 “Landscape” by Gang Se-hwang (1713-1791), an artist of the late Joseon period |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
A total of 107,857 Korean cultural properties are scattered throughout 18 countries, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. Japan has the largest number at 61,000, which takes up 60 percent of the whole amount, followed by the United States with 27,000 and China with 3,000.
The government and civil groups are building up their efforts to retrieve the lost treasures. Some are already heading home due to the efforts of a handful of individuals spending their own money.
Hakgojae Gallery run by Woo Chan-gyu has collected Joseon paintings through overseas auctions and from Japanese individual collectors over the last 10 years.
The gallery is displaying 30 such pieces in the exhibition "Return Home After 500 Years" through April 25. Most of the artifacts are being shown for the first time in Korea.
The paintings on display are divided into two themes ― landscapes and animals. The paintings at the exhibition, which appealed to Japanese artistic tastes, were influenced by China.
According to the gallery, Japan regarded Korea as a window to China and so the Joseon paintings were preferred by the Japanese connoisseurs at that time.
The landscapes are based on the motif related to an ideal world, while the animal paintings display the shamanistic belief that the animals commonly found in Korea, China and Japan come bring good fortune.
"Bangmokdo" (Grazing) by an unknown artist is a huge work at 34 centimeters in height and 119.5 centimeters in width. It's also considered the painting with the highest artistic value at the exhibition, and was influenced by the traditional Buddhist painting style of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). In the foreground of the piece, a horse against the backdrop of a pasture symbolizes the dignity of a king.
"Nugaksansudo" (Landscape in a Pavilion) by Kim Si (1524-1593) shows the essence of the Joseon painting's beauty.
"Hawk Hunting" by another unknown artist depicts a common scene captured in many Northeast Asian countries' works, while "A Tiger Family" shows the feline family roaming along a hill with two old pine trees. It's estimated to be drawn between the 18th and 19th century.
Most of the Joseon artworks remaining in Japan vary from prehistoric works to modern masterpieces as Korea was a midway point between China and Japan.
The gallery said that Japan absorbed the cultural elements from Korea and melded them into their own.
The exhibit will be on display through April 25 at the Hakgojae Gallery in Sogyeok-dong, central Seoul. The gallery is located at Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1 and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call (02) 720-1524 or visit http://hakgojae.com.
chungay@koreatimes.co.kr
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