In this age group and within this kind of educational system, it wasn’t so much that purely gifted geniuses held the advantage, but rather “monsters” like Karl—those with mature minds, systematic exam training, and clear goals—who could charge through and achieve total dominance.
After all, the curriculum and assessment standards of the Theresian Academy were not designed to discover peerless geniuses in a single field.
It was an educational institution serving to cultivate successors for the ruling class, requiring them to be well-rounded, solid, and compliant with norms.
He had heard that even a great genius like Albert Einstein, who would later change physics, did not have outstanding grades in some subjects during his youth and even favored certain ones over others.
Even if he were placed within the evaluation system of the Theresian Academy, catching up to Karl’s excellent grades across all subjects would be no easy feat.
Mentioning Einstein, Karl suddenly remembered this future giant of physics; wasn’t this exactly the time he had failed his university entrance exams?
Well, once his academic path became a bit more stable, perhaps he should find a way to “invite” the man to Austria.
In short, even if there were a few brilliant geniuses in the academy who surpassed Karl in individual subjects or projects, Karl still maintained an overwhelming advantage overall thanks to his advanced knowledge reserves and efficient learning methods.
Having lived in Vienna for only two years, he had already firmly established an image as the “most outstanding” student within the academy.
And with excellent grades and a reputation, it was only natural to be matched with corresponding rewards and to convert them into tangible resources.
Karl began trying to pester his father and mother for money.
Give me money!
“Do you want to buy paintings?
Or collect art?”
In both ancient and modern times, consumption related to art has always been expensive, but it is also the most easily accepted by the aristocracy.
In any case, Karl was not the type of unworthy son who would indulge in luxury goods or squander his parents’ hard-earned money; he had zero interest in those flashy, impractical things.
Besides, given their family’s status and wealth, how could his small art investments possibly shake their foundations?
In short, Karl just needed a sum of startup capital, a fortune that he could dispose of freely.
But even so, his body was still that of an eleven-year-old child.
Even though he had won his parents’ trust with his extraordinary performance as a child, “money” was, after all, a different matter.
He had to convince them, clearly explaining how he intended to use the money.
No matter how excellent the child, parents would inevitably worry.
Once a significant amount of money is placed in a child’s hands, how will they spend it?
Will they be blinded by money and fall into bad habits?
All sorts of near-delusional worries would surface.
All parents in the world are like this.
So, the first step was particularly important, and also the hardest.
The first time is the hardest, but once you cross that threshold and gain trust, the second and third times will be much smoother.
To persuade his parents, Karl carefully chose a reason that seemed most harmless, most fitting for an aristocrat, and even “elegant” as his opening move.
As long as this trick worked, everything else would naturally fall into place.
“Sponsoring artists?”
“That’s right, Mother.
As a member of the Habsburg Family, I believe that sponsoring talented but struggling artists and supporting the culture and art of the Empire and even Europe is a natural responsibility and refined hobby for royalty.”
Many creators of this era were mostly impoverished and destitute.
How many artists gained widespread recognition and a wealthy life during their lifetime?
Most people only gradually gain recognition after their death through a long process of reinterpretation and rediscovery, but unfortunately, they are long gone and unable to see it.
There was a reason why artists in history favored aristocratic patrons.
Someone recognized their work, appreciated their talent, and was willing to shell out cold, hard cash to support their continued creation.
As a member of the Habsburg Family, sponsoring artists was nothing new; instead, it was more like a duty that the noble blood of this ancient family should fulfill.
Besides, Vienna, Austria, was already a famous art capital of Europe.
Top musicians like Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert had all been active here and received court sponsorship.
Even in Karl’s previous life, in that twenty-first-century Eastern country, even if ordinary people didn’t necessarily know the details of their lives, anyone with a basic education had at least heard these thunderous names.
Since ancient times, the Habsburg Family has had a tradition of supporting artists.
What would be wrong with Karl sponsoring them now?
Of course, Karl didn’t actually intend to conduct large-scale sponsorship.
In the end, this was just an excuse he found to legitimately use a portion of the family funds.
Just as he was thinking this, an excellent sponsorship target unexpectedly appeared before his eyes.
“How are the preparations coming along, Madame Johanna?”
“Yes, Your Highness.
I have done my utmost to prepare, and I would never dare to fail your kindness and trust.”
A middle-aged woman, dressed simply but neatly and respectably, with a face that still bore the faint outlines of her youthful beauty, bowed respectfully to Karl.
