Joseon dynasty, granite, National Museum of Korea A collector has invited you to his home. I would like to share with you today the piles of stories that have been squirreled away in the collector’s home. As we head to the collector’s home, we are greeted by a pair of stone statues. The figures do appear friendly. Overall, they seem to resemble the Buddha, but their googly eyes and bulbous noses are more like totem poles. Once installed at the entrance of a village, these statutes were once a thankful presence that chased away evil spirits.
Kwon Jin Kyu (1922-1973), 1967, Color on terracotta, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Now we stand before the gate to the house. Entitled Gate, this is a work made of clay by Kwon Jin Kyu, a pioneer of modern Korean sculpture. Gate is one of several works that sculptor Kwon Jin Kyu produced after 1961, when he became fascinated by Korean traditional architecture after helping to repair Namdaemun Gate. The firmly closed gate evokes a slight sense of anxiety, but also curiosity about the unknown world behind it. Now we pass the gate and enter the collector’s house.
Lim Oksang (b. 1950), 1991, Color on paper relief, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea We see a paper relief work featuring a traditional Korean tile-roofed house. The title of this work is Kim’s Chronicle II. When you look at the work carefully, you can see an elderly couple seeming like giants lying beneath the house. You only see their contours, as if they were drawn by scratching away the ground. The work seems to convey that the moment in which we live is like a house built on a foundation established by our ancestors.
Lee Chongwoo (1899-1981), 1920, Oil on canvas, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea This section presents works relating to family. Paintings and sculptures expressing familial love welcome you. First, let’s take a look at traditional representations of the family. Portrait of Father is a work by Lee Chongwoo depicting his father in a fine suit with impeccably groomed hair and mustache, suggesting wealth and nobility. The sharp eyes and firmly closed mouth convey a stern character. Lee wanted to become an artist despite the opposition of his father. Perhaps this is why his father appears somewhat stern in the painting.
Chang Uc-chin (1918-1990), 1979, Oil on canvas, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea There are tender families who are fully open with each other and rely on one another. Chang Uc-chin’s work entitled Family features a family appearing free and unburdened. Chang Uc-chin expressed images from his own life in a simple, childlike style, reminiscent of illustrations from a fairy tale. Representing the freedom and repose of the Taoist immortals, three naked family members sit contentedly in the center of the natural world, embodying the artist’s conception of ideal happiness.
Kwon Jin Kyu (1922-1973), 1960s, Color on terracotta, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea This mother grips her child with a look of stoic determination, a complex emotional depiction that transcends the mere happiness typically associated with images of a mother and child. Sheltered by the mother’s firm resolve to protect her child from the trials of reality, the child looks very peaceful and carefree.
Park Soo Keun (1914-1965), 1962, Oil on panel, Park Soo Keun Museum In his immediately recognizable paintings, Park Soo Keun captured ordinary people persisting amidst the ruins of postwar Korea. One of his trademark subjects was a young girl left to care for an even younger sibling while their mother went off to work. The color and rough texture of this painting recalls the dirt surface of an unpaved alleyway.
Lee Jungseop (1916-1956), 1954, Oil, pencil and crayon on paper, Lee Jung-seop Art Museum Lee Jungseop memorialized his family through art. In his final years, Lee Jungseop painted many images of happy families belying his sorrow at being separated from his own family in real life. In 1952, his wife Yamamoto Masako left for Japan with their two sons in order to resolve her inheritance after her father’s death. Sadly, the family would never be reunited before Lee Jungseop died in 1956 at the age of forty. Hyeonhaetan, Korean Strait extends beyond memory to depict hope. Lee is on a boat heading towards his family while his family waves and welcomes him from across the sea.
Jeong Yakyong (1762-1836), Joseon dynasty, 1814, Ink on silk, National Museum of Korea Humans live their entire lives holding on to their memories. All of us have probably experienced happy childhood memories being revived through a photo album that we accidentally came across. One notable family put down their memories in writing. Jeong Yeo-ju, a person who lived in the city of Gangjin in Jeollanam-do Province, missed dearly his son who had passed away and felt sorry for his daughter-in-law who had to raise her children alone. One day, Jeong Yeo-ju heard that a talented writer named Jeong Yakyong had come to the village to live in exile. He told Jeong Yakyong the story of his son and daughter-in-law and asked him to write it down. The Story of the Jeong Family’s Filial Son tells the story of Jeong Gwan-il, who had been deeply filial since childhood. When Jeong Gwan-il passed away at the age of thirty, his father lamented in grief, “You died once, but I lost three things. I lost my son, my friend, and my teacher.” The story continues in the Story of the Jeong Family’s Filial Wife. I invite you to read the stories through the monitor on display next to the works.
