The reason why I am writing another essay about A Painter Behind The Curtain is quite simple. The first composition about this wonderful manhwa has become the most read essay among all the other manhwas I examined. This signifies that people are interested to learn more about the manhwa and its historical context. In the first essay, I described the strong connection between art and monarchs. The latter would use painting in order to legitimate their power and authority. However, art and as such painting also played a huge role in revolutions.
Let me give you an example. When French revolution started in 1789, the deputies from Third Estate (mostly represented by bourgeoisie) accompanied by a few from Nobility and Clergy gathered in the Jeu de Paume court (Jeu de paume = similar to tennis) in order to take an oath that they will never separate, until a constitution is composed. This event is very important, as it represents the deputies’ second revolutionary act against Louis XVI’s authority. And in 1791, the famous painter Jacques-Louis David created a painting representing this oath. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques-Louis_David#/media/Fichier:Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg
And this shows that artists can also support revolutionary ideas and movement, they can either help to reinforce the ruler’s authority or even do the opposite. In other words, arts are never obsolete or just for entertainment. They can have a strong influence of public opinion. This is also not surprising that dictators in the 20th Century used arts as a tool for propaganda. However, if you pay attention to the drawing from Jacques-Louis David, you’ll notice that his way of painting is still influenced by classical rules. And this leads me to the next observation, a painter can also become a revolutionary himself, when he starts defying academic rules in arts and as such to authorities. The best example for this statement is the Russian painter Kazimir Malevitch, who created in 1915 the work called The Black Square or Malevitch’s Black Square. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Square_(painting)#/media/File:Kazimir_Malevich,_1915,_Black_Suprematic_Square,_oil_on_linen_canvas,_79.5_x_79.5_cm,_Tretyakov_Gallery,_Moscow.jpg
The first reaction young people have, when they see this painting, is to laugh and say that they could do such a painting themselves, as it doesn’t seem to show any profound skill or talent. What they fail to see is how revolutionary his creation is, because they don’t put the work into his historical context. In 1915, Russia was still an autocracy, the Russian version of an absolute monarchy, where the Czar was still considered as the supreme ruler of the country. In this historical period, Russia was very conservative and refused any modernization, which signifies that academic rules in arts were very strict too. Thereby the idea itself was totally new. When Malevitch created his Black Square, he was defying not only the Russian arts academy, but also authorities. He was asking for a profound change in his country, he literally eliminated every rule and decided to create a new art, the suprematist movement. And this is no coincidence that 2 years later, Russian revolution occurred and in October 1917, Bolshevik faction organized an armed uprising against the Provisional Government leading to the establishment of the Bolshevik regime. From that moment, the new government tried to erase all the symbols from the past and the autocracy, just like Malevitch had done it with his paintings. It was, as though the author had announced a new huge change for Russia. As a first conclusion, the manhwalovers can sense that painters can play a huge role during a Revolution, they can advocate revolutionary ideas and movement, but they can also be used to reinforce the current government and as such become an instrument for propaganda.
After this introduction, it is time to focus on the manhwa and to examine the role played by Ian Scornel. It becomes clear that Ian belongs to the first part. Because he portrays the people involved in their revolution, he is advocating their ideas: liberty and equity. (chapter 44) He isn’t only a witness of the preparations for the revolution, he is also a participant, therefore he desires to assist to the revolution. This explains why he doesn’t intent to paint the event itself afterwards based on different sources and testimonies, like Jacques-Louis David. His paintings are the results of his observations. By portraying the revolutionaries, he support their protest and the change.
