Painter Of The Night: The painter’s gaze

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes.

The more episodes we get and the more I examine, the more meaningful certain panels become after reading the novel again. Let me give you an example. After analyzing the significance of candles, I noticed the symbolism of the following image. In chapter 30, the candlestick falls on the ground due to Baek Na-Kyum. The latter has been placed on the cupboard by the protagonist, because the latter wants to corner him and limit his resistance. As you already know, the yellow bougie on the candlestick embodies the noble. Since there is no light, there’s no warmth and yellow outlines his selfishness, reflecting his actual disposition and behavior. He is anything except loving and warm. The fall of the candle represents his inner turmoil. The painter’s escape upset him so much that he was destabilized. He felt so powerless, as he couldn’t stop the low born’s desertion. It was, as if his world had been turned upside down. Neither his force nor his word nor his thread could break the artist’s strong will. Although he stands here, we have to envision, he is actually behaving like an angry child, who threw himself on the ground, screaming and gesticulating, as his desire has not been fulfilled. Therefore he could only express his frustration and despair by venting his anger and pain towards his staff. And the fact that the candle falls on the ground because of the artist is the metaphor for the real cause of the lord’s negative emotions. Let’s not forget that Seungho was the reason for the painter’s departure, just like the aristocrat is the reason why Baek Na-Kyum brings the candle down from the cupboard. Now, you understand why the author would use such an image, although it doesn’t contribute to the evolution of the story. Therefore it becomes obvious that the manhwalovers should pay attention to each picture and analyze it in order to discern a possible meaning. Yet, it is the same if a certain panel doesn’t appear, though it should in a sense, as Byeonduck had used the same type of pictures with little alterations. Now you are wondering which image should have appeared but didn’t in a certain episode. Let me give you a series of pictures and try to find the common point.

(chapter 21) (chapter 25) (chapter 39) (chapter 42) (chapter 45) (chapter 50) (chapter 54)

After looking at the different pictures, you have already noticed the common denominator. Yoon Seungho is always gazing at the painter’s eyes and facial reactions. Even in chapter 25, where the manhwaworms are not able to distinguish the lord’s eyes, they have to imagine that the latter is somehow attempting to look at the artist’s gaze from the side.

What caught my attention is the difference of the size of Yoon Seungho’s eyes. First, his eyes are more open in chapter 21 than in chapters 39, 42 and 45, giving the impression that the more time passes on, the smaller his eyes are until the chapter 50. Here, they are even more open than in chapter 21. Yet, there’s a huge difference. This time, the painter is deeply sleeping hence there’s no reflection in the painter’s gaze. From my perspective, the smaller his eyes are, the more uncertain he is about the artist and somehow fears the reflection. Hence he has his eyes wide open in chapter 50, since he knows that the painter is asleep. He doesn’t have to fear his gaze. And now here is the next question: why is he so obsessed with the painter’s gaze? The answer is quite simple and I am quite sure that many readers already know the answer. This brings me to the following explanation. We heard from the main lead that he wished to be gazed like Baek Na-Kyum looked at Jung In-Hun. In my opinion, he experienced the artist’s tender gaze during their first night together which moved his heart so much, though he didn’t realize it right away. This was the gaze he wanted to receive and this was his reaction. The painter was blushing and his eyes were half-open but he looked directly at him exuding desire and love, thereby the aristocrat felt desired and loved for the first time. So until chapter 49, he hoped to relive the same gaze and facial expression (blushing) but it never truly occurred again. This explicates why he was happy, when the artist would redden in his presence. He had the feeling that he had progressed and was getting closer to his dream. Yet since he had been rejected many times and had made huge mistakes (chapter 25, 26, 30-32), he would rather glimpse at Baek Na-Kyum, already pleased that the painter was no longer rejecting him and even showed a certain pleasure like in chapter 39.

However, the turning point in Yoon Seungho’s life is the night where he felt rejected, although the artist didn’t mean it that way. His eyes are wide open, there’s no blushing, rather fear or doubt. In other words, Baek Na-Kyum’s eyes and facial expression oozes the exact opposite of their wedding night. This was, as if Yoon Seungho was confronted with reality. He will never be loved by Baek Na-Kyum. Out of heartache and fury, he made a wrong decision. After recognizing his huge mistake, he decided to confess without looking at the painter ever again. He truly feared his gaze. Imagine, the artist had made such an expression that in his mind, the low-born’s gaze could only get colder and more resentful.

Remember what I wrote in the beginning. In certain scenes, a panel should have appeared but didn’t. Observe that we don’t have any similar picture during the sex marathon. The noble closes his eyes, when he kisses the commoner. Why? Here, he is only looking for his own satisfaction. He feels frustrated and wants to fulfil his own wish and desires. Then later he only looks at him through the mirror for a while but he is more focused on the painter’s reactions. The main lead wants the sex partner to accept his homosexuality and him. After that, the rich protagonist is more interested to feel ecstasy without paying attention to the painter’s facial expression. That’s also the reason why the noble doesn’t notice the artist’s poor health condition. Therefore the absence of such a picture during the sex marathon outlines the protagonist’s selfishness. Only after realizing that the low-born is sick, he changes his attitude and gives him a tender kiss with water. Yet here Yoon Seungho is not starring at the painter’s gaze, he is rather focused on his reaction.

But the absence of Yoon Seungho’s gaze directed at the painter’s doesn’t only occur during the marathon sex but also during the renewal of their wedding night. Here, pay attention to the way the lord kisses the painter. He always closes his eyes. It is because he still fears his gaze and has already resigned that he will never receive such tender expressions. But most importantly is that when they both climax, the lord is not forcing the artist to look at him, contrary to chapter 21. He is just whispering to him, while the painter is looking on the other side. Therefore the noble doesn’t witness what is happening in front of his eyes. Note the contrast between this night and their first night. Here, the noble grasps the painter’s chin in order to force him to look at him and to recognize his true identity. He is apologizing, yet deep down he was voicing his wish. He desired the painter to recognize and accept him. On the other hand, in chapter 58, he makes love to the artist, without looking at his facial expressions or gaze at any moment. His head is never above the commoner’s, never facing his eyes. Therefore I conclude that Yoon Seungho has already given up on his dream and hope. In his mind, he will never be loved the way he wanted before and all this because of that terrible night where the painter looked at him so shocked and distant. For him, this night is like a dream, an illusion caused by his illness.

Therefore I believe that in the next chapter, this picture will stand in opposition to the one in chapter 22. The gaze will be cold again, he won’t say a word. There’s no doubt that the moment he realizes what truly happened, he will become so infuriated that he will retaliate. Yet this time, the victims of his anger won’t the domestics in his mansion, but the nobles. And if I am wrong, so be it, however I explain why I came to this conclusion.

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