Almighty painter

Chapter 1032 Upgraded Calligraphy and Painting Appraisal Techniques (Part 1)
The gallery owner, a divorced woman in her fifties, had been observing the new customer who had just walked in for quite some time. Compared to the man over there who pretended to examine the paintings while secretly discussing Gu Weijing's identity, her gaze was much more open and honest.

Observing the various customers in the store is one of the owner's great hobbies.

Customers come into the shop to look at the paintings, while the proprietress observes them from within, creating a quiet and harmonious atmosphere.

These small art shops usually don't have any particularly remarkable collections.

There are also expensive ones, around five or six thousand euros, but they are all long works and there are very few of them.

No particularly distinguished customers come to the store. Who would bother looking at Monet or buying Picassos?

The proprietress had heard that some small shops had some "tricks" up their sleeves.

Some are very good at marketing.

Some are very bold.

They can easily hire some tabloids to write a couple of advertorials, or even worse, they won't hire tabloids at all, but will write a couple of articles themselves, award themselves some prizes, and then sell them to some elderly people who dream of getting rich. Next, they can embellish these cases, creating a story that "as long as you put your painting in my gallery, you can sell it for a lot of money," and then sell it to some young painters who also dream of getting rich.

A friend and she had talked about something similar in a coffee shop.

The whole process involved taking advantage of both sides and deceiving both, much like a Ponzi scheme.

Everyone is clinging to the hope of getting rich, collectively maintaining a false illusion, until the illusion can no longer be sustained and collapses completely, bringing disaster and destruction.

Some people don't believe it's a dream and mistakenly believe it's reality.

Some people know perfectly well that this is just a dream, but because reality is too painful and too pale, they are unwilling to wake up from these colorful bubbles.

Some people know perfectly well that this is just a dream, but because they believe they are "smart" enough to leave quietly before they wake up.

A friend said, "From beginning to end, the most artistic elements here are never the so-called artworks that have won awards or received praise from connoisseurs, but rather the people coming and going."

"They were like performing a piece of 'performance art' together. They were all having the same dream filled with inner desires in a collective illusion. If the dream went too deep, it would bring about a mental disorder."

"Except for not having a tube inserted into the back of the head, this is so cyberpunk."

The proprietress just smiled when she heard that.

Everyone has their own way of living.

Losing one's conscience is one thing, but even putting morality aside, it's a highly technical job that requires a lot of skill. She can't handle so many people or so many things.

The works in this shop are all so-so, and the customers in this shop are all "ordinary people".

Therefore.

The quietness here actually makes it feel more like a place full of everyday life.

The new guest was equally quiet, but his quietness was almost devoid of any warmth or human touch.

He walked with almost no sound. He came alone, without saying a word, just looking at each painting one by one, then sitting on the sofa in the corner, lost in thought, like a ghost.

The proprietress was looking in that direction.

She found the guest strange, and also somewhat...charming and good-looking.

The more exhibitions a person visits, the different their standard of "beauty" becomes compared to that of ordinary people.

A plump woman carrying a handbag in the sunset, an elderly person with tanned reddish-brown skin by the warm sunlight near a bus stop—these could all be considered "attractive."

When she was eighteen or nineteen and had just started college, she was attracted to handsome young men like Leonardo DiCaprio, whose features were flawless and delicate.

Now that she's reached this age, she feels her aesthetic sense is becoming more and more natural, and she's able to see things on a deeper level.

This guest has very bright eyes.

It's rare for someone to be able to see the marble-sculptural quality of Auguste Rodin in the eyes and posture of a young woman in her early twenties.

That kind of texture clung to his body, and perhaps it was the light that made the young man's skin seem to be coated with an extra layer of jade-like luster.

If measured using only ordinary standards.

He's certainly not bad-looking, and there's nothing particularly outstanding about his features, but together they create a hazy atmosphere.

However, if we examine his eyes, his posture, and his body language together from an "aesthetic" perspective, we can see what constitutes an "impressionistic picture."

