After spending the weekend with his family, Bruno was summoned once more to another awards ceremony. But rather than taking place in the streets of Berlin for all the nation’s people to bear witness, or at least those living in the German Reich’s esteemed capital.
Bruno was summoned to the Hofburg in Vienna once more. It had been many years since the man had last stepped foot in this immaculate palace, which was a testament to the wealth of the Habsburg family, and the genius of Austria’s greatest architects.
And as he stood within the hallowed halls of the residence which housed the Austrian Royal Family, Bruno gazed upon the many portraits, motifs, and frescos which lie spread across the grand estate. Taking in their splendor with almost childlike wonder.
Perhaps Bruno was a bit biased, but when it came to art, he had a personal fondness for that which could be found across Europe during his current life. Or more specifically, during the early years, when it had yet to begin to degenerate into what was starting to become a twisted reality.
Modern art technically began with the impressionists within the 1860s, but such art, while not exactly as ideal as what had come before, was far superior to what was being pawned off as “art” today in the 1910s.
And it wasn’t just paintings that were beginning to degenerate into an unrecognizable state, so called “modern architecture” appeared just as soulless when one compared it to such marvels of art and engineering which preceded it.
But then again, if one wanted to witness a civilization in decline, they simply needed to look at their art, and they could see it was on display. Perhaps because of this, Bruno had an extreme distaste for so-called modern, contemporary, and postmodern art, which was anything but what it claimed to be.
In fact, Bruno had over the course of the past decade gone through great lengths to counter the rise of modern art-styles such as Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, and Futurism within the borders of the German Reich.
Sponsoring talented artists in more traditional styles and even going so far as to have them improve upon those. From Bruno’s perspective, these more abstract designs which claimed to be art were a degeneration of European culture, and heritage, and as a result needed to be scoured and burned from the face of the Earth.
Thus, while these forms of art were currently flourishing in the lands of the allies. Painters, sculptors, and other forms of artisans in the lands of the Central Powers were continuing with art that displayed the beauty of nature.
Whether it be the landscape, the grand feats which humans have built throughout their history as a species, or simply the depiction that was the perfection of the human form itself.
The natural world, outside of the illusion that was human civilization was a marvelous but dangerous place, and to capture its awe and glory with the stroke of a brush was truly something which only the human mind and body were capable of performing.
This was why Bruno found abstract art, and what it led to, to be so unappealing, and frankly disgusting to look at. Who the hell wanted to gaze upon a painting of four different colored soup cans when they could witness the dew which quenches the earth personified through the talent of a human hand?
Perhaps he was too engrossed in the paintings which the Habsburgs proudly displayed within the regal halls of their family home, that Bruno did not hear the words being spoken to him by the bystander until they grew loud enough to span his daze.
“Generalfeldmarschall von Zehntner…. Sir! The Archduke is waiting for you…”
Perhaps surprised that somebody had been standing there watching him, Bruno was quick to apologize for his tardiness as he responded to the man sent to fetch him, who was no doubt a member of the Habsburg family, but probably of some lower branch.
“Apologies, I was simply admiring this painting, curious. I’m not familiar with it, and I don’t appear to see the name of the artist depicted on it. His ability to portray the alpine landscape is quite beautiful. I myself have passed through this very stretch of land on the way here… Do you mind if I ask the name of the painter who produced this piece?”
The man seemed slightly agitated by Bruno’s insistence on who the artist was, as he himself was not entirely certain. But he was quick to throw out a name, as incorrect as it was that immediately caught Bruno’s interest, for reasons which the Habsburg could never truly understand.
“I’m not entirely sure, you would have to ask the Archduchess Hedwig, she commissioned a local painter some years back during her youth after seeing some of his art on display at a local street stall. I think the fellow’s name was something of the likes of Hiller… anyway, General, we really don’t have time for this discussion would you please follow me?”
Bruno froze on the spot when he heard the name said to him. It was too much of a coincidence, an Austrian painter, in the streets of Vienna, with the surname Hiller? Could it actually be? It was one of Bruno’s greatest regrets; he had been given an opportunity to prevent that man’s rise to power, and all that followed it.
But, for the life of him, his reach did not extend to Vienna until long after the man had flunked out of Art School and become a vagrant, which made it damn near impossible for Bruno to do so. However, it would appear that his connection to the young Archduchess, and his appreciation of their family’s art, had inspired her to act on his behalf.
Because the painting Bruno just looked at was far grander than anything he had witnessed in his past life, or at least those that had been created by Germany’s most infamous dictator. Meaning that if he was being personally sponsored by the Habsburg family, he had not yet joined the German Army.
And if that were the case, the potential for that man getting involved in politics had already been averted without Bruno directly needing to act to prevent it. In other words, Bruno couldn’t help but turn and gaze upon the painting one last time, leaving behind a complicated smile that only he could truly understand the meaning of.
After this, he turned back towards the Habsburg family member who had been sent to fetch him, and walked off to the Grand Hall of the Habsburg to receive the titles and medals that the Habsburgs felt he was owed for his achievements in the Balkans.