know more about the artist Elisabetta Sirani, so I picked up the remote control.
“Do you want to see more?”
“Yes, grandpa. I wonder why such a wonderful artist was unknown.”
“What do you mean unknown?”
Grandpa looked at me as if I was saying something incredulous.
“You all said everyone thought Sirani’s work was painted by her teacher?”
“That’s true, but Elisabetta Sirani was well received at that time. Though she was badly abused by her father, Giovanni Andrea Sirani. He thought of Elisabetta as a money-making machine.”
Today, I think I heard a lot of stories about father-daughter issues.
“Giovanni used the money Elisabetta earned from selling her paintings to drink, and Elisabetta couldn’t rest a little.”
Hearing that I turned my head and looked at Elisabetta’s [Portrait of Beatrice Cenci].”
“Ah,”
I can see why Elisabetta’s [Portrait of Beatrice Cenci] was so sad.
She overlapped herself with Beatrice Cenci, who was abused by her father and faced tragedy.
Wouldn’t that deep resonance lead to the creation of this great work called [Portrait of Beatrice Cenci]?
I want to calmly appreciate her work today.
While historical evidence is important.
Thanks to grandpa, I was able to recall what I really had to aim for.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Arsene Lupin was a great thief who could not be caught even when the whole of France rushed in, because of his excellent disguising skills as well as voice modulation.
The courageous boy who went out to catch him was Isidore Beautrele.
In fact, until now, most of the sketches I drew only depicted his head or half-body figures.
Drawing a dynamic full body is a big challenge for me, but grandpa gave me a good lecture, so I have no choice but to draw.
The eyes shining full of conviction is important.
Where should I put the light?
Upper right.
If I express it from behind the character, the atmosphere is alive, but there will be a shadow on the face.
No, that’s not good, either.
Emphasizing only the eyes on a shady face is also not a bad choice.
I drew the line roughly and then drew it more closely.
The dress should be expressed as agreed with the production team.
As an honor student, he wears a checkered vest neatly over a white shirt and locks all buttons.
I wondered how to express the pocket watch, which symbolizes a meticulous personality, but assumed it was put in his pocket and filled the waistband with only the watch strap.
Nolan told me to put in a magnifying glass, which is an essential element of a detective, so I drew in a way he would hold it in his hand.
“Whoa.”
I have to draw a lot of pictures.
Because I repeatedly thought about it and corrected it to show Isidore Beautrele.
This work is more enjoyable than I thought.
As the vague characters of ‘The Strange Castle’ are drawn in my head, I understand Nolan.
I can see why he asked for neat and short hair and why sleeves should be neat.
Thinking that the fictional character I drew will move in the world of ‘The Strange Castle’, I can hardly standstill.
I want to show Nolan right away and ask if this was the character he was thinking of.
I checked the time and it was 11:48 p.m.
I took a picture of my favorite Isidore Beautrele and sent it to Nolan, and he replied immediately.
{That’s my Isidore Beautrele} 11:49
I can’t believe what’s in his head can be shared perfectly through constant conversation.
I want to show the rest of the picture tomorrow, which was a product of such conversations.