Nevertheless the revolution planed by Henry fails, since Raymond betrays the movement in order to obtain power and revenge. Due to his love for Raymond, the painter Ian accepts his decision and remains by his lover’s side, (chapter 46) although he feels terribly guilty. However, the consequences of his choice are far worse than the artist and even Raymond could ever imagine. Due to the immense burden, Ian Sconel’s creativity gets affected. He is no longer able to paint like before. It was, as though the loss of his innocence had tainted his creativity. Furthermore, since he is now connected to the king and nobility, his topics get limited. He becomes a painter portraying nobles, this explains why the paintings above are lacking energy and creativity. In other words, the closer Raymond got to power, the more Ian gets pressured to paint for the higher-ups. And this reminds me of the painter Jacques-Louis David, who first supported the revolutionaries and even Robespierre, the representative for Reign of Terror (La Terreur). When the latter got executed, the painter left France and came back, when Napoleon became the ruler, first as consul first and as emperor. As a conclusion, the artist supported an authoritarian monarchy contrasting to his first convictions. Jacques-Louis David became famous with the following paintings:
In my opinion, his conservatism is palpable in the way he created these paintings. That’s why he is labeled as a classic painter. And now, we have to wonder if Ian will become a second Jacques-Louis David. As you can anticipate, this won’t be the case. Ian might feel guilty, but he never gave up on the ideas of liberty and equity. And this is not the case of the French painter, although Napoleon presented himself as the heir of French revolution. Nevertheless, the readers have to grasp that this was just a justification for his expansionist politics. But there’s another reason for my statement. Right from the start, Ian was a revolutionary artist because of his style. Mr. François noticed it right away. This explicates why the latter is asking Ian to follow him, when he is about to move away. He is well aware that if he remains by Raymond’s side, his creativity and talent won’t be nurtured. And now, you understand that I consider the protagonist as revolutionary in both senses: he advocates liberty and equity, but he also represents a new style breaking academic rules. This is visible with the following painting: He expresses his emotions and a certain melancholy through the painting. That’s why I have the impression that the author chose Ian as a representative of Romanticism. Romanticism is characterized by the dominance of sensitivity, emotion and imagination over reason and morality. Artists paint by affirming their ideas and letting their personal impressions and feelings appear with passion through their works. This explains why Manuma selected Ian as first name for the protagonist, although the story takes in Italy. Romanticism was born in Germany existing from 1800 to 1850. Furthermore, Romanticism identifies with liberal and national movements in Europe (19th century). In order to understand what they are, especially for readers from other continents, it is important to explain the historical context.
The origin of these liberal and national movements existing in every European country comes from the French revolution. This important event started in 1789 and ended in 1799, when Napoléon Bonaparte seized power through a coup d’état. This marked the end of French revolution, although Napoléon used its ideals (liberty, equity and fraternity) in order to conquer the rest of Europe. In other words, the name of freedom and equality, Napoleon expanded his empire. He wanted to create an Europe of nations under French hegemony. That’s why the emperor supported Polish and Italian, who were ruled by foreign countries (Russian-Austria- Prussia for Polish and Austria for Italian). For Italian, it is different because the country was divided under different rulers as well. By creating a Polish and Italian nation, the French emperor imagined that he would get the support from people against traditional absolute monarchs. In order to disguise his true intentions, he introduced reforms in the different occupied countries: abolition of hierarchical societies, introduction of a constitution and the code civil. Yet, in reality, Napoleon’s ruling was not different from an absolute king, because freedom and equity were just paroles, empty promises. In fact, Napoleon could be perceived as the first dictator in our modern world. He used propaganda, schools in order to indoctrinate children and turn them into his future soldiers and even planted spies in all different social classes in order to monitor people. His minister Fouché desired to install fear among people by letting them think, there were spies everywhere. But with the downfall of Napoleon, people in Europe assisted to the return of the absolute monarchy. Metternich and other rulers decided to erase the ideals from French revolution, which was impossible, as you can imagine. Napoleon’s politics had indeed affected European people. While the latter can die, ideas don’t. This era is called Restoration, as the kings were trying reestablish the Ancien Regime. This explicates why the rulers were against the idea of nation and liberty. They didn’t want people to decide of their regime and as such determine their fate. That’s why in the 19th Century, in Germany and Italy, liberals were fighting against the princes or even against foreign authorities. Italian, Poland and German desired to create their own nation, based on the ideals of liberty and equity. However, the monarchs did everything to eliminate this movement, therefore the artists from Romanticism chose to use arts in order to express their feelings and support the national and liberal movements. I could use the following painting as illustration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix_-_La_libert%C3%A9_guidant_le_peuple.jpg
Eugene Delacroix painted the French Revolution from 1830, when the king Charles X had to flee to England. Back then, the revolutionaries succeeded and obtained a monarchy with a constitution. And now, you might wonder if I am not deriving from the topic, yet you have to remember that the story “A Painter Behind The Curtain” takes place in Italy. And we have many allusions that the king in this region has some diplomatic relationship with France. The king would like to marry his youngest daughter to the French crown. So it looks like that the story takes place before French Revolution. Besides, the way Henry planed the revolution reminds me more of French revolution from 1789, establishment of a new society based on equity and freedom , as Henry never speaks about Italian nation nor foreign ruling. Moreover, we have the impression that it takes place at the end of the 18th Century due to the culotte Ian Sconel is wearing like in the following picture. However, this is not possible, since Raymond is using a hat worn during the 19th Century. As you can see, the manhwa contains some historical inexactitudes. But what here matters is that Ian, as a painter from the Romanticism movement, is strongly influenced by his emotions. The latter are the source of his inspiration and creativity. And since he decided to side with Raymond and feels guilty, you can now comprehend why the young man can no longer paint like before. Because of this observation, I come to the conclusion that Ian will have to be separated from Raymond, as their relationship will affect the artist’s creativity. Once liberated from Raymond’s world, the young man will be able to discover the world and find a new inspiration. At the same time, Raymond will be forced to choose: power or love.