Lee Jungseop (1916-1956), 1950s, Pen, watercolor and crayon on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea This section presents works relating to artistic inspiration. Let me begin with a small framed painting by Lee Jungseop. Tin House Atelier is a self-portrait of an artist who lived in poverty yet found happiness in painting. A palette and brushes are scattered messily across the floor of a small room. The artist, who seems to have just finished a painting, is lying down under a blanket while smoke spouts from his pipe. To an artist, a shabby little room can become a temple of art.
White porcelain, Joseon dynasty, 18th century, National Museum of Korea Here we have a round white porcelain jar. The upper and lower hemispheres were made separately and then joined by rubbing the connecting line with water. The ample volume and slightly misshapen form, as opposed to mechanical symmetry, give the jar an attractive organic look. The jar appears slightly deformed and uneven, but the collector found this characteristic charming. The artist Kim Whanki was also a collector. He had such a special affection for the round white porcelain jars resembling the full moon that he gave them the wonderful name “moon jar.”
Kim Whanki (1913-1974), 1950s, Oil on hardboard, Gwangju Museum of Art Take a look at Kim Whaki’s painting entitled Work. Kim Whanki produced this semi-abstract depiction of a large white porcelain jar against the background of a night sky, with a bird flying across the full moon. The moon rises in the sky, and a moon jar is on the ground, lit by the moonlight. Seen like this, the natural sensibilities manifested in Kim Whanki’s abstract works can be understood to be rooted in collecting antique.
Kim Whanki (1913-1974), 1968, Oil on paper, Gwangju Museum of Art After moving to the United States in 1963, Kim Whanki actively experimented with abstract paintings consisting solely of dots, lines, and planes. The large dot in the upper left corner, surrounded by a colored ring, recalls the moon, while the dozens of smaller dots, each with a thin outline, evoke the stars, conveying the lyrical atmosphere of a moonlit night.
Unidentified Artist, Joseon dynasty, 19th century, Ink and color on paper, National Museum of Korea Welcome to the space introducing works related to collecting. The desire to collect objects was also shared by the people of the past. The scholar’s accoutrements and antiques made of bronze and jade depicted in the chaekgado folding screen were precious items that people of the Joseon era desired to possess. Perhaps the items were depicted so vividly on a folding screen that was installed in a room because they were difficult to acquire. A collector acquires and stores away various objects like a chaekgado scene. You can explore the collected items on display through the monitor installed on the wall.
Joseon dynasty, 18th-19th century, Wood and metal, National Museum of Korea Objects are meant to be stored inside furniture. Furniture is a space. It is a miniature form of architecture in that it uses the inner space rather than the exterior. The Three-tiered Wardrobe with Bulrush Mat Design is a piece of furniture that suits the grace and dignity of the royal court. Thin strips of bamboo were woven to create a bulrush mat pattern and attached to the wardrobe. The skilled artistry involved in weaving a low-cost material into a valuable design and the creativity required to incorporate into the surface of furniture the design of a bulrush mat that is normally used as a floor covering make the piece even more distinctive.
Joseon dynasty, 19th century, Wood and metal, National Museum of Korea One type of storage furniture possessed by every Joseon household was known in Korean as bandaji. This rectangular cuboid space made of sturdy pine boards was used for storing all kinds of precious items. The example displayed here is presumed to have been produced in the Naju region of Jeolla-do Province. On the inner side of the door is an inscription in ink that reads “Gosan-myeon, Hamheung, Hamgyeong-do Province,” which is in the northeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. It makes us wonder how a chest that was made in the southern region of the Korean Peninsula ended up in the northern region of the east coast.
Quak Insik (1919-1988), 1987, Canvas, watercolor on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Quak Insik is a Korean-Japanese artist who mainly worked in Japan. Here, countless dots of various light colors are arranged on thin, highly absorbent paper. Because the artist mixed the paints with varying amounts of solvent, even dots of the same shade look slightly different, so that they appear to move and merge with one another.
