Chapter 49 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum

Chapter 49 (1) - The Mysterious Art Museum

Klimt, after asking a photographer, who was accompanied by his brother, to take photos of all the nobles and landowners of Vienna with their faces clearly visible, returned to his studio and lit his pipe. Klimt, enveloped in a thick haze of smoke, was lost in thought.

Ernst, his brother, came back to the office a bit later and said while hanging his bowler hat on the coat rack, I had to ask for the photos on credit, were short on cash right now.

When I mentioned credit, the photographers face twisted. Just moments ago, he was happily snapping photos without worrying about wasting film.

Our neighbor will understand.

Hmm.

Indeed, there was a photography studio in the neighboring unit of this commercial building.

Ernst, who didnt add any comments to confirm if his brother was right, took off his jacket, sat down, and started cleaning his pipe. What are you thinking about?

..

If its a painting to commemorate the Burg Theater, it should naturally be of the museums interior or an exterior view. Why did you waste that expensive film on photos of those fat pigs?

Klimt, immersed in his thoughts, finally stood up.

How long will it take for the photos to develop?

Cant you just answer?

I paused as I looked at the photo.

"Wait a minute."

The old Burgtheater. Have I seen this painting before?

Struggling to recall, I remembered this painting, tucked away in a corner of my mind.

"This painting. Klimt had painted the audience seats filled with people. I'm sure of it."

Many of Klimt's ceiling and mural paintings are famous. This one, being relatively less known, had slipped my mind until now. In my memory, the painting showed the audience seats packed with people.

I narrowed my eyes, alternating between the photos of people that Klimt was arranging on the wall and the photo of the empty theater.

"He filled the empty audience seats with portraits of landowners and nobles."

I understood that, but why?

Didn't he call them money-grubbing pigs two days ago?

Why would he preserve such people in this beautiful painting, to be passed down through generations?

Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi

.