The Versatile Master Artist

If you succeed, you’ll be the founder of a new painting era; if you fail, you’ll be nothing but a traitor and a clown.

The latter is true in most cases.

It’s the same even in the early 20th century.

The most important patrons and painters of Impressionism, artists like Gustav, were disapproved by the Academic School leader Jerome, causing their lifetime works to be rejected by the official French Salon and leaving them unfulfilled.

Before his death, his last wish was to donate all his paintings and collections, including works by Monet and Degas, totaling over a hundred pieces, to the French National Art Gallery free of charge.

In the end, Jerome publicly mocked him by saying, ”If the government accepts this crude nonsense, it would be a great moral degradation,” and used this as a reason to reject all his works.

It should be known that unlike this African internet painter, Gustav was a person of high social status.

Of course, a hundred years later, the French National Art Gallery deeply regretted it.

Originally, Detective Cat had offended Van Doorn, and when even ”Oil Painting” magazine removed and ”blocked” him,

it almost represented the entire serious art world exiling Detective Cat.

Nowadays, illustrators won’t starve,

but hoping to get some high-value contracts is not realistic, especially after the YouTube video trend fades away.

Van Doorn believes that she basically only does anime illustrations and online avatars.

”A painter without her own understanding of art is just a soulless craftsman; calling her an illustrator is an insult to the industry.”

Van Doorn concluded, ”I even think she has never received any professional art education.”

This is Van Doorn’s speculation on Detective Cat.

With such excellent sketching skills alone, as long as she went to a professional art academy, unless the professors were idiots, there would be no reason she couldn’t enter any big or small art studio.

There is no need to sell cheap illustrations online.

”Mr. Fandorn, if I may ask, you probably haven’t heard of Mr. Tree Sloth’s art salon that just went live this morning?”

After the interview ended,

the middle-aged reporter decisively deleted all the photos from his camera in front of Van Doorn.

Just before leaving, he suddenly turned around and asked in a very teasing tone.

”I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Van Doorn stared at this reporter; he wasn’t a fan of podcasts and had no interest in listening to any art salons.

Wait,

Suddenly, Van Doorn felt the smile on the bearded reporter’s face was a bit strange.

Having been in the art and fashion circle for a long time,

he could keenly catch the excitement of reporters about different degrees of news.

What he just said definitely didn’t count as any major news.

At least compared to his interview with ”The Moon,” there wasn’t much of a difference.

Moreover,

thinking about it carefully now, although Van Doorn was very famous, compared to rock superstars, he was still a bit short.

To interview him, the reporter spent 200 euros just to bribe the shuttle bus driver.

Van Doorn originally expected the reporter to ask him about Amida’s main art style and design language this year, fashion topics.

But instead, he unexpectedly asked him—if Detective Cat and Curator Tangkis’s serious art conversation counted as a declaration of war against him.

Normally,

this question isn’t worth 200 euros.

Unless...

There is something he doesn’t know.

”Is there a problem? You’ve deleted all the photos, right? Don’t mess with me,” Van Doorn threatened.

”Don’t worry, I also don’t want to go to jail.”

The photos might have some sensation, but trespassing on an airport runway is no small matter; it might even amount to a criminal offense.

The middle-aged reporter shook his head.

”Don’t worry, the only reason I’m saying this is that I’ve always been a fan of Mr. Tree Sloth. On my way to the airport, I happened to listen to that podcast, and then I saw your plane landing. I can only say today is my lucky day.”

Watching the cheerful figure of the middle-aged reporter leaving calmly, Van Doorn inexplicably felt a bit uneasy.

”Darling, what’s wrong? Let’s have a glass of champagne to wish for a successful fashion week.”

The Hilton Hotel Rolls-Royce concierge car snaked through the narrow streets of Milan.

The short-haired assistant noticed Van Doorn seemed a bit lost in thought.

She took out a bottle of champagne and two goblets from the mini bar at the front of the compartment, poured a glass, and handed it over.

”Play me something.”

Van Doorn took the glass, took a small sip, his mind still on the recent interview.

”Do you want to listen to music?”

The assistant lazily leaned her head on Van Doorn’s chest, took out her phone from her pocket, and connected to the car’s Bluetooth.

”Apple Podcast, Mr. Tree Sloth’s art criticism, it should be called that, the newly updated episode this morning, the guest should be Curator Tangkis and Detective Cat.”

Van Doorn thought and said.

”Detective Cat? Ha... such a small artist... is also worth your attention.”

The assistant shook her head disdainfully.

”Hurry up.”

Van Doorn urged.

The assistant swiped on her phone for a while and found the podcast show Van Doorn mentioned right at the top of the Apple art trending list.

[Art Salon 09: The World of Painting Light and Shadow from the Perspective of Outstanding Painters]—Van Doorn saw the audio title on the assistant’s phone.

He felt even more uneasy.

The podcast title often directly reflects the specific content within.