Her expression was solemn, even somewhat agitated.
The corners of her eyes were slightly red, clearly moved beyond measure.
Her name was Johanna van Heukelom.
She had changed her surname due to remarriage, but before that, her name was—Johanna van Gogh.
Seeing this surname, would one naturally think of that person?
Vincent van Gogh.
She was the sister-in-law of the painter Vincent van Gogh, who only became world-famous after his death, and she was the earliest guardian and promoter of his artistic legacy.
Karl’s discovery of her was entirely accidental.
As a scion being carefully cultivated by the Habsburg Family, language study was a mandatory course.
The empire’s official german language went without saying, and the internationally used French was also a must.
Additionally, due to the nature of the multi-ethnic state, one also needed to master Hungarian, Czech, and various other languages.
One of Karl’s preferred learning methods was to read various newspapers and periodicals extensively.
This not only cultivated interest in language learning but also helped him grasp the pulse of the era and the reality of the situation.
It was then that he read a short news item about her.
It wasn’t long, and the content merely mentioned a Dutch woman working hard to promote the paintings of her deceased relative, but after seeing her name and situation clearly, Karl almost shouted, “Heaven is helping me!”
At that time, Van Gogh had already been dead for six years, but as an artist, he was still almost unknown in mainstream European art circles.
His sister-in-law Johanna traveled tirelessly to make his work widely known, holding small exhibitions and contacting galleries, but she repeatedly hit walls and faced great difficulties.
Karl knew that in the original history, through Johanna’s long and tireless efforts, the artistic evaluation of Van Gogh would only gradually climb much later, eventually reaching astonishing heights.
But before that, she was destined to endure more hardships and cold shoulders.
Knowing full well what kind of lofty evaluation and astronomical market value Van Gogh would achieve in later generations, Karl grabbed this opportunity without hesitation.
That was all future massive wealth!
At the time, Johanna was struggling to hold small exhibitions near some wealthy areas in the Netherlands to promote the works.
After receiving contact from the Austrian Habsburg royalty, although she was surprised and suspicious, she immediately rushed to Vienna.
To raise an artist’s evaluation and status, one ultimately had to start with the upper class and the cultural elite.
If the person willing to provide sponsorship was a royal member of the Habsburg Family, that would be an entirely different level of influence.
It simply could not be compared to the support of ordinary aristocrats or the middle class.
Karl told her that he would, in his private name, purchase as many of Van Gogh’s paintings and sketches as possible.
Furthermore, to promote this “underrated genius” to Vienna’s social circles, he would hold a private salon-style exhibition at the Augarten Palace, where his family resided.
At that time, Karl had not yet fully obtained his parents’ permission, but based on his performance of “genius and steadiness” accumulated so far, when he explained it to his parents afterward, they readily agreed.
This was neither an act that disgraced the royal reputation nor was it anything but a refined matter of sponsoring art and highlighting the family’s cultural taste.
Who would oppose it?
In short, Madame Johanna did not refuse Karl’s proposal.
That was an exhibition held in the cultural capital of Vienna, within the historic palace of the Habsburg Family; those she would come into contact with would be the Empire’s top aristocrats, diplomats, and art critics.
There was no downside for her or for Van Gogh’s artistic legacy.
Once Van Gogh’s evaluation began to rise because of this, she would have fulfilled her long-held wish; if Karl successfully raised the value of these works, his future assets would also grow accordingly.
Of course, the massive increase in market value was something for a bit later.
Regardless, compared to the jaw-dropping value of the future, Van Gogh’s works were currently almost at “bargain prices.”
Add to that Karl’s intervention and promotion with his royal status, and the artistic evaluation might even climb faster than in the original history.
Who would refuse such an investment?
Thus, Madame Johanna immediately transported hundreds of Van Gogh’s oil paintings, sketches, and a significant amount of precious materials such as letters he had written during his lifetime from the Netherlands and presented them all before Karl.
And today was the day the small salon exhibition of Vincent van Gogh officially opened.
Karl’s mood could be described as extremely pleasant.
After all, the sponsorship that was originally just to break through his parents’ psychological defenses would instead bring him unexpectedly rich returns in the future.
In short, this first real act of spending money, both the process and the opening, made him very satisfied.
And afterward, with the credit and channels successfully established this time, he would successively launch more plans.
Even if the power he could leverage at this moment was still slight,
The conclusion would surely be grand.
Karl swore so.