1836: I Became a Literary Giant in Great Britain

Chapter 136 An Aesthetic Shock from a Century Later

The old man was extremely short, possibly less than 1.6 meters tall.

His clothing was also rather unkempt, appearing quite simple compared to the well-dressed guests around him.

He was alone, focused on a piece of roast meat on his plate, oblivious to the noise around him.

"Mr. Turner!"

William IV shouted.

The old man looked up, still chewing something, and gave a mumbled reply.

"Your Majesty, is there anything I can help you with?"

His accent still carried a slightly rustic tone from London's East End.

Turner!

Upon hearing this name, Michelle was deeply shaken.

The greatest painter in British history, bar none!

In the field of landscape painting, he can be considered the most outstanding landscape painter in the history of Western art.

As for why some British people have long and unusual names...

Simply put, the British name their children this way not because it sounds nice, but because it serves a very practical purpose.

Take Turner's name as an example.

Joseph Marrod William Turner.

His first name, "Joseph," was given to him by his family.

As for Marod... that's not his name, but a relative's surname.

The British have a tradition of incorporating the surnames of relatives, godfathers, or benefactors into their given names, and Turner's second name is an example of this.

William is his father's name.

Turner is the family name.

Therefore, sometimes you can tell a person's British origins at a glance just by their surname.

I've looked through the household registration booklet at a glance...

In addition, such a long name also helps prevent duplicate names.

This Mr. Turner is a very important person.

He was renowned for his exceptional depiction of light and color, earning him the title of "painter of light" and paving the way for the later Impressionist movement.

In a sense, he can even be considered a founder of Western modern art...

He was also one of Michel's favorite painters in his previous life...

Let me introduce you to him.

William IV pointed at Michel, a smug look on his face.

"This is Mr. Michel, the brilliant poet who wrote 'How I Love You'!"

Turner glanced at Michelle with his cloudy eyes, but didn't show any particular reaction.

He simply nodded and then lowered his head to deal with his grilled meat.

The scene was a bit embarrassing.

William IV seemed to have grown accustomed to the painter's eccentricities.

He wasn't angry; he just winked at Michelle.

"That's just how Mr. Turner is; he's only interested in painting."

Michelle, however, thought differently.

He knew that artists of Turner's caliber were extremely proud.

Ordinary compliments and praises simply don't reach his ears.

Of course, there are also criticisms of him...

Historically, the life of this genius painter was nothing short of legendary.

This talented painter was born in Covent Garden, London in 1775.

His father was a barber, his mother was mentally ill, and his younger sister died young.

It was a disastrous start.

But geniuses can always shatter the curse of fate.

Turner displayed extraordinary talent from childhood, often painting along the Thames.

His father hung his watercolor paintings in the barbershop window for sale, where they could fetch a few shillings each.

At just fourteen years old, Turner was admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts and began to make a name for himself.

At the age of twenty-seven, he was elected a full member of the Royal Academy of Arts.

He was one of the youngest academicians in the UK, and his reputation soared from then on.

Michelle thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Mr. Turner, I really like one of your paintings, 'Hannibal Leading His Army Across the Alps'."

(The image is a painting depicting Hannibal's predicament in the Alps, and is also a response to the neoclassical masterpiece "Napoleon Crossing the Alps".)

Turner paused for a moment as he was about to fork up another piece of meat.

He looked up at Michelle again, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

In fact, Turner is currently embroiled in a huge controversy.

And the source of all this is his highly advanced artistic intuition.

In recent years, Turner's painting style has undergone a tremendous transformation compared to his earlier works.

He no longer pursued the realistic clarity sought by mainstream painting at the time, but instead turned to the depiction of light, color, and atmosphere.

This also made Turner highly controversial.

The most authoritative art criticism journal today, Temple of Athena, believes that Turner's paintings are "imaginative but reckless and frivolous," and that the figures are "vulgar and deformed," and that one must be extremely patient to overlook their flaws.

Blackwood Magazine went so far as to call Turner a "sick genius" whose paintings were a blatant offense to public taste.

His academic colleagues, such as Georges Beaumont, considered his work a "stain," believing he deviated from traditional realist norms.

The painting "Hannibal's Crossing of the Alps" caused a huge controversy at the time. Many people criticized it for being chaotic, "like ink blots, a mess, and a violation of classical composition." The figures were swallowed up by nature, which violated the norms of historical painting and made it impossible to see what was being painted.

I never expected that this young man who writes love poems would actually like this painting.

"Oh? What do you like about it?"

Turner's voice was hoarse, with a stubborn quality to it.

"I like the blizzard scene in it."

Michelle didn't talk about composition or techniques; instead, she directly expressed her feelings.

"That wasn't just a simple blizzard. What I saw was a power, a power of anger."

"This is not a painting of war, but a judgment of nature against human arrogance. The great deeds of heroes are but a few grains of dust in the face of wind and snow."

