1novels Chapter 151 The filming by Seishi will definitely be good.
Chapter 151 The filming by Seishi will definitely be good.
"This is Mr. Duke's private collection area."
Wang Yueling turned her head, her azure eyes gleaming under the soft spotlight. "He rarely exhibits these paintings. I heard this time it's for our 20th wedding anniversary."
Yukimura nodded, and slowed down when he saw the first picture.
The scene depicts a winding mountain road that seems to stretch endlessly. The trees on both sides are all yellow, and the ground is covered with fallen leaves. The distant mountains are shrouded in mist, revealing only a blurry outline.
The overall color scheme of the painting is very unified; it's the kind of warm, yet slightly melancholic yellow that's unique to autumn.
"This one..." Yukimura took two steps forward, his violet-blue eyes lighting up.
"You like it?" Wang Yueling followed and stood next to him.
"Yes, this painting is one of my favorite works. It has two titles: 'The Return' and 'Lost'."
Yukimura raised the camera, aligned the viewfinder with the frame, adjusted the focus twice, and pressed the shutter. He looked down at the result, adjusted the parameters again, and took another picture.
After taking a satisfactory photo, he spoke very softly, as if he were talking to the painting.
"Mr. Duke's early works were very vibrant in color, but later they gradually became more subdued. Look at this yellow, it's not that kind of glaring bright yellow, it's a very soft yellow, like an old photograph."
"This color is difficult to mix; too much and it looks dirty, too little and it looks pale."
"The brushstrokes are also very special. From afar, they appear delicate, but up close, you can see that each stroke is relaxed." Wang Yueling listened attentively to the explanation, gazing at the winding road, and suddenly spoke, "But this road has no end."
Yukimura turned his head to look at him.
"You look at it and feel like you really want to walk up to it, but you walk for a long time and still can't see the end. You don't know what's ahead, and you don't know how long it will take to reach the end."
"But I think this uncertainty isn't scary, it's..."
He thought for a moment but couldn't find a suitable word.
"It is freedom," Wang Yueling added.
Yukimura turned to look at him with some surprise.
"Because you don't need to know where the destination is, you never feel lost."
Looking at the painting, Wang Yueling's azure eyes reflected the warm yellow light. "All you need to know is that you're moving forward."
After saying that, he paused, realized he had just interrupted Yukimura, and coughed lightly. "Of course, this is just my understanding. If you don't think so, then disregard what I said."
Yukimura looked at him, remained silent for two seconds, and then smiled softly. "That's exactly what I think too."
He didn't say anything more, but raised his camera again. This time, he didn't photograph the painting; instead, he pointed the lens at Wangyue Ling.
The boy was facing away from him, his blond hair glowing warmly under the spotlight. He was looking up at the painting on the wall, his jawline sharply defined by the light.
In the viewfinder, Wang Yueling seemed to sense it, turned her head, her azure eyes facing the camera, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
Yukimura pressed the shutter.
"Taking pictures of me secretly?" Mochizuki Ryou raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly teasing.
"It was taken openly and honestly." Yukimura looked down at the photo, zoomed in on it with his finger, and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad."
"show me."
"No."
Mochizuki Ryo leaned in to grab the camera, but Yukimura dodged to the side, hiding the camera behind his back and bracing his other hand against Mochizuki's shoulder. After a two-second standoff, Mochizuki Ryo gave up, shrugging with a helpless yet indulgent smile.
"Okay, okay, I won't watch anymore. Seiichi's films are sure to be good."
Yukimura hung the camera back around his neck, his ears slightly burning, but his expression remained indifferent. He turned and walked toward the next painting, with Mochizuki Ryo following behind him, their footsteps echoing in the quiet exhibition hall.
The exhibition hall was quiet, with only the sound of their breathing and the faint sound of voices coming from afar.
It was a large painting depicting a village after a snowfall.
Thick snow covered the rooftops, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, and the distant forest was a greyish-white blanket of snow. The sky was leaden, with thick clouds, but a sliver of pale golden light peeked through the gaps, falling on the path at the village entrance.
"This is Sisley's 'The Snows of Luvishan'."
Wang Yueling's voice was very soft, "He is very good at painting snow scenes, and his paintings have an extra layer of warmth compared to others. Look at this light... it's not the brightness of a sunny day, but the warmth of light letting in through a crack in the clouds after a snowfall."
Yukimura stared at the golden light for a long time.
"He painted winter, but it's not cold."
"Yes." Wang Yueling nodded. "Sisley's snow scenes never make people feel cold, because he paints not just snow, but what's beneath the snow... the land, the houses, and people's lives."
"Snow is temporary, but those things are eternal."
Yukimura glanced at him sideways.