Right now, many readers are loathing Raymond, because he betrayed his friend Henry and Ian. He preferred siding with power and the king in order to get his revenge. But like always, it is important to see beyond the surface. The protagonist is definitely a modern man, who despises estate-based society. He reminds me of the finance ministers like Necker who tried to make the France’s finances healthier by criticizing the court and its expenditures or Turgot who attempted to impose some taxes on nobility. However, all of them fail in the end, because they were just ministers and as such advisors. The absolute king Louis XVI had the final saying. And Raymond will realize that he won’t get a real change, like he imagined. Furthermore, the moment he will lose Ian, he will realize that losing ideals for power is not right, as he obtained nothing. Let’s not forget that he will be just the princess’ husband and nothing more. In reality, by betraying his friend, he hurt himself. Therefore, there is no doubt that in the long run, Raymond will change his mind and support Henry’s revolution. The painter will play a huge part in Raymond’s final decision. That’s why the author chose this title for the manhwa. The painter behind the curtain was the one who inspired people for a change: he helped painters to create their own exhibition and develop their own style. At the same time, he pushed Raymond to question his values forcing him to support Henry for real. There’s no doubt that due to their separation, Ian will develop his talent in a different place and find his inspiration again. While his lover played a huge part in his inspiration and emancipation, Ian needs to learn to live on his own. With his new independency, Ian will become stronger and more motivated to paint again, so that he can recover from the wound afflicted by the betrayal.
As a conclusion, Ian belongs to Romanticism, that’s why he is a revolutionary artist. Not only he supports modern ideals (equity and liberty), but even his style is revolutionary, because he has even developed it without knowing the Romanticism from German.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My tumblr-twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and the support.
On twitter, I created a poll in order to know the age bracket of my readers. It would be great if you could participate. My twitter account has the same name @bebebisous33
The second news: I am now writing the list of manhwas which have the potential to be examined. As soon as the second season of Painter Of The Night starts, I’ll write less about it. I have already explained many things. Sure, I won’t stop but I would like to focus on other stories and aspects:
A painter behind the curtain
Legs That Won’t Walk
Dine With a Vampire (has just started)
At The End of The Road
On The Emperor’s lap
Ellin’s Solhwa
Pian Pian
BJ Alex
The Beast Must die
Home Alone Together
Body Complex
My Starry Sky
Let me know which ones you would like to have an analysis about. Thanks for the reply and the support.
If you have already read the analysis about “Traces of “Dangerous liaisons” and “Justine: The Misfortunes of Virtue”, you know why I am now using the other manhwa “A Painter Behind The Curtain” created by Munamu. Both works have a lot in common, not only the historical setting but also the story as such. Both stories have a painter as a protagonist and the latter share a similar fate: a lot of suffering.
Since many are not familiar about A Painter behind the Curtain, I’ll just give a short summary. The story has 70 chapters but only 26 have been released in English. The main character is Ian Sconel, a talented painter who was sold as a child by his father to the Bardis, as soon as Mr. Bardi recognized his talents.
chapter 2
Since The Bardis have a long tradition of painters in their family, the father wanted to use the young boy’s talents in order to maintain the family’s reputation and their high lifestyle as renowned painters for the aristocracy. Mr. Bardi let his buyers think that his second son Jeremy was the genius one, whereas Ian Scornel was the one who created all the masterpieces. That’s why the author chose the title “behind the curtain”, as he painted the whole time hidden from the eyes of the others. The title is also referring to the meeting of Ian Sconel and the other protagonist, Mr. Raymond.