Claude Monet (1840-1926), 1917-1920, Oil on canvas, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea We have now come out to the back garden after touring the collector’s house. As we rest by the pond, we notice the beautiful blooming water lilies. There are many artists who had a particular fondness for gardens and ponds, notably the Impressionist pioneer Claude Monet. Monet has been dubbed a “hunter of light” for his rapid capture of changing of light as found in nature. Monet traveled to many places to document light in natural setting, but he eventually realized that the best view could be from one’s own backyard. Monet built a house in Giverny, a village outside of Paris, where he cultivated seasonal flowers. Monet created more than 250 paintings of water lilies. He could produce an extensive series of water lily paintings because even the same subject matter appears different depending on the light. When he was in his seventies, Monet lost his wife and son in quick succession and was unable to paint for nearly six years due to despair. He was able resume through the consolation provided by relatives and friends. This painting highlights only the lilies and the subtle hues of the water while omitting the scenery surrounding the pond. The painting seems to have been a harbinger of Monet’s future more abstracted paintings. You are invited to experience the maturity that the Impressionist master has attained toward the end of his life.
Lee Jungseop (1916-1956), 1950s, Oil on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea In the second part of the exhibition, we will explore some of the stories from nature and human experience embodied in these collected objects. Elements from nature with which humans feel most comfortable with are probably those that have been cultivated. Cattle, which humans domesticated in the Neolithic Age, are the most familiar animals to humans. As icons of strength and perseverance, bulls were popular symbols for the Korean people who endured the hardships of the Japanese colonial period. One artist who periodically used bulls to represent his own feelings was Lee Jungseop, whose bull paintings can be read as a type of self-portrait. In this painting from his Bull series, the powerful strokes rendered as if revealing the wrinkles and muscles of the bull imbue vitality.
Kim Kichang (1914-2001), Early 1960s, Color on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Works of art expressing admiration for nature while transcending the boundaries between figurative and abstract were produced in the past and continue to be made today. In An Ox and a Woman by Kim Kichang, the forms of the ox and woman are abstracted and therefore difficult to recognize, yet the warm hues and rich texture allow us the feel the presence of the ox and woman. Art contains human feelings and responses to nature. Nature is a nourishing space for humans, but also provides an environment with challenges that can be difficult to handle alone. Therefore, people have sought to assimilate into nature and to thoroughly examine its whims. The urge to reproduce natural forms and abstract the laws of nature have driven the development of the history of art.
Yun Jehong (1764-after 1845), Joseon dynasty, early 19th century, Ink on paper, National Museum of Korea The Gudambong Peaks are a series of rocky peaks that rise along the Namhan River in Danyang. In reality, the peaks are connected, but literati artist Yun Jehong chose to depict them here as five separate peaks, thus emphasizing their mystical status, which recalls the world of the Taoist immortals. While serving as the magistrate of Cheongpung, Yun Jehong enjoyed visiting the Gudambong Peaks and other scenic sites in nearby Danyang.
Unidentified Artist, Joseon dynasty, 1583-1587, Ink on silk, Treasure, National Museum of Korea Everyone dreams of enjoying a leisurely time in nature. This joy can be doubled when the time is spent with like-minded people. The people of the past recorded the joy and comfort experienced in nature in paintings. This is probably similar to how contemporary people try to document memories of travel destinations by taking photos. There is a folding screen featuring six gatherings in which the sixteenth-century civil official Jeong Sasin participated. The first scene on the far right depicts a gathering that was held by the Han River. The Han River was a popular gathering spot due to its proximity to the capital city of Hanyang and its beautiful scenery. The last scene depicts a meeting held by colleagues from the Saganwon, the Office of Censors, at an office building located to the east of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Mount Bugak, a symbol of Hanyang, stands tall in the background. During the Joseon Dynasty, social gatherings where people who passed the civil service examination in the same year or colleagues from the same government office composed poetry and enjoyed alcohol were widely popular. Participants in such gatherings sometimes commissioned visual documents of the meeting and shared the resulting paintings among themselves like these works.
