"Haven Lin's artistic rundown has finally begun to slow down," the BBC comment carried a little regret, a little ridicule, and more of a sense of justification and relief.

At this time, it has been five years since "Father" sold for a sky-high $135 million at Sotheby's autumn auction in Paris. It has been seven years since he painted "Black Dragon Pond and Outside the Window of the Studio".

"Since Lin Haven unexpectedly embarked on the road of painting, this super genius who has never appeared in history has soared to the most authoritative artist in the world at a leap rate of two or three years, almost rocket-like, both in terms of art evaluation and market recognition. And all this is even a part of his artistic and commercial empire.

We have seen geniuses, but we have not seen such geniuses.

And this genius is now finally a little relieved that after the breathtaking genre of progenist painting he created has come of age, Lin Haven has not continued to move forward. Although his technique has matured, his work has become more and more exciting, and his genre has become more and more popular—he is only half a step away from the goddess of nature.

But seven years have passed, and he still hasn't taken this half step.

Perhaps, as Gaspe Jones said, although all this is beyond our imagination and seems so unbelievable, I still deeply doubt that human beings can continue to move forward, and Lin Haven may already be the closest human being to God, and even he has seen the kingdom of heaven. But he is still only a human being, and we will never be able to enter that world and stand side by side with God.

Regardless, whether or not Lin can go further, the greatness he has created is enough for classical painters to climb – and so far, two of the most respected artists, Gerhard Richter and Gaspe Jones, have not yet been able to enter the third realm defined by Haven Lin.

In this world, the third layer of the genre of source classicism, that is, the painter in the mature stage, is still only Lin Haven. His disciples Wang Peng, Tang Cheng and Penelope may be the closest, but they are only close.

Gerhard Richter said: Maybe ten years from now, maybe a hundred years from now, someone will get into it, but it's also possible that no one at all will be able to repeat the myth of Lin Haven, no matter how close you are to the moment of success – I don't know.

Yes, whether Lin Haven can make a further difference only depends on whether he will go from greatness to greatness. ”

The BBC report had a big response.

In the past five years, source classicism has become an established genre in more and more colleges and universities, and more and more young painters have joined it, and the Le Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris even set up a fund, the "Lin Foundation", last year, to select the most promising young painters from all over the world to be recognized.

The study of Lin Haiwen's paintings has also gradually become a prominent study - there are even PhDs in China who specialize in this topic.

But the giant peak in this field, as the BBC said, is a bit regrettable and relieved.

"Lin Haven who stays there has more confidence in chasing than he who is running wildly" - a young painter commented: "Although we expect him to open up a more glorious and broad avenue, slow down, slow down, he still has a lot of time, and we are too afraid of running out of time." ”

……

The Black Dragon Pond Villain's Valley Studio has become one of the holy places of art in the world.

In the Black Dragon Pond Wetland Park, all kinds of artistic activities are also emerging, and people are all demanding the architecture, sculpture and layout here with an artistic vision, so in the past two years, some new buildings have been built here, and the old ones have been demolished, which has become different from five years ago.

Only the Valley of the Wicked Studio has never changed.

"Children, do you see? This is Mr. Lin Haven's studio, and Mr. Lin is doing creative activities there every day and rarely leaves. The director introduced a group of children and parents in a soft voice.

These children are all seedlings of the whole country learning oil painting.

Just like the college entrance examination students worship the Temple of Literature, they also come to worship the Valley of the Wicked, and the saints in their hearts are inside.

"The Black Dragon Pond we see is the Black Dragon Pond in Mr. Lin's work, you can look at it from this angle, it is the closest angle to the original. ”

As soon as the tour guide's words fell, parents took out their mobile phones, tablets, and even well-prepared, took out the color printing of "Black Dragon Pond", and began to compare the angle with their children, and found a corresponding scene from time to time, and exclaimed very excitedly.