Ian was hiding behind the curtain when Mr. Raymond saw him for the first time
If we compare the two artists, we will notice that despite the different location (Italy-Joseon) both come from the bottom of the society. That’s the reason why the two men are illiterate.
chapter 10: Here, Mr. Raymond is offering an employment contract to Ian but the latter can neither sign nor read it. (chapter 40)
Moreover the two felt the need to paint all the time as children.
chapter 1
Ian as a child, chapter 2
Although they were both passionate about painting, Baek Na-Kyum’s drawings were limited to one subject: erotic pictures of sodomy. The difference is quite easy to understand: Baek Na-Kyum was raised at a gisaeng house, where sex was a common thing. Besides, this also outlines that the korean boy knew right from the start about his sexual orientation. For Ian, we discover that Mr. Bardi is sexually abusing him. So his homosexuality wasn’t determined right from the start. Little by little, Ian falls in love with Mr. Raymond because the latter treats him so well. But since servants confessing their love to Mr. Raymond are immediately fired, Ian has to hide his feelings for him. Baek Na-Kyum has also to hide his feelings in front of the lord, or better said, he has to fight against his repressed sexual desires (chapter 6), as he has been manipulated by the teacher Jung In-Hun that homosexuality is something filthy and immoral. (chapter 34)
The other common denominator is that the two men became victims of rape, (chapter 26) even if Ian was sexually abused quite often as he spent many years at the Bardis before getting “rescued” by Mr. Raymond.
chapter 4
Notice that during the rape, Ian has to listen to Mr. Bardi’s words that the latter is his benefactor, since he gives him the opportunity to paint and he has a roof over his head. All this leaves deep scars in the painter’s mind which explains why later he refuses to paint any longer.
The blond haired man vows not to paint any longer as he saw it as the cause for his misery and suffering, while Baek Na-Kyum was coerced by Jung In-Hun to abandon paintings due to the sodomy. The two painters have at some point kept their distance from their passion.
Chapter 2
But let’s go back to Ian’s paintings. Ian is forced to paint what Bardi wants so he is limited in his creativity. Whereas Yoon Seungho also restraints the low-born in his creativity, since he has to paint sex scenes, Ian has to create religious paintings or scenes with nobles.
Both sponsors use their position to impose their will. The painters have no right to refuse and to choose their subjects based on their inclination or inspiration. This outlines their precarious situation as they are dependent on the sponsor. Yoon Seungho’s attitude does resemble Mr. Bardi’s behavior, yet there is another huge contrast too. Ian is kept captive in his room, can only get food if the picture is finished. That’s why he is often hungry and very skinny.
On the other hand, Yoon Seungho shows a certain favoritism because he placed Baek Na-Kyum right next to his bedroom and the former is even willing to eat his lunch with him. (chapter 11) Despite the difference, they both have to please their sponsor with their work. If there is disobedience, then there is also punishment:
Mr. Bardi slapping Ian after the latter left his room in order to retrieve food as he was starving.
(chapter 13) The low-born was about to get the straw mat beating, until the lord changed his mind. However, just like Ian, the young man had been slapped and even pushed by his “sponsor” before. Ian’s suffering lasts much longer because he arrived at the house as a child and he was already a young man, when he was able to leave this hell created by Bardi.
All these aspects are here dramatized, however this was the reality for painters in the past. Even Vincent Van Gogh couldn’t live properly as he had no real sponsor outside his family. Many painters had to adapt themselves to the taste of their “clients” in order to earn money that’s why many artists chose to paint following the trend and the rules. In other words, the painters’ creativity and curiosity for experiment were bounded, just like in the two fictions.
chapter 13
Baek Na-Kyum became a successful painter because he published many erotic books which the nobility was fond of.
chapter 1
Sure, he had to publish them under a pseudonym, nevertheless his books were quite famous as he was able to survive as a drunk without painting any longer. So even if the topic was taboo, aristocrats were quite interested in such drawings. In order to get attention from the nobility, Ian is also reminded by Henry, a noble, that he should paint based on the trend but this time, Ian refuses. Unlike Bardi and Yoon Seungho, Mr. Raymond gave him the freedom to paint based on his inclination.
