This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/
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In the second part, I explained how the weather, the season and the landscape represented the painter’s state of mind and emotions (agony, emptiness). Now, it is time to focus on the time and the moon. Why? First, the title of this manhwa is “Painter Of The Night” indicating that the time has its importance. With night, we associate the moon and as for the day the sun. So I looked for the images with the moon in it. Thanks to the help of my followers, I could gather all the drawings where the moon was displayed. Before showing them in their chronology so that we can figure out if the drawings with the moon have a deeper meaning like the weather and the season, I have to say that if I analysed each picture separately, my interpretation would diverge each time, yet my goal is to find an explication valid for all the pictures illustrating the moon. Let me give you an example.
episode 1
Here, the full moon seems so far away, Yoon Seungho’s mansion is almost illustrated in its entity. My first thought was that the full moon personified Baek Na-Kyum and the latter is so far away from the powerful noble as they have not met yet. The sky is so dark (almost black) due to the light glowing of the moon. It was as if the noble’s world was full of darkness and his future meeting with the painter represents his only joy and hope in life. He is so eager to have the painter by his side and to have the artist painted for him. The mansion is so big, indicating his wealth and power, however it feels so big and empty at the same time. It was as if his domain was not a real home. The light coming through the windows doesn’t exude warmth, the beholder feels a certain coldness as there is nobody outside the building. So this image could be judged as an illustration of the main lead’s world: dark, cold, empty, lonely and lifeless.
But with this interpretation, I have some problem, when it comes to the picture from the episode 13.
First, why is this a crescent moon unlike in the first image? Did the painter lose something hence he is no longer complete? Secondly, there is no building and the moon seems to glow stronger as the sky is lighter. If the moon is the painter and the sky Seungho’s world, how come that the moon is glowing stronger because even if the painter had felt excited before, he was still resisting the noble’s advances and attraction? Furthermore, in this chapter he is threatened by the master. Then we see no mansion, while we saw the roof in the image from the chapter 4. Why is there no building portrayed here? That’s why I saw it as a necessity to find an explanation that would fit to all the pictures. Hence I would like to show all the images in their chronology so that we can figure out if the drawings with the moon have a deeper meaning like the weather and the season.
episode 1
episode 4 (the end)
episode 13
episode 25
episode 32
episode 34
episode 43
episode 43 
episode 46
The first thing people would pay attention to is the form of the moon: full or crescent moon and try to recognize if there is an evolution. But as you can see, the full moon is only in the first chapter, the episode 34 and the episode 43. So on the surface, we can’t see any progression. Honestly, I had to ponder a very long time before coming up with a solution. Like always, I would like to repeat that this is my own interpretation and anyone is more than welcome to think differently. Now, you are wondering about my theory.
Let me explain how I came up with this. What caught my attention is that Jung In-Hun is never meeting the painter during the night. In the chapters 19 and 24, it was sunset and rather early evening as they were on their way back to the mansion. We could even say that the scholar has always met the low-born during the day (chapter 7, 10, 22, 29, 35, 38, 40). Hence I came to associate the scholar to the sun which led me to the next thought. If the sun represents Jung In-Hun, then the moon must symbolize the main lead Yoon Seungho. Let’s not forget that this manhwa is entitled: Painter Of The Night. In other words, this could be seen as a synonym for “Painter of Yoon Seungho”. Furthermore I had already linked the main lead to an eagle, so the moon with the dark sky are elements embodying him.
I also observed two details before the form of the moon: its distance and the color of the sky. In the first picture, the sky is so black indicating that Seungho is not really living, while the moon shines so far away. Hence we could comment that the lord is so far away from people that he lives detached from everything. That’s why he has no pangs of conscience, when he announces that someone might die if the painter rejects his offer. I often compared him to a zombie due to his passivity. The night is the only time when he appears to be really active in the beginning. Notice that he meets the painter for the first time during the night
(chapter 1), then he asked the artist to paint the next night. In my opinion, Yoon Seungho didn’t interact much with people during the day, as he was rather smoking and looking through his window. Therefore his appearance at Lee Jihwa’s mansion was something extraordinary. He couldn’t even wait for the next night which the red-haired noticed. Let’s not forget that this man is suffering from insomnia so he can’t sleep during the night. That’s why I have the impression that the moon and the dark sky are personifying the protagonist.
