Chapter Text
The curator stood there, eyes wide and staring at the figure. He immediately approached the figure. To someone with a non-discerning eye, her simple coat, turtleneck shirt, and pants, are just a normal ensemble but for him, it’s the thick fabric and the subtle sewing from bottom to the shoulder pads of her that show much those clothes really are. To him, it’s obvious that this woman was from old money.
There’s no surprise that Yìchén, the curator of Salterrae Modern Art Gallery, saw how expensive those clothes are. His discerning eye got him the job and he’s sure that he’ll be able to impress the woman standing in front of the painting.
Finally closer, he finally saw her finer details. A long platinum hair with brown ends that stops at her waist crowns her head and eyes the color of Inazuman maple trees. Her face reminds him of the painting, “The Gem of Liyue” made by an anonymous painter during the golden age of the country.
“That painting was made by Eton Onschzonka, a native of Ulmer, the country that was annexed by Schneznaya while he was being born.” He introduced the painting to the woman, “Eton heralded the nouveau arte movement in Snezhnaya and has long been known as the father of modern Snezhnayan art.”
The woman inspects the art closer, Yìchén is sure that just a bit more talk and she would immediately buy the painting. She’s just another deal (almost) closed for him.
“He made this painting during the Ulmer revolution and his dramatic stroke of lines and minimalist style managed to show the brutality of the war during those times but still had escaped censorship from the Schneznayan puppet government.” He said, “Eton quickly became the foremost modern art painter, not in his locality but also throughout Teyvat. He was—”
“Teyvat’s father of modern art, I know.” She stops him in the middle of his words, “he’s also known for being a right-wing nationalist and while I sympathize with his desire to free his country, I generally don’t agree with his politics''
“Ah, I certainly don’t agree with combining arts and politics. I think he’s a brilliant artist and he deserves to be known for that” Yìchén said, “In fact, his art style has been having its renaissance right now and I think it's time that we move away from politics, right, Ms.-?
“Ningguang.” Ningguang continued. “And you are?”
Yìchén felt cold, her amber eyes look at him straight before looking down and carefully inspecting the name tag on his uniform.
“Mr. Yìchén Shen. I guess you’re the new staff I keep hearing about?” She tilted her head, looking at him, eyes wide and curious. “Can you please tell Mr. Zhongli that I’m here? I think I’ve had enough chit-chat”
“I’m afraid Mr. Zhongli is quite busy today. He will be doing a tour of our new gallery to a very important guest.”
“I know. I am that important guest. Tell him to hurry up” Ningguang replied.
Yìchén immediately hurried up to inform Zhongli of his guest waiting for him.
As Yìchén immediately went up the stairs, Ningguang took the time to observe the paintings nearby. Nothing has caught her eyes yet. Everything has been bland, with paintings lacking any distinct style and unique techniques.
“Ms. Ningguang, you’re here. Follow me” A deep voice echoed throughout the empty gallery. A tall man with black hair stood on top of the staircase, his long hair tied into a ponytail.
“It took a while for you to get here, Zhongli.” Ningguang said while going up the stairs, following Zhongli’s already retreating figure. “I’ve heard good things about the new gallery exhibit.”
Zhongli stopped at the end of the hallways and opened the locked double door. “My apologies, Ms. Ningguang. This is our latest exhibit. We’re featuring subversive paintings from artists in Inazuma. Have you heard of the latest news from there?”
“Of course. The dictatorship in Inazuma is extremely concerning. There have been a lot of artists imprisoned already, from what I’ve heard.”
“Correct, Ms. Ningguang, in fact, some of the artists featured in our gallery here have disappeared, or as Inazumans call it, imprisoned”
Zhongli stands in front of one of the paintings. The painting shows a peaceful scene in the country, a man is writing, another one paints, while another man is peacefully strumming the guitar with his feet up the chair.
“This painting here is made by someone named Tomo, an unknown painter outside Liyue but we heard that he’s well-known inside Inazuma” Zhongli looked at Ningguang, as if waiting for her to give her opinion on the painting.
“The painting doesn’t look subversive at first but when you look into the details, there are some things hidden there. For example, the man is painting a brutal scene of the shogun striking down a peasant. And there’s also the storm that’s coming up to them with lightning striking the village.”
“That’s right, people often say that this doesn’t fit our gallery thematically as other paintings featured here are more overt. However, the details here clearly shows how cruelty and oppression may not be noticed immediately but it’s still looming there, in the shadows.” Zhongli added to Ningguang’s observation.
“What happened to the painter? And the men in the painting?” Ningguang asked, looking intensely to the three men that the painting shows.
“They all disappeared.” Zhongli sighed and grabbed a handkerchief for his pocket to swipe away some sweat.
Ningguang looked over the other paintings but none of them gave her as much dread as the painting that Zhongli showed. Brutal scenes of powerful men killing lowly men are common subjects in paintings, people like the sadness, the feeling that they can still change something to the situation, that they have to take action. But Ningguang’s audience doesn’t like the dread that the painting can give them, it allows them to see that it can also happen to people like them, the rich and the hedonists.
She went up to the first painting, “Zhongli, I’ll take this for my personal collection”
The so-called Jade Palace, Ningguang’s home, was named after her extremely generous use of jade in the exterior of her 2-acre mansion. Its gilded halls had seen countless art that could make the finest art museums in Teyvat cower in shame.
Artists could only dream of gracing the Jade Palace’s hall.
It is no surprise why it has become the center of art trade for those who can afford it, the ones with money to spare just to buy something beautiful. Ningguang’s parties have been more than just a crowd getting drunk on the finest wines from Mondstadt but it has also become a place for visitors to gawk and spend money on paintings.
But tonight, the Jade Palace’s halls are quiet. Tomo’s painting set on a wall near the ballroom, as if to remind the bourgeois and the petit-bourgeois like Ningguang that there are more happening outside of their petty little lives.
Outside the Jade Palace, a ship captain and her chief mate observes.