"You really haven't studied painting?"
"Really, no."
Wang Yueling shook her head, a proud smile playing on her lips. "My grandfather showed me many art books. He said that businessmen who don't understand art will look foolish when they're doing business with others."
Yukimura smiled. "Your grandfather was also a very capable person."
"Of course."
Wang Yueling's tone carried a hint of pride, "He is the smartest person in my family. Unlike my father, who pretends to be an artsy person and only likes works by famous artists, my grandfather collects works with depth, like these paintings we see today, by emerging artists."
Which one do you prefer?
Wang Yueling thought for a moment, "I like them both. Famous artists have their advantages, and emerging artists have theirs. The works of famous artists are steady and can withstand repeated viewing."
"New ideas are innovative, and you can see what they want to express. Even if they don't express it well sometimes, the 'want to express' itself is very precious."
Yukimura glanced at him sideways. "You seem to be able to see the ins and outs of everything."
"Not really." Wang Yueling smiled. "It's just that I've seen a lot, so I can say a few words."
The two people looked at each other.
Yukimura first looked away, raised his camera, and took a picture. Then he turned the camera to frame Mochizuki Ryou and the painting together in the viewfinder, adjusted the focus, and pressed the shutter.
"Taking pictures of me again?"
This time, Wang Yueling didn't snatch the camera; she just tilted her head and looked at him with a hint of amusement in her blue eyes.
"The composition is good," Yukimura said without changing his expression.
The two continued walking forward, and at the deepest part of the exhibition hall, hung the brand-new paintings for this exhibition.
There is only one painting.
The painting is not large, but it is exquisitely framed with a silver-white frame and finely engraved patterns along the edges.
This time it's not the scenery, but the architecture.
church.
It wasn't one of those grand, towering cathedrals; it was a small country church.
White stone walls, stained glass windows, a dozen white doves circling and flying up from the church roof, their wings almost transparent in the moonlight, the gray-blue spire high, emitting a soft light in the night.
The steps in front of the door were covered with white flower petals.
There are no people, only architecture and light and shadow.
The overall color scheme of the painting is very unified, consisting of cool white, blue, and gray tones, but it doesn't feel cold or desolate. Instead, it evokes a clean, pure, and unadulterated warmth.
"This was painted the year Duke got married."
Looking at the description of the artwork standing beside her, Wang Yueling read softly, "This is a series of four paintings in the Church series; this is just one of them. The other three are not on display; they are probably kept by their collectors."
Yukimura stood in front of the painting for a long time, saying, "This painting is very interesting. It's clearly a building, but it evokes more of an emotion."
His gaze fell on the church bathed in moonlight, his violet-blue eyes reflecting the silvery-white halo of the scene.
Wang Yueling stood beside him without disturbing him. After a while, she spoke, "He didn't draw any people, but you always feel like there should be two people here."
He paused, his voice even softer, "The painter said he wasn't painting a wedding, but the empty church after the wedding."
"Yes." Yukimura nodded. "So he removed the 'human' element, and what remained was actually purer."
"It's eternal." Wang Yueling also turned her gaze to the painting, her voice murmuring, "People will leave, but the church, the white doves, the moonlight, they will always be there."
Yukimura looked at him, a hint of surprise in his purplish-blue eyes.
He never expected Wang Yueling to say such a thing.
I was surprised by the other party's understanding of the word "eternity".
A fifteen-year-old boy said, "People will leave," his tone as calm as if he had experienced many partings.
"Seiichi, look here."
Mochizuki Ryo stepped aside, letting Yukimura stand next to her. "The moonlight falls on this part of the church roof, he used cool colors, but look at this edge... he added a touch of warm color."
Yukimura moved closer and, sure enough, saw a very faint warm color where the moonlight met the night. It wasn't gold, nor orange; it was an almost imperceptible warmth, like the temperature of skin.
"He might be trying to say..." Yukimura said softly.
"The moonlight is cold, but the architecture is warm."
Wang Yueling continued, "The wedding is over, the people are gone, but this church remains. It has witnessed many weddings, and it will witness many more. So it's not cold."
Yukimura tilted his head and looked at him.
The other person's profile was illuminated by the warm light of the exhibition hall, the edges of their blond hair shimmering with a halo. Their azure eyes reflected the silvery moonlight in the image, their lips were slightly pursed, and their jawline was softly taut.
Yukimura turned his gaze back to the painting, his voice very soft.
"You just said that people leave. So what's the point of leaving behind the church, the white doves, the moonlight...?"
Wang Yueling stared at the painting, her azure eyes reflecting the white light on the canvas, and remained silent for a long while.
"The meaning is... well... they remembered that moment for those who left."