National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.47 by National Museum of Korea

QUARTERLY MAGAZINE VOL.47 SPRING 2019

The five hundred arhats were discovered at Changnyeongsa Temple site that closed down long, long

ago but in the gallery they have a presence that grabs the attention of visitors. This exhibition presents a modern interpretation of the arhats, QUARTERLY MAGAZINE VOL.47 SPRING 2019

who are the enlightened ones of Buddhism.

A special exhibition sheds light on the legacy of An Jungsik and the directions explored by his contemporar-

ies during a tumultuous period when East and West, things old and new coexisted in Korea.

The pure white moon jar contains countless, everchanging shades of white. Its depth and subtlety are

manifested in its ample form and simple lines. When the top and bottom halves are joined together to form the whole the moon jar is pushed slightly out of shape. This moon jar is an endless source of inspiration for the artist Ik-joong Kang.

CONTENTS

02 Yesterday and tomorrow If the Moon Jar were a Person 08 Academic heritage Korea-Japan Study on the Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva 12 Issue A Smart Museum in the Age of Fourth Industrial Revolution 14 Current Modern Transitions in Korean Calligraphy and Painting 20 Essay Artists on the Turning Point of the Modern Era 22 Current Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site, Yeongwol: Reflection of Our Hearts 25 From the collection 26 Current The Reopening of Exhibition Hall II in the Silla History Gallery

From 2009 to 2012 the National Museum of Korea and Osaka University conducted joint research

on forty-three gilt-bronze pensive bodhi-

30 Review Twentieth Century Hanbok of Korean Women 33 Museum scene

sattva statues preserved in both Korea and

34 News

Japan. A curator who participated in the re-

38 Education Hangeul and Painting, Heading to Saudi

search gives her recollections of the project.

40 Place and event The Museum Library

This is a review of the special exhibition on modern hanbok worn by Korean women from the

1900s to 1970s, held at the Daegu National Museum. The exhibition holds special meaning as it takes for its subject the humble, ordinary hanbok, which sheds light on the lives of our mothers and grandmothers.

Publisher National Museum of Korea 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04383, Republic of Korea www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/home Editorial Direction Design Team, National Museum of Korea Tel: (82 2) 2077–9573, Fax: (82 2) 2077–9258, Email: polagu47@korea.kr Design and Production aNSWER Photography

Park Jung Hoon Photo Studio

Translation Cho Yoonjung / Nathaniel Kingdon / Timothy Atkinson Revision

Chung Eunsun / Hwang Chiyoung

Publication Date

May 20, 2019

ISSN

2005 – 1123

Printed in Korea. Copyright © 2019 National Museum of Korea. Note to Readers The related information of image is given in the following order: title, period or produced date, artist, material, dimensions. Items from other institutions are classified by their collection names. www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/archive/ebook/all (PDF downloads available)

YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW

By Ik-joong Kang, Artist

If the Moon Jar were a Person 02

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White Porcelain Moon Jar Joseon Dynasty H. 41.0 cm Treasure No. 1437 National Museum of Korea Moon Jar (previous page) 2012 Mixed media on wood 180.0 × 180.0 cm

If the moon jar were a person It would be someone Who is as pure and confident as the autumn sky. If the moon jar were a person It would be someone Who has a heart that embraces all like a big mountain. If the moon jar were a person It would be someone Who provides shade for the children like the tree from my old village.

House of Dreams 2018 Office of Education, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea

Artists usually focus on portraying the front views of people. Some artists portray only the back views of people. However, the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso painted the front and back views of people together. Perhaps he thought that in order to represent a whole person you need to combine the side that shows, the side that doesn’t show, the front and the back. This concept is very similar to a moon jar, which comes alive as a single entity when the top and bottom halves are joined together. If we compare the appearance of a moon jar to a person, it would be someone with a short neck, a wide chest, and a very round belly. The potter does not make a jar that is thick on the outside and narrow inside. But rather he makes a simple and modest white porcelain moon jar that is completely hollow on the inside to embrace others before oneself. In the moon jar we see a person who grows on you, a person who may be a bit rough around the edges, but has a generous and pure heart, a person who may be small but is open-minded. In the moon jar, we can also see the peaceful smile of a giltbronze contemplative bodhisattva. It is the smile that appears 04

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when one has let go of all the burdens of life, old age, sickness, and death. It is a smile of someone who walks when it’s time to walk, listens when it’s time to listen, laughs when it’s time to laugh, embraces the wind when the wind blows, and can let go when it’s time to let go. It may be that this smile belongs to the artist who made the gilt-bronze contemplative bodhisattva or the moon jar. The white porcelain moon jar of the Joseon Dynasty is made with white clay. The highly skilled potter combines the top and bottom halves of the moon jar and places it in the fiery kiln through the fire. It isn’t until the moon jar bakes at about 1000 degrees Celsius does it come alive as one unit resembling the full moon. Inside, the jar holds the vitality that enables new sprouts of spring to push their way through the frozen winter ground, and for small fish to cut across the water. When we listen to this life force, the life force of the moon jar, the sound resonates within us. It is not the passive “hearing” that lets sounds pass as simple wavelengths, but the active “listening” where the sound is heard through the soundboard within. When