Well... this guy has a bit of a Leonardo DiCaprio vibe to him.

The proprietress stood up.

She prepared to walk over and say hello to "Leonardo".
-

"coffee?"

The proprietress placed a beautiful glass on the table.

The young man continued to stare at the drawing on the wall.

"Guest? Would you like some milk?" The proprietress raised her voice slightly.

The other party then realized, as if suddenly snapping out of a long period of contemplation.

“Excuse me, what did you say?” he asked in German.

The proprietress didn't say anything, but picked up the milk jug next to her and shook it slightly in front of him.

"Oh, thank you, but no need. And no coffee either, I'm just browsing..."

The young man waved.

"It's alright. I'm the owner here, this cup is free for you... If you don't want it, just leave it here. I prefer it with milk." The female owner, very familiar with him, poured a little milk into Gu Weijing's coffee.

"Young man, what's your name?" she asked.

The young man hesitated for a moment, then turned his gaze to the older woman who had come to chat him up.

"Hmm? What's the problem?" The proprietress asked, somewhat puzzled.

“It’s alright—my surname is Gu,” he said.

“Cool?” she asked.

“It’s Gu, Gu—” Gu Weijing said.

The proprietress muttered the surname, glanced at Gu Weijing twice, and took a step back, as if she had suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I remember now, I think I've heard someone mention that before."

Gu Weijing sighed.

Ugh.

Again.

That's the downside of fame.

Gu Weijing now understands more and more why many famous celebrities wear hats, masks, and large sunglasses that cover half their faces when they go out, making themselves look like spies. And someone as glamorous as Anna, apart from being on campus, usually doesn't like to go to crowded places when she goes out.

The more famous you are, the harder it is for you to have real "private time" of your own.

Unlike Tom Cruise, Gu Weijing isn't famous enough to be surrounded by people asking for autographs just by going anywhere for a coffee.

In most cases, Gu Weijing is able to maintain a normal life. But when he is in certain special places, the situation becomes different.

For example, in museums, art galleries, and especially some galleries. It is extremely difficult for him to quietly appreciate all the works he wants to see from beginning to end. There will always be someone who comes up to him, beckoning him and asking if he is "Gu Weijing". Then comes a whole process of signing autographs and taking photos.

Just like it is now.

Gu Weijing skillfully took out a pen from his chest pocket.

The young man used his thumb and forefinger to push open the pen cap.

"Yes! The owner of the tea restaurant on the 26th Street on the left, I think his surname is also Gu. Is that your family's shop?" The woman finally remembered what she wanted to ask.

So Gu Weijing immediately put the pen cap back on.

"As far as I know, we don't have any relatives in Germany, madam."

His tone was somewhat relaxed.

"It seems your gallery hasn't been open for very long?" The young man put his pen back into his clothes.

Humans are such strange creatures.

On the one hand, Gu Weijing longed to live an ordinary life. On the other hand, even if he was an ordinary person, he was quite surprised that the gallery owner, who was in the art industry, didn't recognize him.

"It's not short at all."

The German woman then sat down on the other side of the table. "17, 18, 19... three or four years now."

She spoke very frankly.

"Do you like visiting art galleries?" she asked.

"I'd say I like it."

"Really?"

"I like it, but I don't visit many places. I also paint some works in my daily life. I should be considered a painter."

The proprietress said "Oh".

painter?

These days, in art galleries, anyone who can paint seems to be able to call themselves a painter, while those who can't paint mostly consider themselves art critics.

"Although it's called an art gallery, the main revenue comes from selling coffee and tea." She pointed to the picture frames hanging in the shop. "Most of these works are by young students from art academies, and some are not even by professional painters."

Gu Weijing nodded slightly upon hearing this.

“Some of the works still show a slight roughness in the brushstrokes, but they are still quite interesting to draw,” he replied.

The proprietress simply smiled and dismissed it.

There's nothing particularly valuable about the works here.

Many of them weren't painted by professional artists at all, but they are genuine.