The other element is the distance of the moon. It seems to get closer (episode 4, 13) 
but then the distance increases again in the chapter 25.
This coincides with his relationship with the painter, the closer he gets to the artist, the closer the moon shines in the drawings. Since the rape occurs in the chapter 25, it is normal that the moon is so distanced. That’s why in the chapter 46, we can observe the peak of their own intimacy.
(chapter 46) This fits their actual situation. The lord heard a sort of confession and now the painter is not allowed to eat with the servants. His status has been elevated. However one might object to this conclusion because of the full moon in the chapter 43. Here the satellite seems to be further away, yet they are sleeping together.
I can refute this argument because of the presence of the building. Here, the pavilion belongs to another noble hence the moon and the sky looks darker. The color of the sky mirrors the main lead’s feelings.
He feels nothing for Jihwa and the other aristocrats, nevertheless, his affection keeps increasing from the chapter 4 and 13. [By the way, I doubt that in this picture above the building belongs to Yoon Seungho. For me, it could be a building in the street, while Jihwa is on his way to his friend, the aristocrat with the mole.] 
Even in the chapter 25, the sky is not so dark compared to the one from the chapter 1. We know that despite the rape, the lord was already in love with the painter. My thought is that while the lord is personified by the moon and the night sky, the painter is present in these drawings too. He is embodied by something as well: the mansion, especially the roof.
I came up with this idea since Bak Na-Kyum is longing for a home, for a family. In the first chapter, the mansion appears so big because Baek Na-Kyum only perceives the main character as a powerful and infamous lord. However, due to his attraction to the noble, his perception changes a little. The part of the roof becomes bigger each time, as if the artist’s place and influence were increasing.
(episode 4);
(episode 32);
(episode 34);
(episode 46)
Little by little, he starts owning more of the roof (even the walls). Observe that the snow is now covering the roof. That’s why we have the pavilion shown in his entity in the chapter 25. This represents the low-born who was raped. The building doesn’t have any wall, this is a fake house, not a real home. Yet one might argue that in the chapter 13, there was no building.
So why? Remember that this is connected to the characters appearing in the chapter. In the episode 13, Jihwa enters the lord’s chamber right after this image. Baek Na-Kyum is not even present yet. However, the moon is closer and the color of the sky is lighter, blue. This illustrates the noble’s feelings and attraction to the commoner. We shouldn’t forget that during this night, he already has the intention to ask the low-born to join them in their sex session. He has already decided to taste the artist.
My other evidence that the moon and the building are personifying our main leads is the picture from the chapter 21. 
We never saw the moon during that night and the sky looked so bright. It was as if the moon was looking down on the building, while the noble is embracing and kissing the painter. This night was particular because it never looked like a real night… a mixture of day and night, giving the illusion of a different time. That represents the “dream”, something special is happening right now. The lord has discovered love and warmth hence the light of the moon seems warmer and closer. This was just an illusion and the reality came back in the chapter 25.
However, although the moon is further away, the sky is not so dark compared to the one from the chapter 4.
It is related to the growing feelings of the lord. He might have done something wrong, yet he did it because he wanted to obtain the artist’s heart believing that once he uses force, the low-born will surrender. Yet he failed with this stupid move. The forced rape created a riff between the two main leads.
Now, it is about time to explain why we have a full and crescent moon. In my opinion, this has something to do with his wishes. In the first chapter, he hears that the servant discovered the painter’s identity and he is about to get his wish fulfilled. In the chapter 34
, he has just realized that he can’t stay away from the painter, he really loves him and he can’t give him to others. It’s his “wife” hence he needs to return to Bak Na-Kyum’s side hoping that the painter might not resent him for risking his life out of selfishness (sex marathon). He granted the painter’s wish to leave his bedroom as he saw no real rejection coming from the commoner. Yoon Seungho never heard any harsh criticism after entering his bedchamber. Hence there is hope for him. On the other hand, there is this huge distance between the roof and the moon. Yoon Seungho has no idea how to reconnect with the painter after the sex marathon therefore he ponders the whole night about it. He knows what he really needs and wants and has to crack up his brain to come up with a solution.
Hence during the night in the chapter 43, there is another full moon. The painter asked him to have sex together, for the lord this was as if his deepest wish had been fulfilled. They are together. But soon after he realizes that his sex sessions don’t bring him what he has been longing: love. Hence there is a crescent moon again.
