Almighty painter

Chapter 1065 Bullfighting
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."

A sound that was neither melodious nor unpleasant came from the valley, causing a large cow that was strolling on the lawn at the foot of a distant hillside to stop and crane its neck to look over.

After Gu Weijing finished playing the last note of the excerpt from the "Spring Sonata," he took out amber-like rosin from the violin case and slowly rubbed it on the strings.

His gaze met that of the large dairy cow below the hillside.

As their eyes met, the Holstein bull, from the Netherlands and a fellow countryman of Rembrandt and Rubens, blinked and shook its head twice in affirmation.

A cow's ears are like a dog's nose.

Its rich auditory nerves have given it the ability to hear sounds that you humans find unbelievable and incomprehensible. As a kitten, it heard the Orion meteor shower burning and whistling across the sky, splashing into the Elbe River. When Miss Elena bought and renovated that ranch, it heard the roar of chainsaws and the thud of excavators, sparks flying in the air.

……

All these moments will eventually fade away in time, like milk disappearing drop by drop in a large iron barrel.

So many years have passed.

Compared to chainsaws, excavators, and massive, flaming iron lumps falling from the sky, the sound of this young man sawing wood was far more satisfying and powerful!
It's like the difference between sweet fruit wine and strong vodka, or between menthol cigarettes and old-fashioned pipes.

The strong liquor went down my throat, and I collapsed after just one drop.

Real men drink vodka.

Real dairy cows should listen to Gu Weijing brand violas.

The big cow, to the sound of the music, took a big bite of two small purple flowers that had just bloomed on the ground. It looked like a seasoned drunkard who had just finished drinking two jin of liquor and was now quickly taking a bite of salted peanuts, afraid that he would be knocked out by the alcohol.

It forcefully defecated a large pile of poop, shooed away the flies with its tail, and wobbled away.

The 300-pound Dutch cow seemed a bit drunk.

"It's truly rare to find a kindred spirit..."

Gu Weijing looked at the cows wandering around and sighed.

When it comes to the animals that painters love most in their lives, besides pets like cats and dogs, there are also large animals in nature such as lions, tigers, elephants, and giraffes. Everyone has their own favorites, and it's not surprising that people like different things.

If we say it's a shared fondness that transcends culture, era, and ethnicity.

Then there are two possibilities.

One is a horse.

Both are cows.

Painters often express their love for horses by depicting the "beauty" of their muscles and appearance, and by portraying the sense of speed as fast as lightning.

Gu Weijing didn't dislike horses. After arriving at Elena Manor, he saw the horses up close for the first time and understood why literature always says that "horses are beautiful creatures."

Bright, piercing eyes, powerful muscles, a mane like rippling water, and a leather coat that reflects the sunlight like olive oil.

So beautiful!

However, in modern society, liking horses, or more precisely, liking horse racing, always seems a little out of touch with reality.

The art world's love for cows is more universal.

Painters like to use their brushes to depict the spirit of oxen, to capture that "stubborn stubbornness!"

In ancient China, there were many painters who specialized in painting oxen. Yellow oxen represented a gentle and resilient symbol, water buffalo represented people's imagination of an idyllic pastoral life, and bullfighting represented the vigorous passion of life.

Dai Song of the Tang Dynasty was a renowned master of painting oxen. Legend has it that "when Dai Song painted oxen, the moment he dotted their eyes, they would gallop," demonstrating his exceptional skill in depicting the wildness and muscularity of the oxen. His "Fighting Oxen" is considered a national treasure in the field of ancient painting.

It is no coincidence.

Picasso also loved to paint bulls. Everyone said that back then, whenever there was a grand bullfight in Paris, if you craned your neck to look up at the stands, you were sure to find a bald old man with long arms and hands and relatively short legs, wearing a double-breasted coat.

That was Picasso.

Then keep looking, and you will definitely see a burly old man wearing jeans, a cowboy hat, a tweed denim jacket, and leather shoes with hard rubber soles, who is a full head taller than Picasso.