Jang Seungeop (1843-1897), Joseon dynasty, late 19th century, Ink and light color on silk, National Museum of Korea Jang Seungeop, one of the representative painters of the late Joseon period, vividly depicts a frightened rabbit fleeing from a hawk with widespread wings. Paintings of this theme were meant to symbolize the tendency of people of low character to cower before the majesty of the ruler. The two animals are quite delicately rendered, nicely contrasting with the roughly shaped trees and rocks.
Park Rehyun (1920-1976), 1956, Ink and color on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea One of Korea’s leading female artists of the 1950s, Park Rehyun specialized in unique contemporary works drawn from the creative well of Korean traditional art. Her confident brushstrokes can be seen in the branches of the rattan tree, which stretch diagonally across the pictorial plane and seem to sway to the sound of the boy’s flute.
Park Nosoo (1927-2013), 1960, Ink and color on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea A woman rides her horse on a lush green mountainside as a crescent moon appears in the eastern sky. Urging the horse to run faster, she leans forward and lashes its flank, causing the animal to raise its head with a piercing neigh. As the title suggests, this “mountain spirit” and her blue horse radiate with a dynamic yet mysterious energy that pierces the twilight surroundings.
National Museum of Korea Nature is simply as it is, so its elements and workings do not actually hold intrinsic meaning. Orchids are simply wildflowers that grow at the foot of mountains. However, the people of East Asia imparted special meaning on these flowers that exude a subtle fragrance from afar, describing them as “scholars with a graceful personality.” A good way to capture the dynamism of the resilient orchid leaves is in a single brushstroke, so orchids have often been painted in ink since ancient times. Let’s take a look at orchid paintings from the Joseon Dynasty. Yi Haeung, also known as Regent Heungseon Daewongun, painted orchids so well that his works became established as a brand known as “Seokparan” combining his courtesy name “Seokpa” with “ran”, the Korean word for orchid. The potted orchid and scholar’s rock depicted in this painting seem suited to a sophisticated sarangbang, the men’s quarters within a traditional Korean house. Kim Eungwon, who learned how to paint orchids from Yi Haeung, has depicted the plant using color to imbue a greater vitality. He arranged lingzhi mushrooms, which symbolize eternal youth, together with the orchids and titled the painting literally “offering auspiciousness with lingzhi mushrooms and orchid.” The painting was probably produced as a gift to express wishes for good fortune.
Joseon dynasty, late 15th-early 16th century, National Museum of Korea Fascinating art sometimes emerges from the boundary between the figurative and abstraction. There is a vessel that resembles the semi-abstract expression of contemporary art. It is an incised buncheong jar from the Joseon Dynasty. Buncheong incision usually involves engraving desired motifs by scraping lines into a surface coated with white slip. Because designs are carved onto a brown clay surface that has been coated with white slip using rough brushstrokes, the technique lends a sense of depth through multiple layers. This decorative method involving bold, rapid lines is often acclaimed for its reflection of a modernist aesthetic. The surface of the large Buncheong Jar with Incised Peony Design is extremely rough. It can be difficult to tell that the design executed in sharp lines is a depiction of peonies. Nevertheless, the free-spirited lines convey a sense of vitality.
Kang Yobae (b. 1952), 2005, Acrylic on canvas, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Red Plum Blossom by Kang Yobae is a landscape expressing the state of mind of the artist that appear almost like an abstract painting. The painting features branches of a plum tree expressed with textures created through layers of paint and brief, faint lines. The red plum blossoms straining to burst into bloom convey a sense of spring energy. The contours of the tree have been lost, but this only provides greater depth and delicacy to the painting. Jar with Peony and Red Plum Blossom represent an encounter between traditional craft and contemporary art. Though this encounter may seem somewhat unfamiliar, the two are interconnected realms of art.
Park Daesung (b. 1945), 1996, Ink and color on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea In the fall of 1995, Park Daesung returned from New York and spent a year at Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, where he painted his Bulguksa Temple series. That winter, it snowed in Gyeongju for the first time in seven years, and Park captured the hushed serenity of the snow-covered landscape around the temple. In the upper left corner, written in a vintage Korean font, the artist described his thoughts about painting Bulguksa Temple.
Unidentified Artist, Joseon dynasty, 19th century, Ink and color on silk, National Museum of Korea Mounted on a folding screen, this large ornamental painting shows a flock of cranes gathered around a heavenly peach tree on a high cliff overlooking the sea. Decorative works like this derived from the long tradition of paintings of the “Ten Symbols of Longevity.” The sun rises in the background, casting a reddish glow that infuses the scene with a fantastical ambience, reminiscent of the world of the Taoist immortals.
