Art Nouveau Erotica and the Painter's Dream
Art Nouveau spring pictures. NSFW. Pornography. Primitive, provocative drawings meant to stimulate sexual desire. In simple terms, hentai. Balzac was teaching this to the students.
"With this kind of painting, sensation matters more than delicacy or technique. You can't arouse people's desires just by depicting the human body with precision. Something too meticulously rendered can feel boring precisely because it's so beautiful. Sometimes, clumsiness and raw freshness can pierce the heart more effectively than experience or maturity. Of course, those idiotic classicists would insist that only refined, high-quality works have true value. They'd probably be fussing over the perfect alignment of their bedsheets even in bed. Haha!"
"Ah... yes......"
Why the hell was I sitting here listening to Balzac's philosophy on porn art? I barely resisted the urge to bolt.
Teaching students how to draw porn in art class at school—if this were my past life, he'd be reported to the education board and splashed across the news in no time. In other words, it wasn't a big deal in this world. Not when even nobles didn't bother with appearances, and slaves had none to uphold anyway.
Pornography seemed like a pretty effective tool for sparking student curiosity, at least.
"The style is really unique, though."
"Ah, slaves often draw cartoons for propaganda posters or do crafts, right? So I developed a new technique to simplify expressions while making things as 'visually appealing and pretty' as possible. The family provides the paints, so I experimented with a wide range of colors. Unlike those moronic classicists' drivel, it's concise yet beautiful, isn't it? I call it the New Art—Art Nouveau."
"Oh......"
I didn't know much about art, but his disdain for classicism came through loud and clear.
"Definitely looks good."
"Right? As expected, Your Excellency has a keen eye. Some nobles and artists sneered that my work lacked 'dignity.' So many people mistakenly think that harder-to-draw means better...... That's why, among my fellow art students, they nicknamed me the 'third-rate painter.' A painter, sure, but always churning out crude stuff, forever stuck at third-rate. Haha."
"Ah, so that's what the nickname meant?"
It wasn't just because he sucked? He was formally trained, then. Made sense—in this world, painting was a field you couldn't even enter without money and connections. I'd just assumed from his free-spirited personality, but Balzac wasn't your average commoner. The guy who used to eat paint instead of bread, after all. He just had zero financial sense and never skimped on pigments.
"I believe a painter's individual perspective and viewpoint are what matter. Being 'different' is the real key. In that sense, teaching art at a school suits me surprisingly well. Way more fun than dipping cat paws in paint and letting them stomp around."
"Aha......"
"I'm grateful to Your Excellency for giving me this opportunity. Ah, this painting—I'll give it to you as a token of thanks."
"I don't need it."
"Don't refuse. Hang it in your bedroom. Come on, take it."
"I said I don't need it, you lunatic."
He was one of the few in this household who showed no reverence or fear toward me. Seemed to see me as a 'nice employer' who paid, fed him, and bought his paints. Or maybe he just didn't think at all.
In that way, having Balzac as the art teacher was a stroke of luck. It was exactly the dynamic I wanted with my slaves—treating me not as a 'lord to be revered' but as a 'conscientious boss.'
Students learn a lot from their teachers' examples, so if Balzac's attitude positively influenced the slaves, that'd be great.
"Ah, so what brings Your Excellency here in person? Here to lecture on hygiene again? These days, I wash my hands properly and only nibble on paints without lead in them."
Still nibbling, huh?
"......I need bedroom decorations."
"Shall I gift you that painting after all?"
"No, not for my bedroom."
Decorating the princess's room with porn—novel and shocking, sure. Though most of that shock would probably land on my neck. I had the formula to calculate guillotine impact force, but not enough space here, so I'll skip it.
"Her Highness the Princess might stay at our mansion for months...... maybe even years."
"Oh! That's...... quite intriguing."
"So, I'm planning to redecorate the room she'll use every single day. She gets bored so easily. To let her wake up to a fresh vibe each morning, we'll change the bedroom decor daily. We'll need designs, crafts, paintings—various works and talents."
"Aha."
Balzac's lips curled up in interest as he let out an appreciative sigh. His eyes sparkled like a mutt eyeing a treat.
"You've come to the right place! Beyond painting, I know my way around crafts and architectural styles. Design's my forte too. I did posters for all sorts of trendy capital performances. Quit after those damn theaters stiffed me on payments, though."
"Oh ho."
"We have tons of slave-made works too. I can fill any gaps and make it perfect."
'Slave-made works'—an oddly fresh phrase. Balzac was remarkably free of prejudice. He bought into the local 'common sense' that slaves were objects, but without bias, he easily accepted the bizarre idea of teaching objects to paint. The same guy who'd taught cats, after all.
Maybe this level of tolerance was exactly what the world needed right now. Changing common sense overnight was impossible, but stepping just one pace aside for a new perspective? That was doable.
"Balzac. I'd like to assign you a new task alongside teaching. Overseeing Her Highness's bedroom—think you can handle it?"
I'd originally planned to just collect the works, but the more he talked, the clearer it became: he was perfect for the job. No one was more sincere about 'new perspectives' than this man. He'd match well with the princess, who read minds and juggled viewpoints effortlessly.
"Overseeing the bedroom sounds like it involves night duties."
"......What."
"Ah, was that a bit irreverent? Keep it from Her Highness. Haha."
......Now he just seemed plain crazy. I absolutely couldn't let him meet the princess face-to-face. The moment she read his thoughts, it'd be lèse-majesté and off with his head.
"For me, it'd be an honor if you entrusted it to me. Becoming a palace painter is every artist's dream, isn't it? Even without working at the palace proper, decorating for Her Highness is glory for the family. If she takes interest in my 'new art,' I could even shove it in those damn classicists' smug faces."
"Ah, yes."
Well, he seemed like he'd do a solid job, so I could trust him. It was just bedroom decor—no need for direct contact with the princess anyway.
With the overseer secured, all that remained was negotiating extra pay for the new duties.
"By the way, Balzac, what's your dream?"
"My dream, Your Excellency?"
"Yes."
"Hmm...... Never really thought about it. As long as I can make a living painting, that's enough. Lately, I've even grown to enjoy teaching the slaves. Decorating for Her Highness sounds satisfying too. But if I had to pick one......"
Balzac paused, then opened his mouth not with his usual goofy grin, but a soft smile.
"I'd love a solo exhibition under my name at the capital's grandest gallery. Probably every painter's dream. A work only gains meaning when you put your name on it and show it to others."
"Sounds good. Let's make that your success bonus for this job."
"......Pardon?"
"If Her Highness is satisfied, I'll set it up. Your solo exhibition."
"Pardon?"
What was so special about that?
"That's...... not something you can just do. Those galleries don't open for money alone. They prize dignity and class—they'd reject exhibiting my work outright."
"If the capital's biggest gallery turns down Balzac's pieces for lacking 'dignity,' then I'll just build an even bigger one."
"Pardon?"
"I've got a ton of money."
I was planning to expand into cultural ventures anyway. A gallery was a must.
"Forgot which family handles the capital reconstruction?"
"Ah......"
Balzac stared blankly into my eyes, then bowed at a sharp ninety degrees and bellowed.
"I'll do my utmost to create a bedroom Her Highness will love!"
"Yes. Looking forward to it."