That was Hemingway.

The love of bullfighting was a lifelong shared passion for these two giants of art and literature.

There are so many kinds of cattle in the world. Dai Song of the Tang Dynasty loved water buffalo. Since the 20th century, bullfighting seems to have become a symbol of a tough guy spirit. But Gu Weijing... loved dairy cows.

Without him.

Cows understand art.

Before Hunter Bull appeared, Gu Weijing had been rising steadily in the art industry for the past seven years. He saw, he came, he conquered... he won everything he wanted to win.

If there is anything that is not perfect or unsatisfactory.

Then.

While his painting career achieved unprecedented success, his music career remained stagnant. People often say that art is interconnected, and that music and painting share similarities.

Good works of art possess a musical rhythm.

Good music, when heard, often possesses the vibrant colors of a painting.

This theory has been validated in many ways. The Hamburg art association, called the "Union of Painters and Musicians," found inspiration for Impressionist music in Debussy's paintings and used an Eastern ukiyo-e print as the album cover. The teacher had a habit of collecting vinyl records. And his teacher's great-teacher, his grand-teacher, was a renowned opera enthusiast.

A mirror is placed between the image and the sound, and the artists on both sides can always find their own reflection in the mirror.

The only problem is.

There are collectors willing to spend $20 million to buy a Gu Weijing oil painting, but they can't find a thousand enthusiastic listeners willing to spend $2000 to listen to a musical performance to which Gu Weijing has poured his heart and soul.

Uh.

That's so heartbreaking, isn't it? Well, Miss Elena is his manager.

In the "oil painting," Ole is desperately trying to prove to the public that it was the connections and resources from the Elena family that allowed Gu Weijing to stand at a height that did not belong to him, proving that his so-called gold was nothing but rotten dog shit.

As for his violin playing career, Gu Weijing didn't really care much. Relying on the connections and resources of the Elena family, he reached a level that didn't belong to him.

To put it simply—"Oh dear, I don't want to try anymore. I think Linkin Music Center is pretty cute."

The "bucket list" of seasoned theater enthusiasts often includes the hope of one day performing on stage and experiencing the thrill of opera.

Gu Weijing has been practicing the violin for almost ten years, and he felt that he could give a performance.

Hearst sold his works for exorbitant prices while also forming a band and reaching number two on the Billboard charts. Why can't Mr. Gu become a beloved violinist?
He even tried writing an impromptu rhapsody himself!
Gu Weijing didn't necessarily mean he had to hold a concert at Lincoln Center or the Golden Hall. A small, mini-performance would be enough to make him happy.

Miss Elena told him—

"Mr. Gu, practicing an instrument doesn't necessarily mean holding a public performance in a concert hall. The most important thing is the process, not the result. Subjectively speaking, it's already good enough to achieve inner satisfaction!"

Gu Weijing said it was alright, let's still objectively evaluate his viola playing level.

Miss Elena thought for a moment and said it was alright, let's focus on getting second place on the Billboard charts instead.

then.

Mr. Gu's dream of becoming an outstanding violinist hadn't even truly taken off before Anna slammed him down in the harbor with a single paw.

Ok.

In addition to being Anna's contracted artist, Gu Weijing is also a painter who can sell oil paintings for 2000 million.

In fact, a painter who can sell his work for $20 million doesn't need to rely on an agent's resources. He should be able to gather at least 1000 audience members willing to spend $20 to see Gu Weijing perform. He can definitely gather at least 100... 100!
Unfortunately, Anna Elena was not only Gu Weijing's agent, but also an heiress to the Elena family fortune. Miss Elena told Gu Weijing that she was also responsible for the musicians sponsored by the Elena family and for the family's reputation.

She didn't want the audience to doubt the Elena family's musical "taste".

She didn't want to say anything too hurtful, but from a serious art criticism perspective, either Gu Weijing's performance on stage or the hundred audience members who paid $20 for their tickets were definitely not being serious.

Ok.