Kim Sou (1919-2014), 1970s, Oil on canvas, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Beside the folding screen is a painting entitled Work by the contemporary artist Kim Sou. No natural element has been depicted in detail, but different colors of paint overlap, blend, and permeate to create a sense of vitality. It seems like a painting of ten symbols of longevity produced through the effects of coincidence. Kim Sou is known for experimental works that blur the boundaries between seemingly disparate concepts, such as abstract and figurative art, Korean traditional painting and Western-style oil painting, and yin and yang. One of his early works, this colorful painting is meant to showcase the effects of spontaneity and chance.
National Museum of Korea Wisdom in the utilization of nature is an essential condition for civilization to last. Humans have explored nature and used it to their advantage in surviving the constant flux of natural conditions. Here you can see at a glance the development of ceramics from earthenware to stoneware, celadon, and porcelain. The production of earthenware was the first chemical technology and a key human innovation. The Neolithic peoples learned from their experience that vessels shaped from soil and water harden when fired. At first they used open fires, but eventually kilns were constructed on slopes to produce hard, impermeable stoneware. A revolution in human life had emerged. When powdered ash floating inside in a kiln melts on the surface of a vessel, it creates a glossy coating. By studying this phenomenon, humans invented glaze. A careful coordination of materials and fire control allowed the production of vessels as fine as jade. This was the birth of celadon. The desire for increasingly beautiful but sturdy vessels eventually led to the birth of porcelain. Porcelain is composed of kaolin mixed with feldspar and quartz to withstand high temperatures over 1300℃. During the Joseon Dynasty, the government put considerable effort into fostering white porcelain production, even carrying out a nationwide search for high-quality deposits. In the past, pottery making signified a form of advanced technology and art. This is where today’s advanced engineering technology in Korea finds its roots.
Choi Jongtae (b. 1932), 1992, Bronze, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea There are so many things that humans do not know. Nature is wondrous yet frightening, and death is a great mystery. Humans have long contemplated the essence of life. The thought embodied in Choi Jongtae’s A Thinking Woman is probably not so much different from that of the artisan from the Three Kingdoms Period who made the Buddhist sculptures. With its strong materiality and simple yet refined form with no extraneous lines, the work evokes humanity’s religious aspirations and the artistic search for eternity.
Goryeo dynasty, 11th century, Woodblock print on paper, National Treasure, National Museum of Korea The Goryeo Dynasty made remarkable achievements in its compilations of accumulated Buddhist scriptures. The first set of the Tripitaka Koreana of the Acclamation of the Holy Teaching continues to survive today. Buddhism, which began in India, is a religion that fundamentally reflects on the meaning of a finite life. The first scriptures written in Sanskrit were translated into Chinese in China and then spread to other regions across East Asia.
Joseon dynasty, 1447-1449, Letterpress print on paper, National Museum of Korea There was no better script than Hangeul to convey the wonderful teachings of the Buddha to a greater number of Korean people. King Sejong and King Sejo captured the life and virtues of Shakyamuni Buddha in a book entitled Episodes from the Life of Shakyamuni Buddha written in Hangeul. Volume 20, which is on display here, is a valuable Hangeul book printed in movable metal type. The editorial design characterized by a harmonious arrangement of Hangeul and Chinese characters is quite notable.
Joseon dynasty, 17th century, Wood and metal, National Museum of Korea
Jin Jaehae (?-1735), Jang Deukman (1684-1764) and etc., Joseon dynasty, early 18th century, Ink and color on paper, National Museum of Korea These four albums contain sixty-four paintings by at least eight court artists, including Jang Deukman and Jin Jaehae. Featuring beautiful colors and detailed descriptions, the paintings were intended to convey life lessons based on famous episodes from the lives of historical figures who represented virtue and integrity. Given that they were produced by painters of the royal court, these paintings were likely used in the Confucian education of children from the royal family, including the crown prince.