(chapter 46) He is missing warmth, yet the “confession” did affect the lord so much that the glow coming from the moon appears warmer. This represents the lord’s feelings, he is getting closer and closer to the painter… and to the building.
In my opinion, the artist is the “earth”, as the house symbolizes the painter. That’s why we have Jung In-Hun as the sun, since the Earth rotates around the sun. Since the sun abandoned the Earth, the painter’s heart is frozen. For Yoon Seungho is the moon, the painter was never able to notice it as it is not so visible during the day. We all know that the moon is a satellite of the Earth. Now, the painter is able to see that there is another planet circulating around him. Yoon Seungho has caught his attention, therefore he is no longer looking at the sun. In reality, Jung In-Hun is a fake sun, while Baek Na-Kyum thought, he was looking at the real sun… it was a fake source of warmth, an illusion.
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(chapter 33), forced the lord to realize that the artist was indeed a precious treasure, and he was not willing to share him.
(chapter 33) At the same time, due to Black Heart’s words, the noble was reminded of the painter’s health conditions. Although the lord was talking about the artist, as though the latter was just an object, the reminder forced him to recall that Baek Na-Kyum was a human who could die. That’s why he returned in the end. His abandonment reflected his cowardice, he didn’t desire to be confronted with the consequences of his bad behavior. Consequently, just like in the Russian novel, the main lead was reminded that the low-born was just a human. As you can see, both characters had a similar disposition and also a change of heart.
(chapter 34) Kim’s remark was in fact insinuating that the lord had been very generous and caring for him. He gave the impression to the low-born that the noble was treating him like a noble, as the latter had sacrificed his bed for his recovery. However, this was not true, as the lord had brought the artist to the study before the doctor’s arrival.
(chapter 33) At the same time, the butler was not entirely lying either. The lord had indeed shown generosity and care, since he had called for the physician. Yet, once he had heard about the doctor’s precription, the aristocrat had ran away from his responsibilities
(chapter 33) and left everything in Kim’s hands. Remember my statement: Kim is always telling half-truths. Kim was in reality the one who brought him to the noble’s bed.
(chapter 33) He needed to portray his master in a much more positive light in order to obtain the painter’s cooperation. The valet hoped that the artist would follow his order
(chapter 34) and become the lord’s sex toy:
The irony is that although the valet treated the painter as a honorable guest (bringing him to the lord’s chamber and taking care of him as if he was his master), in truth he was just viewing the low-born as an object and tool. was truly making sure that Baek Na-Kyum would get the best treatment, but the domestic used the opportunity to praise his master indirectly. 

(chapter 33) While he was at the sex orgy, he remembered the exhausted young face of the painter, while they were talking about him.


The lord was suffering, but unlike in the past he couldn’t keep his distance from his lover. He needed to sense his presence. He was no longer his sex partner, but he wasn’t treated like an object or a servant. During these two separations, Yoon Seungho was full of worries for Baek Na-Kyum which he was trying to forget, yet he couldn’t. At the same time, he was reflecting on his past actions:
(chapter 18) In my eyes, the butler’s cowardice is connected to the social norms. He had deeply internalized the social values from Joseon, hence he represents a reinforcement of authorities. As you can see, there are many explanations for his behavior: guilty conscience, out of concern, self-introspection… On the other hand, he is only partially running away from his responsibility, as he had asked the servant Kim to take care of the artist. This is why this “abandonment” stands in opposition to the scholar’s. The latter betrayed during the rape, as he didn’t intervene and acted as if nothing was happening. And the next day, he brought him back to the mansion and abandoned him by letting Yoon Seungho drag him to the bedchamber. At no moment, he tried to stop his sponsor. That’s why he remains invisible in chapter 32.
(chapter 33) He was acting as a mediator between the master and the low-born which looks like a good thing. In reality, he was meddling in their relationship. Who was he to intervene? That’s why he acted like a father. With his words, the butler was implying that his lord had been affected by his illness, hence he remained away. However, I believe that in the valet’s mind, there existed a different explanation. For Kim, his master was just a coward. That’s why he said this comment in front of the physician:
(chapter 33) He anticipated that his master was avoiding to face the consequences of his selfish behavior. For me, Kim doesn’t truly love his master. He views the Yoons as terrible, but he will never confront them. But for his own safety, he needed to deceive the painter. Let’s not forget that Kim had played a role in his escape and the low-born could reveal it to his master. That’s why he needed to fake his care and concern for the painter so that the artist wouldn’t mention the past. Thus he begged the young man not to wander around as a sign of care and gentleness.