Many people have probably said similar things; his agent, Anna Elena, made some truly hurtful comments.

Gu Weijing watched sadly as his longtime listener of ten years chewed on grass and slowly walked away.
Holstein cattle from the Netherlands are world-renowned for their high milk production. However, due to the large amount of milk produced in a short period of time, a cow with a natural lifespan of more than 20 years is very prone to mastitis and will be culled on the farm within just three to four years.

Look at this cow.

Seven years have passed since Gu Weijing played the violin, and the cow remains healthy. Out of respect and appreciation for the profound connection between nature and music, he specially brought the cow from Hamburg to the Elena family's estate.

He felt that Anna should have taken a good look at the cow before saying those hurtful things.

Those music judges should also take a good look at this cow.

This is undeniable proof of Gu Weijing's musical talent. Animal scientists published papers and conducted experiments, going to great lengths to prove that playing classical music for dairy cows can increase milk production per unit time and improve the economic benefits of the ranch.

Gu Weijing, with just himself and a piano, proved that playing classical music for cows can indeed increase their natural lifespan.

Listening to him play the violin... it's good for your health!
Isn't this a miracle of nature?
It's just that Qin Shi Huang didn't have the good fortune to invite Mr. Gu over and have him enjoy a song every day.

if not.

They might still be alive and kicking right now.
-
"Gu Weijing is the most outstanding artist I have ever seen. The living can die, and the dead can live; this is the ultimate realm of art!"

"So mysterious?"

"Yes. When Gu Weijing first started playing the violin, the sound he produced made the living want to die. This is what makes the living want to die. It made the dead crawl out of their graves, kneel on the ground, and beg him to stop playing. This is what makes the dead want to live."

"The only regret is that with years of practice, this talent has begun to decline. So, in a sense, I agree with Hunter Bull."

"Gu Weijing has regressed in the past seven years!"

"Amitabha."

—A collection of secret jokes recorded in a private notebook by a certain agent surnamed Yang who wishes to remain anonymous.
-
Gu Weijing placed the zither in its case and secured it. He then gulped down the red tea in his cup and turned to walk to the easel beside him.

One day, Anna Elena looked at the Dutch cow that had been producing less than half of its normal milk yield for the past seven years and realized her profound mistake. She discovered that she had treated such an outstanding musician with a hurtful and frivolous attitude. After realizing her mistake, she returned and begged Gu Weijing to give a violin recital.

Unfortunately.

Whether it's "stubbornness" or "the rhythm of music," Gu Weijing can only express them through his paintbrush rather than his musical strings.

Gu Weijing has carefully studied all of Hunter Bull's works.

Hunter Bull's last solo work to be released was called the Ninth Symphony, a painting that looks somewhat like a combination of the styles of American painters Whistler and Jackson Pollock.

Dark gray fog, decorative lines, capturing specific light and angles...

Hunter Bull is clearly not a painter who believes that concepts are paramount. His work contains a certain degree of exploration of artistic concepts, and his reflections on painting forms and expressions of brushstrokes are all very well done. No wonder he was a painter who studied in Picasso's studio in his youth.

When Picasso is mentioned, the first things that come to mind are often concepts like "cubicism" and "abstraction".

Whether it's "three-dimensional" or "abstract," they are all built upon Picasso's already excellent skill with lines. If the lines drawn are soft and weak, how can they create three-dimensionality? And how can they act like a pair of pliers, extracting the spirit of the painting from the object?
However, this kind of "goodness" is still based on the level that Gu Weijing can understand.

The scene displayed in front of the Hunter Bursu Museum of Art, however, clearly reached a level that Gu Weijing could hardly understand.

The saying goes, "One glance is enough to tell you're not human, one glance is enough to tell that he draws better than you."

It's not just about resemblance.

It still bears a striking resemblance.

It's not just the brushstrokes that are similar, but even the overall feel is the same. And it's more than just a resemblance; Hunter Bull only painted half of it, but Gu Weijing could tell that the other party's copy was better than his own original.

(End of this chapter)