Van Gogh Reborn!

Chapter 320:

320

The Final Showdown (25)

“Lie down.”

Henri Marso ordered in a commanding tone as he sat on the bed.

Michelle Platini had no choice but to watch.

“Wait.”

Loyalty that obeyed any command from the master.

He felt a small satisfaction.

“Good boy.”

Whine! Whine whine whine-

Wooowooowoo-

As Henri Marso tore open the jerky wrapper, nine puppies, including Papiyon, ran towards him.

Henri Marso was buried under the puppies and fell over the bed.

Michelle looked around.

There were nine dog bowls lined up next to the door, and several balls with bite marks were scattered everywhere.

Despite cleaning every day, the carpet and the blanket were covered with fur and made her nose itch.

She quietly closed the door after seeing the bedroom that had turned into a mess in a few days.

Arsene greeted her with a bewildered look.

“What happened?”

"I adopted them a few days ago from Gennevilliers. Aren’t they cute?"1)

Michelle spread her hands. She took a deep breath and asked again.

“That’s too much. How many did you get?”

“Eight. The writer gets along well with them, and so does Papiyon. They’re healthy and cheerful even though they were abandoned once. Isn’t that admirable?”

Arsene answered calmly, and Michelle shook her head.

She hoped that Henri would have enough time to think after she gave him a harsh word.

She expected him to realize that he could love without restraining and monopolizing.

“You’ve brightened up a lot since you brought them home.”

Arsene smiled and said.

“That’s good to hear.”

“He’s also building a house in the garden. He designed it himself.”

Michelle touched her forehead.

She was speechless.

“Come and see. They’re mischievous, but they’re cute.”

“No, thanks.”

Arsene opened his mouth with a pity.

“He must have been lonely, having trouble with Hoon at work and being distant from you.”

Michelle turned her head.

“There’s something I want to show you.”

Arsene led the way, and Michelle followed him to Henri’s studio.

They entered the dark studio, and Arsene clapped twice. The curtain was drawn and the light came on.

“…”

The canvases were full.

Among the sunflower paintings, there were various portraits of Michelle.

In the eleven paintings, she was wearing different clothes and making different expressions, and Michelle could tell at a glance when Henri had depicted her.

The clothes, shoes, watches, and other accessories, as well as the atmosphere of the time, were vividly conveyed.

“He draws you here every night.”

The paintings were mostly unfinished.

Henri Marso, a perfectionist, rarely left his paintings incomplete.

He had painted them over and over again because he was not satisfied.

Henri Marso was lost in thought as he watched the puppies munching on the snacks.

They were faithful, even though they didn’t understand much.

They could stretch out their paws and lie down, and they would wag their tails and fetch the ball when he threw it.

He found them adorable even when they climbed up on the bed after only a week.

They filled his possessiveness a little, and comforted his complicated feelings caused by Michelle and Hoon.

“…Do you like it?”

Munch munch munch-

The puppies were focused on eating, and only Papiyon looked up at him.

Henri tore another jerky and gave some to Papiyon.

Henri Marso, who was comforted by the puppies, was able to calmly sort out his feelings for Michelle and Hoon.

The Michelle he loved was someone who didn’t rely on anyone and made herself better.

She did her best to achieve her goals, not to fall behind or beat others.

He cherished Hoon for the same reason.

To him, who was lost in his search for identity, Ko Hun’s sunflower showed him an answer he had never thought of before.

Through the genius who had a talent he lacked, Henri could see himself more clearly.

On his vague canvas, his strengths and weaknesses were revealed, and he was able to grow more.

He cherished those two people and wanted to have them, but he couldn’t keep them inside him.

Otherwise, neither Michelle nor Ko Hun would be able to maintain their original appearance that he had fallen in love with.

Henri Marso threw a piece of jerky and lay down on the bed. Papiyon came over and licked Henri’s cheek.

“Dirty, bastard.”

Henri stroked Papiyon’s head.

August 1, 2030.

The Venice Biennale finally opened.

There were reports of corruption and irregularities in the operation of the national pavilions, and at one point there was a proposal to close the international exhibition (Giardini) and only open the main exhibition (Arsenale).

But thanks to the establishment of a joint pavilion between Korea and France, they were able to quell the opposition.

Popular artists such as Go Soo Yeol, Jang Mi-rae, Ko Hun, and Henri Marso gave up the main exhibition and participated in the international exhibition, so those who advocated for the closure of the international exhibition could not be stubborn.

The Venice Biennale Organizing Committee, which gained a justification, actively responded to the unpleasant incidents that occurred before the event.

They broke away from the practice of entrusting all operations to each country and dispatched an audit team.

Rather, art lovers believed that the Venice Biennale was operating healthily, and the world’s largest art festival was held in unprecedented interest.

“Wow.”

Ko Hun, Cha Si Hyun, Vida Lavani, Blanche Fabre, and Ma Eun Chan opened their mouths wide as they arrived in Venice.