(chapter 32) However, the valet Kim was not present, hence when he lied to Baek Na-Kyum, he had no idea that in reality his words were containing more truth than lies in reality. That’s why I chose the kiss as illustration for the analysis. The roles were switched. The master acted as a servant, and the low-born was now the lord. The male lead was acting like Vasili Andreyevich Brekhunov from the Russian novel. Yoon Seungho was even willing to give water to the exhausted man. This situation was repeated in chapter 76:
(chapter 76). The lord made sure that the painter would feel better with the water. But let’s return our attention to chapter 33. In the bedchamber, the main lead was to blame for Baek Na-Kyum sickness, as he hadn’t paid attention to the artist’s condition. He had acted selfishly, exactly like the protagonist from Master and man. Both realized their huge mistakes, came to regret and took some responsibility, although the chronology in the Russian story diverges. But this shows that both aristocrats came to realize that commoners were humans and no possessions.
(chapter 35) and his preparations for the exam were more important than the painter’s life.
(chapter 35) For the first time, Baek Na-Kyum could sense that Jung In-Hun was selfish and not kind. Moreover, he even reminded him that as a low-born the noble shouldn’t spend so much money for him. Indirectly, Jung In-Hun was telling him that if he had been Yoon Seungho, he would have done the opposite: not giving him the best room, not sending for the physician and not spending so much money for the medicine. In that chapter, Baek Na-Kyum could finally see glimpses of Jung In-Hun’s true personality. Therefore I think that the servant’s words did influence the young man, he didn’t blame and resent the noble for his condition. He saw the caring gestures, although he was absent… whereas Jung In-Hun was absent due to his own interest.
(chapter 35) No wonder that after his departure, the artist was disappointed and heartbroken. 

(chapter 36), until he saw the painter’s erection. He was willing to give up his position as master. That’s why he prioritizes the painter’s pleasure all the time.
(chapter 36) So their relationship master-servant stopped at this moment, hence he lets him stay by his side, when the brother Seung-Won is in his chamber.
(chapter 37) Notice that his position had changed. He was sitting by the lord’s side. He even asked the artist to sleep by his side and let him stay in his bed without waking him up the next morning. As you can observe, the characters’ position illustrated their actual position in their relationship. When Baek Na-Kyum woke up the next morning, he was alone in the bedchamber. The lord preferred to leave his bed and eat elsewhere. In other words, Kim’s words from chapter 33 became a reality. He let him rest in his bed. Yoon Seungho showed so much consideration that in the chapter 39, he even went to the kitchen in order to fetch the low-born.
(chapter 38) He didn’t even send his loyal assistant. He had become the “servant” himself. In other words, we witnessed the lord’s slow conversion during the chapter 36 and the small changes from that moment. The nature of their relationship had changed, hence he claimed Baek Na-Kyum as his bride unconsciously.
(chapter 40) So both characters, Yoon Seungho and Vasili Andreyevich Brekhunov transformed into a different person, more selfless and caring. They were willing to sacrifice things for them: status and pride. On the other hand, the nature of Baek Na-Kyum’s relationship with the teacher changed for the worse: from a teacher to a student, it became a lord-servant relationship, and the painter sensed the change of their relationship. But let us not forget: Jung In-Hun never considered the young man as a student, for him he had always been a low-born. It is just that he was so good to deceive the commoner.
(chapter 71) Baek NA-Kyum was no longer a low-born, but a noble, while the main lead was his “servant”. This explicates why the noble was no longer asking for him in the evening
(chapter 74) and visited him secretly during the night. But this switch of position didn’t remain a secret, the moment the lord embraced his panicked lover.
(chapter 76) At the end of the second season, the lord’s true personality is more and more unveiled: he has a kind and generous heart, and he is able to reflect on his wrongdoings, which contrasts to Jung In-Hun. And now, you can comprehend why right from the start, I was fascinated by the infamous sodomite. The first season let us see glimpses of his warmth and selflessness. This means, the noble’s courage and strength will shine more and more.
