Korean artbook bursts into English world
By Ines Min
Korean art has long held the interest of those abroad. While the U.S.-based Korean Art Society makes regular rounds of exhibitions on the ancient crafts, European academics study the branches of North and South Korean traditional art, and hordes of others still seek the past through the large-scale exhibitions of the National Museum of Korea. All that these aficionados were lacking was a comprehensive book written in English.
“Masterpieces of Korean Art,” published this month by the Korea Foundation, is a full historical text that traces the timeline of the country’s greatest works from the Neolithic Period to the late 19th century of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The near 4,000-year range of the book includes
40 articles on roughly 80 works, and readers can learn about the myriad artwork detailing Korean history: from painted murals inside tombs, to gilt-bronze incense burners and white porcelain.
The book focuses on the diverse spectrum of Korean art, which serves as the “key to identifying the essence, characteristics, origins and changes over time” for the country, according to the introduction by Ahn Hwi-joon, professor emeritus at Seoul National University’s department of art history and archaeology.
Ahn avoids definition in broad terms, providing an articulated point of entry by making clear distinctions between that of Korean art and other Asian countries. Although the national form integrates the styles of its forbearers, it has grown into its own balance of intrinsic and extrinsic qualities.
“It is no longer acceptable to exaggerate or amplify external influences from China and other countries, and thereby play down and devalue the achievements made independently by the Korean people,” he wrote.
Ahn also makes lucid differentiation between the “naturalism” that has long been known to characterize the national form, and definitions between the East and West. While Westerners believe the term to mean “the tendency to express nature just as it is,” the professor delineates that the term more closely aligns with “the inclination to nature and naturalness,” in Korea.
The book relays a combination of historical relevance and colorful narrative within the timeline of artistic evolution, thrusting the text into a contemporary reading full of edge-of-the-seat action: the 18th-century genre painting “Lovers under the Moon” by Shin Yun-bok is lifted from the two-dimensional pages as an alleyway rendezvous, full of passion and intrigue.
Other facts come to life in smooth, story-telling English: “Paintings, the preeminent field of Korean fine art, developed in earnest in the Three Kingdoms periods when the states of Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla and Gaya were in heated competition for ascendency.” Throughout, the articles make sure to maintain an intellectual but accessible language, opening the pages to beyond the academic field.
The book is broken into the major mediums of Korean art history: paintings, Buddhist sculpture, metal crafts, pottery and ceramics, wooden and lacquer crafts, and stone pagodas. Articles of note include a piece on the gold crowns of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-935 A.D.), while a rare look into the simple wooden furniture design of the Joseon Dynasty brings to light the beautiful minimalism inherent in Korean design.
The text proves a valuable addition to the Korean art buff, with an ease that lends the factually-dense content to become light bedtime reading. While difficult to find such clean prose on educational materials, “Masterpieces of Korean Art” manages to combine the old with the new, linking history with the present.
The book is the third volume of the foundation’s “Selections from Koreana Series,” comprised of articles from the group’s quarterly publication on the arts. The latest installment is the first to include a range of new articles, in addition to the quarterlies. “Masterpieces” can be found in local bookstores and will be distributed to libraries overseas.
The Korea Foundation, founded in 1991, promotes an understanding of Korean culture abroad and regularly hosts exhibitions, exchange classes and events.
inesmin@koreatimes.co.kr