Even though it was not the Arsenale and Giardini area, the streets were full of people.

“It’s amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this!”

“Can I go back?”

“It’s a cicada. The crying sound is different.”

“I wish I had brought a blowpipe if I knew there were so many people.”

Cha Si Hyun, Vida, Blanche, and Ma Eun Chan each exclaimed.

“Why do you need a blowpipe?”

Ko Hun asked Ma Eun Chan.

“Don’t you think I can make some money by doing portrait jobs?”

Ko Hun and the kids nodded.

“Come on, kids. Hold hands and stick together. It’s a big deal if you get lost.”

Go Soo Yeol coaxed the kids.

Blanche and Ma Eun Chan, who were accompanied by their parents, were not worried, but Vida had never been abroad before, and Ko Hun and Cha Si Hyun were too young.

They were worried that the curious kids would lose their way if they looked away.

“There are pigeons! They’re here too!”

Cha Si Hyun pointed at the pigeons and Vida Lavani liked it.

"They’re cute. They’re hard to see in Paris."2)

“Some pigeons only eat fruits.”

“I can’t eat fruits either.”

"Come to think of it, it’s time for the fat to rise and make it delicious. I wonder if there’s a place that makes pigeon pie."3)

The kids and Ma Eun Chan looked at Ko Hun with wide eyes.

“Why?”

“You can’t eat that! It’s dirty!”

Cha Si Hyun grabbed Ko Hun and shook him. He was worried about his friend who had poor hygiene habits, such as picking up and eating sunflower seeds.

“You can’t eat these kids. They have parasites.”

Ko Hun smiled and comforted Cha Si Hyun. Ma Eun Chan, who was staring intently at the pigeons, asked quietly.

“Is it really delicious?”

“Yes. It has more fat than chicken, so it’s more savory.”

Go Soo Yeol was somewhat shocked that his son and daughter-in-law had fed Ko Hun a variety of things, and he led the kids.

Meanwhile.

Jang Mi-rae, Baek Seol Ki, and Yoo Ra Im were also enjoying the Venice Biennale as participants.

They didn’t have to attend the opening ceremony, so they wandered around freely and agreed to meet on the third day.

The three people who found the Arsenale were amazed.

"I’ve seen this place before! Canaletto!"4)

“Me too. They were making this bridge there. How can it be so identical?”

“Exactly! Awesome. Crazy. Really.”

Yoo Ra Im and Baek Seol Ki looked around the surroundings with constant admiration.

Except for the people, the scenery of Venice painted by the master of landscape painting 300 years ago was not much different.

“Senior, you’ve been to places like this a lot, right?”

Yoo Ra Im turned her head.

She didn’t hear the answer, but she could tell how happy Jang Mi-rae was by her shining eyes.

“No. It’s my first time too. Isn’t it really amazing?”

Yoo Ra Im and Baek Seol Ki nodded their heads vigorously.

"It's such a nice day."

"Isn't it?"

"Hey, can you take a picture of me over there?"

The three of them walked and took photos together until they reached a garden in front of an exhibition hall. They looked around and saw that the smoke was so thick that they could barely see the building's exterior.

"What's going on?"

"Is there a fire?"

They couldn't think of it as fog. The weather was so sunny on their way here, and there was a strange smell in the air.

They panicked and glanced around, noticing that the other tourists were also puzzled by the situation.

"Excuse me."

One of the tourists called out to someone who looked like a staff member.

"Is there a fire? Should we call for help?"

"No, ma'am. This is a work by Lara Favaretto."

"This smoke?"

"Yes. Please enjoy your visit."

The conversation was overheard by the others, and Jang Mi-rae, Baek Seolgi, and Yoo Raim felt relieved, but still confused.

"There are so many amazing works these days."

"Tell me about it. There's even a sculpture made of air and light."

"Isn't that different from this? This one uses the concept of space."

"That's true."

"My brain hurts."

Yoo Raim groaned and held her head, making Jang Mi-rae and Baek Seolgi chuckle.

* * *

1) SPA (Société Protectrice des Animaux).

An animal shelter founded in 1845.

It was recognized as a public facility during the reign of Napoleon III and opened its first shelter in Gennevilliers, Paris.

2) The city of Paris has been trying to reduce the number of pigeons, as their droppings cause corrosion of old buildings. They have been making large nests and shaking or removing the eggs to prevent them from hatching.

3) Pigeon meat (Squab) has been used as a food ingredient for a long time in Europe and the Mediterranean coast.

Since the 17th century, it has also been eaten in France and is now considered a high-quality food ingredient.

Pigeon steak or roast in late summer, when the meat is plump, is a popular menu item in fine dining restaurants.

4) , Canaletto, 1732.

His real name was Giovanni Antonio Canal. He was a master of landscape painting from Venice.

5) A work exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2019.

Installation artist Lara Favaretto (born in 1973) filled the front of the central pavilion with smoke.