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A 10-fold screen featuring peonies that is presumed to have been made in the late 18th century is now on display through June 20 at the National Museum of Korea, Yongsan, Seoul. / Courtesy of National Museum of Korea |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The peony traditionally symbolizes wealth, honor and high social position, and is widely used as the motif of the paintings in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). The flower has also been deemed the symbol of peace and stability of the nation in the ancient country.
The National Museum of Korea is holding an exhibition of peony blossom paintings through June 20. The exhibition features a 10-fold peony blossom screen that has been revealed for the first time in 90 years since it was first obtained by the museum in 1921 along with nine peony-patterned paintings from the Joseon period.
The 10-fold screen was specially processed to be protected for the exhibition. The folding screen is 580 centimeters in width and 194 centimeters in height, and retains the original screen frame and its silk background of the floral paintings.
The painting depicts the peony blossoms coming into full bloom continuously portrayed from the first fold to the 10th. "Unlike other paintings which portrayed a peony on a separate panel, this work shows the unique style that entirely depicts the continuous image of the flowers. This is the only existing peony screen in this style today," Lee Hye-gyeong, curator of the museum, said.
These folding screens were not only used in the ordinary households but also in the royal court's major rituals for its gracious and noble image.
The artwork is presumed to have been made in the late 18th century and is regarded as one of the most important paintings in helping us understand the development of peony paintings and their characteristics.
Another nine paintings show the diverse patterns of the peony blossom paintings and feature the flowers in harmony with various other blooms, trees and birds. The artwork displays the tastes of late Joseon artists such as Shim Sa-jeong (1707-1769) and Kang Se-hwang (1713-1791).
Nam Gye-woo's (1811-1890) work features decorative colorful peony-inspired paintings, while Heo Ryeon (1809-1893) drew the peony blossoms using India ink. The museum exhibits the recently purchased artworks from Yi Han-cheol (1808-1880).
The exhibition also showcases the preservation process through photos and panels with written explanations.
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