The other disparity is that Yoon Seungho wanted to keep the paintings to himself, he never wanted to let people see Baek Na-Kyum’s talents or to earn money with it. It was as if he was determined to own the painter so that he could keep him hidden from people’s attention, as if he wanted to put him behind the curtain. And notice that the noble is not interested in encouraging the artist to develop his talents. (chapter 41) He was jealous and annoyed, when he saw the picture of Jung In-Hun’s inauguration so that he failed to see the talent and dedication in this different type of drawing. So there is a certain selfishness in the seme here but I am expecting that this will change. He could have noticed that the low-born’s talent is not just defined by sex and sodomy but his insecurities made him blind in that moment. Yet, this painting has been given to the loyal valet Kim so that it can get destroyed. But I feel that Kim might give it to his master or keep it. I have the feeling that this painting will play a bigger role in Baek Na-Kyum’s career later.
Now, people who haven’t read “A painter behind the curtain” might think that Yoon Seungho is the Joseon version of Bardi, however they are wrong. Actually, he is a mixture of Bardi (due to his selfish and violent side) and Mr. Raymond. If you look at the image where Mr. Raymond is looking at the painting, you’ll notice his fascination and admiration for the work created by Ian.
The so-called merchant is definitely moved by the creation and the gaze is again revealing the affects caused by the painting. He keeps starring at it, there is a certain calmness and relaxation oozing from his eyes. Just like Yoon Seungho, the bourgeois falls in love with Ian’s pictures. And little by little, he falls in love with the artist himself. As you can see, the paintings serve as a bridge between the two men, Yoon Seungho wants to find the man with the talented hands and at some point Mr. Raymond will realize Mr. Bardi’s fraud and the origin of the paintings: Ian.
However, Mr. Raymond’s kindness and gentleness is not selfless in reality. He needs the artist’s talents in order to get closer to the nobility and as such to power. Art and paintings are linked to power because rulers and even the Church used art in order to legitimate their authority.
Here, this is the famous portray of Louis XIV made by Hyacinthe Rigaud. Through this painting, the French King wanted to demonstrate his power. He is an absolute Monarch. He possesses all the powers: the executive (symbolized by the sword), legislative (scepter) and judicial branches (the hand of justice on the stool). But he doesn’t need the regalia on himself in order to prove his position as absolute ruler.
At the same time, only painters working for the Church or the King had a rather comfortable life. Yet they had to paint what they were told to. Just like Yoon Seungho, the bourgeois is motivated by revenge but uses art as his tool and not sex. Mr. Raymond has a different approach therefore he needs Ian’s talent and help.
chapter 12
chapter 12
Mr. Raymond is not powerful like the lord from Joseon, since the merchant only belongs to the third state, the commoners. He wants to obtain power as he suffered injustice in his childhood.
chapter 13
His father was executed due to a scheme perpetrated by count Rothsildt. So far, he has internalized that only in a powerful position he can get revenge and protect himself and his family from any injustice. Since he is just a bourgeois, he is despised by the aristocrats, at the same time they seek his company as many nobles are facing financial issues which is historically correct. Just before the French Revolution, many bourgeois were even richer than nobles, especially many low nobles were impoverished… which reminds us of Jung In-Hun at the same time. So his role as a sponsor for a talented painter represents his way to get access to power. Like I have mentioned above, for kings talented painters are a tool for the securing their own power.
Since Mr. Raymond has to rely on Ian’s talent, he can’t behave like Yoon Seungho. He needs to win the painter’s trust hence he teaches him reading and writing. Striking is that Ian is compared to a cat,
whereas Baek Na-Kyum’s behavior reminded me more of a lamb. That’s why their position contrasts so much. Ian has the upper hand right from the start with Mr. Raymond and in Painter Of The Night, it is the opposite. Seungho can use his position as lord to force the man to paint, yet as time passes on, the situation reverses. At the end of the first season, Baek Na-Kyum has the upper hand in their relationship. Seungho wants to have the artist’s consent, when it comes to sex. He no longer uses his position as lord. (chapter 41)
This explains why Ian is given so much freedom by the bourgeois. As time passes on, Ian’s PTSD disappears and the artist can develop his own interest and change his techniques. Thanks to Mr. Raymond’s support, he can choose the topic of his paintings and the methods which announces a huge change and innovation in the art. Ian shows an interest for commoners or for landscapes.
chapter 17
The way he paints as well, reminds me a lot of the Impressionism, an art current characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles.
Jean Monet: Haystacks (Sunset) The use of unusual colors in the sky and in the haystacks is very characteristic for an impressionist painter. A classic painter would have use different blue and yellow colors for the landscape and no small brush stroke.