King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776), Kwon Jeok (1675-1755), Kim Sangseong (1703-1755) and etc., Joseon dynasty, 1741, Painting: Ink and color on paper, Writing: Ink on paper, National Museum of Korea This album commemorates a gathering held in Gyeonghyeondang Hall of Gyeonghuigung Palace, in which King Yeongjo, Crown Prince Sado (then seven years old), and various education officials met in order to discuss the progress of the crown prince’s education. In addition to writings about the gathering, the album also contains poems written during the gathering by King Yeongjo and the officials. The album thus reveals King Yeongjo as both a father who strictly enforced the rigorous education of his son and as a king who used scholarship to emphasize the importance of loyalty between ruler and subject.
Kim Jungeun (active late 19th-early 20th century), Joseon dynasty, late 19th-early 20th century, Ink and color on silk, National Museum of Korea This album contains thirty genre paintings by Kim Jungeun, who sold such paintings to foreigners in Wonsan Port. Despite the somewhat monotonous and repetitious expressions of the people, these genre paintings are valuable visual references illustrating a wide variety of customs, games, skills, rituals, and other activities of the Joseon people at the end of the nineteenth century. One of the most intriguing details of this painting, which shows a group of female entertainers and men playing golpae, is the man wearing tinted glasses, who seems intensely focused on gambling.
Lee In-sung (1912-1950), 1934, Watercolor on paper, Daegu Art Museum In this striking portrait, a woman in stylish attire sits obliquely on a chair, casually staring off into the distance. The woman is the fiancée of the artist Lee In-sung, who painted her in the image of a “New Woman,” a popular trend of the time. Many similar portraits of women seated indoors were painted at the time, but this one stands out in capturing the personality of the sitter through the combination of bright colors, improvised lines, and carefree brush touches.
Lee In-sung (1912-1950), 1940s, Oil on wooden panel, Daegu Art Museum This seated naked man, in a pose that immediately recalls Rodin’s The Thinker, seems to be in agony. Interestingly, he is holding a paintbrush in each hand, as if he is both artist and model. The sense of mystery is enhanced by the woman behind him, who wears Korean traditional clothing but has a blank face.
Park Rehyun (1920-1976), 1959, Ink and color on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Humans continue to evolve today, and I would like to unfold their stories through collected objects. With the turn of the twentieth century, the perspectives of artists exploring humanity became more diverse. There is a work that confronts and visualizes internal anxiety. In Woman with a Cat, Park Rehyun captures a human being who calmly accepts her sensitive and anxious state of mind. While the woman’s body is perfectly still, her mind seems to be as keen as the cat, but also filled with anxiety, as represented by the writhing bird. Hence, the artist expresses the inner workings of her mind, which finds clarity in the quiet of night.
Lee Ungno (1904-1989), 1985, Canvas, ink on paper, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Throughout his career, Lee Ungno persistently produced paintings with dense compositions of large groups of people, a theme that represented the power of the collective. Here, the dynamic movements of the people, who seem to be running freely with open arms, are represented with strokes from the tradition of inkwash painting, demonstrating Lee’s adept brush skills and deep understanding of calligraphy.
Kim Whanki (1913-1974), 1973, Oil on canvas, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Artists cross boundaries while pioneering new areas that have never been explored. Echo by Kim Whanki presents a universe created through the human imagination. The blue dots humbly painted on the canvas seem to embody the secretive waves of the universe. The numerous blue dots in this painting recall the effect of ink permeating the thick fibers of Korean traditional paper. This work represents the final stage of Kim’s dot paintings, which he gradually developed over time.
Butterflies by Nam Gyeu (1811-1890), Joseon dynasty, 19th century, Ink and color on paper, National Museum of Korea Butterflies are spirits of spring season. Their beautiful colors and forms have long attracted people. Since butterfly (蝶), pronounced dié in Chinese, is homonymous to the character referring to an elderly man of eighty (耋, Ch. dié), it evokes a wish for longevity. A literati painter Nam Gyeu established a model for butterfly painting by collecting and sketching butterflies. Nam presented butterflies so realistically that their species can be identified.
Butterflies by Lee Kyeongseung (1862-1927), 1919, Ink and color on silk, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea In the first half of the 20th century, Lee Kyeongseung made many paintings of butterflies, continuing the tradition of Nam Gyeu. Various butterflies flutter in a strange landscape, where flowers of different seasons bloom at the same time. In 1919, when this painting was made, butterflies still flew through Korea, even as people cried out for independence in the March 1st Movement.
