[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

"How did we meet...I really can't say." Combeferre smiled. "He and I will come here for a while, and then one day, we seem to know each other naturally. The same is true for me and Enjolras: said I don't know what happened, but suddenly we became friends. Don't you and I have the same acquaintance?"

"Really? I think our acquaintance seems to need a little luck."

"In terms of luck, there is indeed some luck. But it's not all luck. You said later that you wanted to go out to relax, and that street was a very suitable place for relaxation and sketching. I traveled to Paris with Enjolras, I’ve always wanted to see it. So, we all linger there, and it’s normal to meet a few times.”

He explains their encounter to a bewildered Grantaire, who seems interested. "Sketching on the street? What did you draw?"

Corona took out the small notebook she carried with her and showed it to him.Grantaire also fumbled in his coat for a long time, and found a crumpled and dirty stack of papers and a bit of a blunted pencil tip.They exchanged views, and Grantaire sighed almost as soon as he opened it: "Oh, what a standard academic."

"Is that considered a compliment, or a criticism?" Corona asked as she opened his stack of papers.

The wrinkled creases somewhat ruined the picture, and even some charcoal handwriting has been blurred into a ball due to rubbing and rubbing.Corona took a light breath, subconsciously feeling a little distressed.But soon she forgot her distress, and was attracted by the picture instead.All the papers are messy and rough sketches, some places are drawn in great detail, and some places are only outlined with a few strokes.In some paintings the two are combined with each other.From the traditional point of view, it will definitely be regarded as a semi-finished product without even a draft. Corona does not break away from the traditional point of view: her master is Basil Howard, which is the most classic oil painting method.But when she looked at those simple and abstract lines, she couldn't help but feel a kind of beauty in them.

"Why don't you finish it?" she asked, pointing to a painting.It was a corner of the Collins Tavern. The two people sitting in the foreground were drawn clearly and in detail. Even though it was a black and white sketch, half of their faces could be seen clearly illuminated by the light of the oil lamp.Other dark corners that weren't illuminated by the light—such as the ceiling, floor, corner, and another nearby wooden table—should have been shaded, but Grantaire drew them out with only rough outlines. However, leaving a large blank space on the paper.

"I'm done." Grantaire glanced at the painting she was pointing at, "Can't you see what those lines are drawing?"

"It's a corner that is not illuminated by lights."

"Look!" Grantaire said triumphantly, "You get it. That proves I'm done, doesn't it?"

"... How can there be such a thing! Can I claim that I have painted a portrait of Combeferre by drawing random circles on paper for noses and eyes, and writing Combeferre's name underneath? "

"If you draw it like that and it's instantly recognizable as Combeferre," Grantaire said, "why can't you say it's a portrait of Combeferre?"

Corona had never encountered such sophistry in painting, and she couldn't laugh or cry for a while. "If you just want people to see what you've drawn - that's a little too much. Don't you think painting is just 'recognizable'?"

"Ha, what is the pursuit? What is painting? Needless to say, you will answer my old-fashioned answer: painting is to reproduce the image in life realistically, the more real the better, if a painter can make his painting If it looks like a mirror, people think it is the greatest work. Isn't a mirror better than the greatest artist? Why do we bother to paint portraits when a mirror can perfectly Instead? Let me say that what makes a painter better than a mirror or a puddle is that the painter himself has to reflect his emotions into the painting. The most brilliant and valuable thing in a painting is not the perfect reproduction It is the place where the reality is out of place, but precisely those places that are different from the reality, those are the places where an artist breaks away from this boring reality and expresses his own heart. A painter should give the description of nature a more vivid picture based on his own vision. A new kind of interest, what a painter shows is something that cannot be described in words. The task of a painter is to replace reality with pure painting language. If not, you have spent so much thought, exhausted your energy, and pursued It's just to achieve the effect of a mirror. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"It's always such a tirade, Grantaire!" said Combeferre, smiling. "I thought you two would have a lot to talk about. It seems I was wrong: just because two people are unique doesn't mean they're going to be compatible." .”

"Here you go again, Combeferre. Are you worried that I'll offend your new friend?" Grantaire asked while taking a swig of wine, accidentally dropping a large drop of wine on Corona's On the scratch paper, "I don't mean to be offensive. I like your paintings. It is not easy to draw the classic genre well, and you obviously have a way. I am just defending my paintings. It's inevitable!"

"What are you defending? I have nothing to accuse you—if you take my previous words as accusations, then I have to apologize. I just like these paintings very much, so I ask this question." Ke Luo Na shrugged, "If you think these paintings are finished, then consider it finished. Painters always have more say in their own works."

Then they quickly discussed the method of drawing shadows.Corona was better at painting, while Grantaire was obviously better at drawing.Even Combeferre interjects here and there: he is not a professional painter, but he seems to know a little about everything.Before they knew it, the sky had already darkened, and they didn't realize the passage of time until someone suddenly came over with an oil lamp, carefully avoiding the drawing papers on the table, and placed the lamp in the center of the table.The man sat down at the table at once, and Corona looked up and saw that it was a flaxen-haired student, who looked as young as Combeferre.His appearance was soft and gentle, with a shy look on his face. "Jean!" Combeferre greeted him cheerfully. "This is my old friend, Cole Carton, a painter—"

"Future painter." Corona said with a smile.Of course, she herself has become an official painter, but Cole Caton has not yet.

"This is our friend, Jean Prouvel. Everyone calls him Jean. A poet."

"Ha, now you have gathered a poet, two painters, and yourself - a naturalist." Grantaire said drunkenly, "shall we start an art salon next, Gong Bai fly?"

Coronne imagined Combeferre in an art salon, and almost couldn't hold back her laughter - Combeferre was never a person suitable for staying in an art salon, he was indeed a naturalist, yes The sciences and humanities have broad interests, but his primary concerns have always been with tangible social issues. "You just wait for Enjolras to come to Paris, Grantaire," she laughed. "He can turn any gathering into a revolutionary seminar."

"It's not the first time I've heard this name." Grantaire asked with interest, "Seriously, who is this 'Enjolras' you guys are talking about?"

The author has something to say: Note: A small part of Grantaire’s remarks on painting in this chapter (less than 100 words) is quoted from Michael Pepit: "Cézanne-Creating Pure and Enduring Art", translated by Shi Yong, World Art , No. 1982, 2.

The views of the characters do not necessarily represent those of the author.

In addition, please always remember that the author is not a professional, this is just random writing, don't take it seriously.