Impressionism originates with a group of artists living around Paris whose independent exhibitions created a wave of scandal and attention at the end of the 19th Century. Famous painters from the impressionism are f. ex. Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley, Morisot. But Van Gogh and Cézanne were highly influenced by this art movement until they developed their own style. These painters decided not to follow the rules by the Art Academy which explains why many painters from that current struggled a lot. Only Renoir and Monet could become rich and successful before their death. And now, if you look at Ian’s paintings, you observe that Ian has the same thinking and approach as he paints on his impressions. Now, I am adding a picture where the beholder can view the paintings that the nobility liked.
In the background, you can see the classic paintings he created, when he was exploited by Bardi.
The beholder observes the huge contrast as Ian no longer paints religious scenes or mythology, his focus is more or less on daily situations: they have less pathos and ooze more humbleness. But thanks to Raymond, Ian Sconel is able to catch the attention of a famous court painter. However, we shouldn’t forget that this young man wouldn’t have been able to develop his skills any further if Raymond had not entirely supported him.
That’s why the attitude of a sponsor is really important, he can brake or improve the artist’s talents.
Now, if we return our attention to Painter Of The Night, the reader notices that Yoon Seungho was only focused on getting new paintings for his own pleasure. The interest of the low-born never mattered. However, I sense that the lord might come to change his attitude and even help him to develop his talents. Just like in “A Painter Behind The Curtain”, I am expecting that the master will teach Baek Na-Kyum to write and read. Secondly, we know for sure that he has connection to the Royal Academy
chapter 12
and Baek Na-Kyum has for the first time painted on another topic: the inauguration of the low noble Jung In-Hun. (chapter 44) The drawing was detailed and totally different from the erotic pictures. So I am expecting that Yoon Seungho turns into a real sponsor and becomes more and more like Mr. Raymond. However, the latter will have to choose at some point between power or love. By taking care of Ian so well, he wanted him to open up but at the end, Raymond fell in love with the genius too. While one artist could incite arousal with his creations, the other could calm the resentful merchant. Strictly speaking, their art had a huge impact on the life of the two semes.
Despite the suffering and their tragic past, both artists have the chance to meet someone who will help them to get recognition for their talents and to become more independent. But just like I have been showing all along, the painter’s life in the past relied a lot of sponsoring. The French novelist Emile Zola wrote a novel called “L’Oeuvre” (The work) where he described the struggling of an impressionist. The latter was determined to create a masterpiece with innovations and to get recognition but failed at the end. Zola, a close friend of Cézanne, was inspired by his friend’s life and the impressionism, yet this book became the reason why Cézanne cut ties with his childhood friend as the painter Claude Lantier was portrayed in a rather negative way: he was obsessed and neglected everything else including his family. The reasons why I am mentioning this work are the following. First, it outlines the importance of a sponsor and confirmed what the manhwas are telling in their fiction. Then it reveals the difficulties the avant-garde painters had in order to get accepted. Finally here comes the biggest reason. I had to read this book when I was a high school student and through this work, I came to understand the significance of paintings. That’s how I discovered the impressionism and fell in love with their works. Because of this novel, I could finally understand better why innovations in art movement were related to a fight against Academy and rules. Painters are indeed fighters because what they do can go against social norms and etiquette. That’s why their life is so difficult. The rape, the exploitation might be fiction in the manhwas, yet they symbolize the struggles painters from unknown origins had in order to make a breakthrough.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.
A Painter Behind The Curtain:
BJ Alex
Dine With A Vampire:
Doctor Frost (used as reference for Painter Of The Night):
Legs That Won’t walk:
My Suha:
Painter Of The Night:
Pearl Boy:
The Beast Must Die:
The Pawn’s Revenge:
Under The Green Light:
Unintentional Love Story:
Serene Bird:
ENNEAD
Mad Place:
Bongchon Bride: ”
Steel Under Silk:
Payback:
A Sip Of Poison:
Jinx:
The Ghost’s Nocturne:
Beta Off Not Dating:
(chapter 44) He isn’t only a witness of the preparations for the revolution, he is also a participant, therefore he desires to assist to the revolution. This explains why he doesn’t intent to paint the event itself afterwards based on different sources and testimonies, like Jacques-Louis David. His paintings are the results of his observations. By portraying the revolutionaries, he support their protest and the change.
