 ``Bull’’ (1953) by Lee Joong-sup sold for 3.56 billion won at Seoul Auction in Pyeongchang-dong, Tuesday. The bidding process had been anticipated to break the current record for the most expensive domestic artwork, held by the 2007 sale of Park Soo-keun’s ``A Wash Place’’ for 4.52 billion won. / Korea Times file |
By Ines Min
Staff reporter
``Bull'' by famed Korean painter Lee Joong-sup was sold for 3.56 billion won ($2.95 million) at the 117th Seoul Auction, in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul, Tuesday.
But the much-anticipated auction failed to break the record as the country's most expensive artwork, falling short of the 4.52 billion won paid for "A Wash Place" by Park Soo-keun, which was sold in 2007.
The 1953 painting ― which is 51.3-centimeters-wide and 35.3-centimeters-tall ― was valued between 3.5 billion won and 4.5 billion won, raising art aficionados' hopes of breaking the auction record. Instead, the winning telephone bid barely increased the starting price of 3.4 billion won.
The piece was from the private collection of Park Tae-heon, 87, who first acquired it in 1955 directly from the artist. Park purchased three paintings on family themes at Lee's solo exhibition at the Midopa Gallery at the time; but Lee wanted to exchange "Bull" for the three paintings Park bought to give it to his family. Since then, Park has preserved the artwork in a wooden box, storing it in his bank safety deposit for years.
Park quickly became endeared to the work, and he only opened the safe to admire it occasionally. ``The eye (of the bull) truly makes its way into my heart,'' he said. ``Something about it makes me feel like it's watching me.''
The painting was shown to the public for the first time in 38 years ― since it was on display at the exhibition of Lee's works at Gallery Hyundai in 1972 ― at the auction.