"You are not painting Hannibal's march; you are painting the awe-inspiring, all-destroying sublime power of nature."

""

Michelle's words made Turner put down his knife and fork.

For the first time, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, which always seemed somewhat dreamy.

Sublime!

This word perfectly captures the core concept of his work.

Throughout his life, he tried to capture and depict the magnificent, terrifying, and sublime beauty of nature that transcends human understanding.

But most people only see the fog and light in his paintings, and few can understand what he really wants to express.

And this young man in front of me was able to see right through it all.

This piqued his interest.

The sublime is what makes you feel both fear and a sense of spiritual elevation.

It is not "beautiful", but it is more intense than beauty.

In fact, the so-called sense of sublimity is the very soul of romanticism.

Just as beauty is to classicism...

One could even say that without a sense of sublimity, there is no romanticism.

Take Romantic literature as an example.

The five giants of British Romantic literature.

Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats.

They were all writing about "sublime," but they didn't use the word directly.

Wordsworth's Tinden Abbey and Shelley's Ode to the West Wind both depict the sublimity of nature.

Mountains, seas, wilderness, storms, darkness...

The grandeur of these natural things makes one feel small and fearful, yet also deeply awestruck!

The poems of Byron and Shelley largely depict the sublimity of human emotions.

Passionate love, despair, revenge, madness, and even mental breakdown...

Of course, there is also the sublime, which is infinite and mysterious.

For example, topics such as death, eternity, gods, the universe, and the unknown.

Coleridge, another representative figure of the Lake Poets, wrote "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which describes this kind of thing...

"You know anything about painting?"

For the first time, Turner's tone revealed genuine interest.

"I don't understand," Michelle shook her head, answering honestly.

"I'm just a reader who enjoys looking at paintings."

"But I believe that great poetry and great painting are interconnected."

"They all attempt to capture the infinite, indescribable emotions and truths on a limited canvas or sheet of paper."

People are always arguing whether your paintings are beautiful or ugly.

"But they all got one fundamental thing wrong—sublimity is not beauty, but something beyond beauty."

"Beauty pleases the senses, while the sublime moves the soul. Only the sublime, rooted in truth, deserves to be called art."

Yes, in Michel's view, Turner's painting depicts the moment when humanity's soul is lifted, shaken, and transcended when facing the infinite nature.

This is no longer just painting, but a spiritual awakening.

These words immediately drew a sidelong glance from Wordsworth, who was standing nearby.

He hadn't expected that Michelle's insights into art would be so profound.

Michelle's words even gave him goosebumps.

This gave him more to think about.

Isn't this sublime beauty the nature I've spent my whole life depicting?

Turner fell silent upon hearing Michel's words.

In fact, he is not a very eloquent person.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained silent in the face of so much controversy.

Turner stared at Michel for a long time, as if trying to see through the young man with the eyes of a painter.

The surrounding nobles were also stunned.

They had never seen the eccentric Turner treat someone he had just met with such an attitude.

After a long while, Turner spoke again, his voice still hoarse.

"You can come to my studio next week."

"Let me show you what a real storm is."

After saying that, he picked up his knife and fork again without waiting for Michelle's reply, as if nothing had happened.

But everyone understood that this was the highest recognition this top painter could give to an outsider.

Michelle smiled and nodded.

Tonight's harvest seems to be more than expected.

As the banquet drew to a close, guests gathered in small groups, chatting quietly.

The topic always revolves around that young man named Michel.

From a popular novelist to a guest of honor of His Majesty the King, and then to someone who earned the approval of the poetry giant Wordsworth and the admiration of the painting master Turner.

Michelle's performance tonight can only be described as "legendary".

Those nobles who had previously looked down on and doubted him now looked at him with awe.

Talent, in this era, is indeed an unparalleled passport.

Especially talent that has been empowered by power.

The dinner party finally came to an end.

Michelle walked out of St. James's Palace under the watchful eyes of countless people.

The evening breeze, cool to the touch, calmed his excited mind considerably.

Everything that happened tonight felt like a dream.

Michel knew that starting tomorrow, his status in London would be completely different.

He truly entered British high society and even touched the edge of power.

As Michelle sat in the carriage on her way home, she leaned back on the soft cushions, closed her eyes, and her mind was still replaying the events of the evening.

Miss Ivy's intelligence, Wordsworth's approval, Turner's invitation, and King William IV's approval.

Every step felt like walking on clouds, yet it was incredibly real.

The same scene unfolded on Miss Ivana's way home.

Today, Michelle's talent has brought her countless surprises and delights.

What kind of person is he...?

This made her even more curious about Michelle.

For some reason, this also filled Eve with anticipation for next week's salon.

"See you next week, Mr. Michel."

Thinking of this, her deep blue eyes, as clear as lake water, suddenly shone with a vivid light...

What a wonderful night...

No?

>