The Versatile Master Artist

Think about it.

The emperor wants to discuss art and painting techniques with you, and you bring out the paint, roll up your sleeves, and have the emperor smear his fingers all over, obviously far too ungraceful.

”Shengzi, you’ve pioneered a new visual effect.”

Gu Weijing snapped out of his scattered thoughts, looking at the canvas, hesitant to claim it as his own, ”Such a painting refinement is rare, you...”

”It’s not so exaggerated, this is your technique, I just relied on intuition to smear a few fingers on it.”

Koizumi Katsuko smiled gently, interrupting the other party.

”Often, art is like that, jumping out of the original confinement of thought, using a different perspective, it’s easier to have a sudden insight. You didn’t think of it just because you’re the painter himself. If we swapped positions, you could think of it too,” she said with pursed lips.

A flash of inspiration?

Gu Weijing smiled wryly.

The so-called flash of inspiration is always an exclusive privilege of geniuses.

Su Shi could brilliantly integrate calligraphy mastery into the charm of Chinese painting. Jan van Eyck could ingeniously transform tempera painting into oil painting. The sudden insights of geniuses are limits that ordinary people can never reach in their lifetime.

Koizumi Katsuko speaks lightly, as if what she did was merely spending a few minutes watching and then gently smearing with her fingers.

The difference lies between seeing ”steam lifting the lid” and thinking ”invent a steam engine.”

Some people are born to eat this meal, relying on natural intuition to climb to the top of the pyramid.

Under their brilliant light, others can only feel their insignificance.

Gu Weijing’s talent isn’t actually bad, but compared to Koizumi Katsuko’s sensitivity to art, it feels like if he didn’t have systematic assistance, he would be nothing.

He felt slightly lost.

”If we swapped positions, could I really think of it?” Gu Weijing softly asked himself, as if he were asking a student who relied on cheating to stand beside a genius.

”In the autumn of 1865, the already famous Manet participated in a competitive French art exhibition. In that same year, Monet, who grew up in the relatively unknown small city of Le Havre in the French provinces and was still young and unknown, also participated in this exhibition. This is the documented first encounter between the two masters.”

Koizumi Katsuko noticed the inadvertent disappointment on Gu Weijing’s face.

Thinking about it, the girl gently spoke.

”Hmm?”

Gu Weijing wrinkled his nose.

He didn’t understand why Koizumi Katsuko suddenly changed the subject to this unrelated matter.

”This afternoon, when giving Jasmine an art history appreciation lesson, this story echoed in my mind.”

Koizumi Katsuko placed her rounded chin on Gu Weijing’s shoulder and said softly in his ear.

”Historically, Manet and Monet’s first encounter wasn’t pleasant. At the time, Manet was much more famous, and their family backgrounds were vastly different. Monet wasn’t from a destitute class but was merely a child of a small merchant family, while Manet, whose father was the chief justice of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs, looked down on Monet, the country bumpkin from a small place.”

Koizumi Katsuko disregarded Gu Weijing’s confusion and continued her story.

”But soon, Monet’s astonishing talent, his work’s charming brushwork, and rich visual expression quickly intrigued Manet.”

”The more he understood Monet, the more he was drawn to this young man. There’s no precise record of what happened during that time. People only know that shortly after, Manet invited Monet to join his private circle of friends at Galerie Cafe in Paris.”

Koizumi Katsuko paused for a few seconds on purpose, looking at Gu Weijing’s side profile, then said, ”Later generations glimpse the intimate relationship between Manet and Monet from a painting by Bazille, who was also part of this small circle. The painting, created in 1870, is called ’The Studio.’ In it, Monet is standing before a painting, deep in thought, with a pipe in hand, while Manet stands behind him with a hand on his shoulder.”

Gu Weijing’s heart was gently moved.

He now understood the meaning behind Miss Shengzi mentioning this story in his ear.

Gu Weijing had also seen Bazille’s famous painting ”The Studio.”

In the room with a cement floor, scattered golden frames of various sizes, groups of men forming small factions, exchanging their views on art and aesthetics.

Monet and Manet were the closest pair among them.

A bit like him and Miss Koizumi Katsuko now.

Definitely lacking the physical proximity and emotional ambiguity between them.

However,

Bazille still skillfully captured the expressions on their faces. Monet, with a pipe in his mouth, was lost in thought, gazing at the painting frame before him, while Manet held a cane reversed, leaning on his shoulder, standing beside his friend.

Sunlight streamed through the dark curtains, spilling from the large floor-to-ceiling windows nearby, illuminating their cheeks.

Anyone seeing this painting would realize that the two men had become lifelong confidants and close friends.

”From that time onward, they became lifelong best friends and intimate companions. During Monet’s poorest years, Manet provided him with a place to stay, painted alongside him, and in turn, Monet influenced Manet. Manet’s works were filled with imprints related to Monet. Besides the famous piece I showed Jasmine, ’Monet Painting on a Boat,’ there’s also ’Monet and His Family in the Garden.’ Inspired by Monet, he began to use brighter colors and smaller brushstrokes, and his brushwork became more colorful and lively.”

Koizumi Katsuko held onto Gu Weijing’s hand, speaking slowly, ”Years later, with Monet having already achieved great fame, when Manet passed away in old age, Monet was so sorrowful he nearly fainted. He set aside everything and returned to Paris to personally carry the coffin and lay his friend to rest in the Pasi Cemetery in the suburbs of Paris.”

”Monet&Manet, I can’t help but think, their meeting, with names differing by just a letter, really resembles us... Of course, from the moment I met you, I’ve never looked down on you. In this regard, I think I’m better than Manet.”

Koizumi Katsuko playfully smiled and gently blew into Gu Weijing’s ear.

”Critics initially criticized Monet’s early works as childish and lacking artistry. He even had to draw satirical cartoons for local newspapers to make ends meet, which is hardly considered serious art,” Miss Koizumi said. ”But as long as he had the right soil, he would blossom with flowers that would enchant all of Paris.”

”My mother always referred to my father as ’her Byron’ during her student days, so in my heart, you’re ’my Monet.’ I believe one day you’ll create works that will shake the art world, and I hope you believe in yourself.”

Koizumi Katsuko wrapped her arms around Gu Weijing from behind, slowly speaking, ”Here we are in this little studio, talking about Monet and Manet’s story. A century from now, or two centuries, when we’re no longer here, perhaps there will be young and vibrant individuals standing beneath the starry sky, longing for the love story of Gu Weijing and Koizumi Katsuko.”

”I’ve told you before about the immortality of artists. I think this is another form of eternal companionship, what do you think?”

Gu Weijing’s breath paused.

Miss Koizumi was the most charming girl he had ever seen.

She certainly had exquisite features, a lush figure, and the unique allure of Eurasian heritage, even smelling sweet like strawberries.

However, after spending a lot of time with her, Gu Weijing would easily forget her stunning beauty.

Some people’s charm comes from the allure of the skin, while Miss Shengzi exudes romance from her profound soul.

Despite her youth, when she spoke of visions a century hence, or tales of eternal companionship, her tone bore the solemn and dignified Zen-like quality of a monk.

With Koizumi Katsuko’s gentle voice,

Gu Weijing traversed through the river of time, gradually imagining the world she spoke of.

He seemed to truly see, many years hence, in a brightly lit art gallery, two paintings side by side, signed by [Gu Weijing] and [Koizumi Katsuko].

A girl who comforts you by softly whispering tales of Manet and Monet, even if her skin is rough and her features ordinary, could make any boy irresistibly fond of her, wouldn’t she?

(End of month, please vote!)