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| Lee Jung-seob's 'White Ox' (1953-1954) / Courtesy of MMCA |
By Park Han-sol
To Lee Jung-seob, one of the most iconic modern painters of Korea, a cow was much more than a common farm animal found in rural communities. Serving as one of the central themes in his work, the creature was a symbol of Korea's ― or Joseon's ― national identity and spirit under Japanese colonial rule.
The cattle in Lee's "White Ox" straining to take a step forward describes the unceasing sacrifice and labor of the people of Joseon. Among Lee's only five known surviving paintings of white bulls, the said piece's whereabouts had been unknown since it was on display in the early 1970s.
Now, after more than four decades, the painting will once again stand before the audience as part of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee's massive art collection donated to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA).
The MMCA unveiled Lee's art collection ― totaling 1,488 pieces by 246 renowned artists here and abroad ― Friday. It is the biggest single donation of paintings, etchings, ceramics and sculptures the national gallery has ever received.
Prominent pieces include domestic works by abstract masters Kim Whan-ki, Chang Uc-chin and Park Soo-keun as well as masterpieces by Western artists such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Claude Monet, to name a few. The inventory includes more than 100 of Picasso's ceramic works.
The collection is also comprised of rare surviving works of Korea's first-generation female Western-style painters, including Rha Hye-seok and Baek Nam-soon, who taught Lee Jung-seob.
"Lee's collection can be characterized as a comprehensive crossing of all ages and countries. We can witness the vast array of modern and contemporary works of the East and the West across different genres, periods and artists," MMCA Director Youn Bum-mo said in a press conference. "I would say this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the museum."
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| Rha Hye-seok's "Peonies of Hwayeongjeon Palace" (1935) / Courtesy of MMCA |
Rha was Korea's first female Western-style painter, writer and advocate of women's rights. She spoke up against the patriarchal values and social pressures placed upon women, seeking their liberation from institutionalized norms, notably through her writing, "A Divorce Confession," in 1934. Her painting, "Peonies of Hwayeongjeon Palace," set near her hometown of Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, was produced shortly after her controversial publication.
Most of Rha's works created in the early 1900s have been either destroyed or disappeared throughout the years. By bringing back to the public eye rare surviving works that have been largely forgotten, the late Samsung Group chief's collection will play a significant role in enriching the study of Korea's modern art and cultural history, MMCA said in a statement.
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| Salvador Dali's "Family of Marsupial Centaurs" (1940), left, and Pablo Picasso's "Untitled" are part of Lee Kun-hee collection. Courtesy of MMCA |
The MMCA plans to organize an important public viewing opportunity of the donated artworks through a series of exhibits. In August and December this year, the national gallery will present works of local and overseas contemporary masters, respectively.
In March next year, a special exhibition will be dedicated to Lee Jung-seob's 104 paintings and drawings. Part of the collection will also travel to the U.S. the same year for a modern Korean art exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in September.