But she is very proud of her eye for selecting works. In terms of brushwork, she is even confident that the level of those formally trained art students may not be higher than many of the works here.

The word "rough" is definitely not something a child his age could use to describe him.

As for saying "quite interesting," this comment does have a slightly condescending tone, but it's not unreasonable for a weathered old man with a white beard to say such a thing.

A twenty-year-old said that it didn't sound very likable. Even if he had a ghostly, transparent aura, it wouldn't work.

of course.

These are all minor details; the proprietress wouldn't show what she was thinking on her face.

She was only slightly disappointed.

The proprietress originally thought that an interesting customer had come to the store today. He had a quiet and calm demeanor and looked particularly refreshing.

After a brief chat, she discovered that he was the kind of person who loved to boast and exaggerate in art galleries.

Such people never have their own opinions or viewpoints. Even when they are giving advice, they are often just copyists who have heard others say from who-knows-where.

The proprietress remembered that the man had just claimed to be a painter, and he had then pretended to be critical, saying that some of the works here were painted roughly.

She moved.

Could it be that the reason he's been sitting in the shop for so long is because... he's about to tell her that he has a really good painting he wants to sell to her?

"Whether the painting is good or not, it's all the same. Anyway, they are all creators who have been working with galleries for quite a long time. They didn't expect to create any masterpieces, and I didn't expect to sell any masterpieces either, so it's fine."

She casually dismissed any possibility of the other party coming over to do door-to-door sales.

"It's pretty good."

The young man echoed his sentiment.

"Excuse me, may I ask you something?" Gu Weijing began. "While I was looking at the painting, I kept thinking about this, which may be a little offensive. How do you acquire paintings?"

The proprietress frowned slightly.

Is this guy unable to understand what I'm saying?
The smile in her eyes faded slightly, but she still patiently asked.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just confused. If I'm not mistaken, this, this, this, or this..." The young man stood up and casually pointed to five or six works.

"They all seem to have been drawn by the same person, but why are they labeled with different names?"

The proprietress was unhappy.

"How could it be drawn by the same person?"

"It looks like it."

Gu Weijing said.

The concept of "likeness" is a bit of a mystery.

Some works are clearly painted by two different painters, but because one person deliberately imitates the other's brushstrokes and style, the two works look like they were painted by the same artist.

The most typical example is Benigni and his students.

in contrast.

Some works were originally created by the same painter, but due to changes in artistic style, painting mode, or the painter's own intention to differentiate them, they appear completely different, at least on the surface.

The most typical example is the shift between Picasso's early and late artistic styles.

Oh.

correct.

There are also differences between "Gu Weijing" and "Detective Cat".

The paintings in front of him were not that complicated, and the themes of the paintings were different, but Gu Weijing was able to easily capture the similarities in all the works.

"Look, these leaves are painted like eyebrows. They are made up of tiny dots, which is quite innovative."

"If I'm not mistaken, the painter who created these paintings must have been a big fan of pointillism. Although they weren't painted using the most traditional theory of 'juxtaposing pure colors,' they did a good job of capturing the nuances of light and color."

"The problem is that the atmosphere wasn't created enough..."

“Pointillism actually tests a creator’s brushwork skills. It’s easy to make pointillism look messy, but true masters often paint in a way that is scattered yet orderly. Take Seurat, for example. He was the founder of pointillism, but his paintings are not messy at all. Seurat’s dots and Mondrian’s lines have a similar feel to each other. They are both very logical. It is precisely because of this that he was able to use such scattered brushstrokes to create a feeling that is both mysterious and quiet on the canvas.”

“If it were me, I might make these dots bigger, like… this big.” He gestured to his thumbnail.

"It's twice the size of the current dots. But it's more delicate than the mosaic-style pattern, which will allow for better brush control."

"The character's face also needs to be slightly modified."

Gu Weijing explained the background of the painting's creation in detail.

The proprietress initially looked displeased, but after a few words, her displeasure turned into contemplation, and then into astonishment.

(End of this chapter)