"Here, here. ”

"It's this, it's this. ”

Then he left very satisfied. Of course, there will be some parents who don't give up and want to ask if they can have a chance to meet Lin Haven. The tour guide will tell them cruelly - Mr. Lin sometimes does not leave the studio for several days, and even if he leaves the studio, he will get on the car directly from the underground garage and leave, and outsiders will definitely not be able to touch him.

She has been a tour guide herself for three years, and she has never even seen Lin Haven.

At this time, in the Black Dragon Pond studio, Zhesheng, a young sculptor who has been in the limelight in China in the past two years, looked out of the window: "Although this window is covered with film, it is still a bit hairy, every day a group of people look at you outside, and you don't negotiate with the management committee? This is too close, right?"

"When they came, they were terrified, and I couldn't bear to say it. ”

"You can't bear it?"

"Or else?"

"It's okay, hehe. ”

"By the way, why did you come here again today?" Lin Haven had a scruffy beard and hair like a wild man, but his two eyes were very bright, like searchlights.

Zhesheng looked at him: "Didn't Qi Hui say that you were going crazy, I'll send you." ”

". ”

"Seriously, you can't do this, you've reached this height, you can't adjust your mentality, and you're really going crazy every minute. Zhesheng was still very worried, Qi Hui said that Lin Haven hadn't been out of the studio for a month, and the food and drink were all sent by his disciples, and he didn't speak, nor did he let people get close, he kept painting, and it would not be strange if he suddenly fell to the ground and died.

Among their friends, Zhesheng was quite independent, not his disciple, so Qi Hui invited him.

As a result, when Zhesheng came, although he looked a little cold, it was normal.

Man standing in front of a drawing board.

A white cloth is laid on the drawing board.

The oil paint on it was mottled - Zhesheng thought that if this cloth was taken out for auction, it would be estimated that millions of dollars would not be able to stop.

"Finished?"

"Hmm. Lin Haven nodded slightly, and suddenly smiled: "Zhesheng, do you remember? When I finished painting "Black Dragon Pond", you were the first to come and see it. Now, when I'm done painting River on Fire, you're the first one, you sculptural guy, don't you think it's a waste—such an epic moment. ”

"Damn. ”

Zhesheng didn't have time to argue with him. What is "Black Dragon Pond", it is the standard of the third layer of maturity of source classicism - whoever reaches the standard of "Black Dragon Pond" has entered the maturity period, and so far, no second person has appeared. And he still remembers the feeling of shocking and washing his vision when he saw "Black Dragon Pond" for the first time.

That's according to Lin Haven's meaning now.

"The River of Fire?

"Yes. ”

Oh.

It was an epic time.

"Can you open it?"

"Well, of course, not really. ”

"I'm afraid it will fly. Zhesheng didn't mean to laugh: "It's really unimaginable." ”

"Then take a look. ”

Lin Haven did not hesitate, and reached out to tear the white cloth open, revealing the painting below.

"It's a fire, it's a river, it's a dancing elf, it's a quiet Guanyin. Zhesheng later described in an interview how he felt when he first saw "River of Fire".

At first glance, this painting looks more like an abstract work, but soon, even if you have no artistic roots, you will quickly realize that, no, it is not the abstract and modern that everyone thinks, it is still classical, because everything is so just right - not obtrusive, and it is extremely beautiful.

It is a fire that burns on the surface of the water, and it is also the water that swims in the flames.

It is dynamic and solidified.

It is wild and majestic.

It's a flame, it's a god, it's a color, it's a world.

"I can't describe it to you, I find I can't. Zhesheng then added.

In fact, it was true, in the Black Dragon Pool, his mouth opened and closed several times, and he didn't know what to say: "This, I, in the end, my God, is this the holy light on his scepter?

"No," Lin rejects the reckless descriptor: "It's not exquisite, it's a coincidence." ”

"Coincidence?"