(chapter 46) although he feels terribly guilty. However, the consequences of his choice are far worse than the artist and even Raymond could ever imagine. Due to the immense burden, Ian Sconel’s creativity gets affected. He is no longer able to paint like before. 
It was, as though the loss of his innocence had tainted his creativity. Furthermore, since he is now connected to the king and nobility, his topics get limited. 
He becomes a painter portraying nobles, this explains why the paintings above are lacking energy and creativity. In other words, the closer Raymond got to power, the more Ian gets pressured to paint for the higher-ups. And this reminds me of the painter Jacques-Louis David, who first supported the revolutionaries and even Robespierre, the representative for Reign of Terror (La Terreur). When the latter got executed, the painter left France and came back, when Napoleon became the ruler, first as consul first and as emperor. As a conclusion, the artist supported an authoritarian monarchy contrasting to his first convictions. Jacques-Louis David became famous with the following paintings:
And now, you understand that I consider the protagonist as revolutionary in both senses: he advocates liberty and equity, but he also represents a new style breaking academic rules. This is visible with the following painting: 
He expresses his emotions and a certain melancholy through the painting. That’s why I have the impression that the author chose Ian as a representative of Romanticism. Romanticism is characterized by the dominance of sensitivity, emotion and imagination over reason and morality. Artists paint by affirming their ideas and letting their personal impressions and feelings appear with passion through their works. This explains why Manuma selected Ian as first name for the protagonist, although the story takes in Italy. Romanticism was born in Germany existing from 1800 to 1850. Furthermore, Romanticism identifies with liberal and national movements in Europe (19th century). In order to understand what they are, especially for readers from other continents, it is important to explain the historical context. 
, as Henry never speaks about Italian nation nor foreign ruling. Moreover, we have the impression that it takes place at the end of the 18th Century due to the culotte Ian Sconel is wearing like in the following picture. 
However, this is not possible, since Raymond is using a hat worn during the 19th Century. As you can see, the manhwa contains some historical inexactitudes. But what here matters is that Ian, as a painter from the Romanticism movement, is strongly influenced by his emotions. The latter are the source of his inspiration and creativity. And since he decided to side with Raymond and feels guilty, you can now comprehend why the young man can no longer paint like before. Because of this observation, I come to the conclusion that Ian will have to be separated from Raymond, as their relationship will affect the artist’s creativity. Once liberated from Raymond’s world, the young man will be able to discover the world and find a new inspiration. At the same time, Raymond will be forced to choose: power or love.
(chapter 40)
chapter 1
(chapter 6), as he has been manipulated by the teacher Jung In-Hun that homosexuality is something filthy and immoral.
(chapter 34)
(chapter 26) even if Ian was sexually abused quite often as he spent many years at the Bardis before getting “rescued” by Mr. Raymond.
and the former is even willing to eat his lunch with him.
(chapter 11) Despite the difference, they both have to please their sponsor with their work. If there is disobedience, then there is also punishment: 
(chapter 13) The low-born was about to get the straw mat beating, until the lord changed his mind. However, just like Ian, the young man had been slapped and even pushed by his “sponsor” before. Ian’s suffering lasts much longer because he arrived at the house as a child and he was already a young man, when he was able to leave this hell created by Bardi. 
(chapter 41) He was jealous and annoyed, when he saw the picture of Jung In-Hun’s inauguration so that he failed to see the talent and dedication in this different type of drawing. So there is a certain selfishness in the seme here but I am expecting that this will change. He could have noticed that the low-born’s talent is not just defined by sex and sodomy but his insecurities made him blind in that moment. Yet, this painting has been given to the loyal valet Kim so that it can get destroyed. But I feel that Kim might give it to his master or keep it. I have the feeling that this painting will play a bigger role in Baek Na-Kyum’s career later. 
(chapter 41)
(chapter 44) The drawing was detailed and totally different from the erotic pictures. So I am expecting that Yoon Seungho turns into a real sponsor and becomes more and more like Mr. Raymond. However, the latter will have to choose at some point between power or love. By taking care of Ian so well, he wanted him to open up but at the end, Raymond fell in love with the genius too. While one artist could incite arousal with his creations, the other could calm the resentful merchant. Strictly speaking, their art had a huge impact on the life of the two semes. 
Bebebisous33s' analyses in K-dramaland and manhwas 
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