"Yes, coincidence, the most beautiful thing in the world is coincidence, and if we can grasp the coincidence, we can create the most beautiful work. Lin Haiwen's voice was tinged with a distant meaning.

"How can it be a coincidence? Can it be called a coincidence if it can be caught?"

"Yes, that's right. But as soon as you get everything in place and everything gets where it should be, coincidences will come along – more punctual and just right than the most accurate computer. ”

“……”

Zhesheng was speechless.

"Look here," Lin Haven pointed to a small part of "River of Fire": "I used thirty-six layers of different shades here, this is thirty-seven layers, and this side is only six layers, and then I use a shovel to scrape like this, from this angle, here, don't be crooked, don't be light and don't be heavy, and then you see it, it's like a ghostly Danxia landform, and the wonder has appeared." ”

"Need to be so precise?"

"Yes, I've tried countless times in the last five years, until my eyes, my hands, my heart finally tell me these numbers, everything is right, they, these cute little elves, are finally willing to show up. I have a feeling. ”

"What?"

"At the beginning of the birth of our world, maybe it was the same, when the universe, time, and rules prepared everything, and then there was a wave of cosmic ripples, these little elves appeared, and then, life also appeared. ”

"Is that so? ”

……

The news that Lin Haven painted a fourth-layer source classicist work is like an atomic bomb that has been dropped on the earth - a mushroom cloud is visible to the world.

Those authoritative media, those important people, announced the news as if they were swiping the screen.

The world of painting has been expanded almost infinitely.

Professor Tunit was the first to rush to China, as did Professor Roger, Chang Shuo, Gottlieb and others were not left behind, and several authoritative art critics were only a little late.

Gerhard and Gaspé Sr. are old, and their families can't agree to let them travel long distances anyway, so they have to resort to technology.

Regardless of how fast or slow they came, they basically saw "River of Fire" at the same time, because Lin Haven was sleeping, sleeping for three days, and everyone was waiting for him to untie the white cloth - except for Zhesheng, who had already seen it.

Lin Haven woke up and saw these people who were either young, or old, or Chinese faces, or foreign faces, but they were all staring at him with wide eyes, and he couldn't help laughing: "You really look like a flock of geese waiting for me to feed." ”

"Hurry up. ”

"Good. ”

Uncovered, silenced.

Then he uttered one of the most classic comments about the painting, and the one that best sums up its place in the history of painting: "You have found the key that opens the door between classicism and modernism – you have put an end to modernism." ”

"Hahahaha. ”

Lin Haven looked up and laughed.

It's true.

He triumphed over modernism.

"River on Fire" is a masterpiece of originalism and modernism, it is the embodiment of elaborate beauty, but also a moment of inspiration made in heaven - this inspiration does not come from a certain painter, nor from a certain individual, it comes from nature, from heaven, from the earth, from the secret shared by all living beings in this world - life.

And this is the destination of modernism, but it can only be reached from source classicism.

So Tunit said he put an end to modernism.

Because different paths lead to the same end, I have the only way.

Gerhard and Gaspé Sr. looked at it for a long time in distant Europe and the American continent, and later even asked Lin Haven to send the painting - Lin Haven agreed, and within a few months, "River of Fire" traveled to Europe and the United States, and was watched by top figures.

Again, Gerhard and Gaspe Jones co-signed an article in Art Review that shook art history.

"Modernism is dead today, and the source classics are immortal. ”

……

Two years later, "River on Fire" was auctioned at Sotheby's Seatown Spring Auction, surpassing Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece for $580 million, ranking first in the world's art price list in history.

Twelve years later, "River on Fire" was auctioned again, and the price jumped to more than $1 billion, and it was called "the painting that can be ranked in the top 500 of Fortune's billionaires".

Twenty-three years later, the 56-year-old Lin Haiwen suddenly announced that he would put down his paintbrush and no longer create.

Whether he has broken through the fifth layer of the mystery of source classicism has been a mystery since then.