I am fully embraced by the presence of the moon jar, the past, present, and future come to me as a single sound. Time is like the promises that we have set. Time exists inside our thoughts. Time is connected like the wind and the clouds. Time stands still. Like that mountain, it stands as it is, and it may be that time has always been inside me. Like the moon jar that resonates when the upper and lower halves are joined together to become one whole, hangeul (the Korean Alphabet) makes a sound when the consonants and vowels are joined together. Only after they are connected, and you breathe into them you can make a whole sound. In a complete void, there is no distinction between inside and outside or between you and me. The sky becomes the ground and night becomes day. Only connection and communication exist. Hangeul and the moon jar are like the secret code of the Korean people, who are complete when united and who come to life when gathered together. In 2001, when I was teaching my three-year-old son how to read hangeul, I drew the vowels and consonants with different colored crayons so that he could distinguish them easily. And that is what my son did, he read it so easily. Later, using the same method, I taught some of my non-Korean friends how to read hangeul, explaining the principles of yin and yang. Not long after they were reading Korean, too. Some time ago, a white porcelain moon jar was on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Placed along one of the exhibition walls, it had to compete for attention with treasures from all over the world. Looking at its white inner skin discreetly revealed, the words “It’s simply so pure” could not be uttered without care. I was ashamed of myself for having lived without really thinking about it. The moon jar may be like our fathers, mothers, grandfathers, and grandmothers who envelop everyone in their broad white skirts. The round moon jar just sits there in silence. It is not big or fancy, but it emanates the dignity of pure whiteness and the big-heartedness that embraces the whole world with ease. After visiting the museum to see the moon jar, over the next few days I thought hard about how to describe the moon jar in a single word. The best I could do was describe it in two words, “pure and proud.”

Hangeul (Mixed with Wind and Connected by Land) 2005 Crayon on paper 33.0 × 46.0 cm

The Moon of Dreams (in Progress) 2004 D. 15.0 m Public Outdoor Project, 126,000 children’s drawings from all over the world Ilsan Lake Park, Goyang, Korea

In 2004 I floated a globe with a diameter of 15 meters on the water at Ilsan Lake Park. The surface of the globe was covered by 126,000 children’s drawings from around the world. At that moment, the world joined by dreams was about to become complete. However, during the final stages when we were putting the finishing touches on the installation, too much air was pumped into the globe. It ended up bursting and as a result, we ended up with a less than perfect globular shape. What could I do at this point? Disappointed, I was staring at the globe for a very 05

long time and then it suddenly came to me. I slapped my knee and yelled out, “It’s a moon jar!” The moon jar was standing right in front of me, as if it had recognized my dream of uniting South and North Korea, bringing the world together through the dreams of children. It was the perfect moon jar, slightly tilted to one side. Suddenly I thought of my childhood, the blue sky seen behind the bus stop and the sunset seen from the road on my way home from school. Ten years ago, I participated in a discussion on the topic of “tradition and art” organized by a German art museum. A member of the audience asked me, “How is Korean tradition expressed in your art?” I thought for a moment, then asked back, “What do you think of as German tradition? Is it the architectural style of that church over there? Or is tradition hidden in the clothes you are wearing? Or would you say it’s the German sausages that I like so much?” When the words “tradition” or “classical” come up we tend to imagine old patterns, rituals, or processes. Tradition is not about material things, but a way of thinking. Tradition is not an old piece of writing or book, but the thinking behind that writing or book. Tradition is not the traces of the past, but the way to the future. Through the roots of the past, the moon jar grows the stem of the present to produce the fruits of the future. The roots, stem, and fruits are ultimately one, like the moon jar. I heard about a shaman on Jeju Island who served the god of seven stars (Chilseongsin) and held rites for the deity with just a

Things I Know 2017 2,500 people drew “Things They Knew” on the 3 × 3 inch wood blocks ARKO Museum, Seoul, Korea

bottle of Chilsung cider (lemon soda pop, “chilsung” pronounced the same as “chilseong”) as an offering. For the shaman, who believes she is the center of the universe, following a particular form or process is not important. It is like the way bibimbap, the culinary pride of Korea, varies according to the different ingredients each person uses. A bowl of rice and some wellmatured red pepper paste mixed with any seasonal ingredients make for a tasty bowl of bibimbap. It is this flexibility in us that is embedded in the moon jar. Traditional latticed doors covered with paper divide the inside and outside but if you look at them carefully you will see that they are open with countless little holes. The resonance of the moon jar may seem to be already in the past, but if you tune your thinking and listen carefully it comes across as a living landscape. Not as the past perfect but the present perfect continuous tense. Though originally two, the moon jar is a portrait of our people who will make their way through the flames to emerge united as one. The white porcelain moon jar knows about letting go and love. It represents forgiveness and reconciliation, and the perfect great absolute (taegeuk), the oneness before duality. If I feel hatred Life is harder for me If I can let go My mind is at ease If I can forgive There is a spot for everyone

25 Wishes 2009 Mixed media on wood 292.0 × 350.0 cm (58.0 × 58.0 cm each)

Ik-joong Kang Born in Cheongju, Chuncheongbuk-do in 1960, Ik-joong Kang is an artist currently active in New York. After graduating from the department of Western art at Hongik University in 1984 he went to study in the United States and in 1987 graduated from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He gained global attention with his 3 x 3 inch canvases and his works can be found in the collections of many world-class museums and galleries, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and British Museum. He has made many public installations in Korea and other countries and hopes to one day complete his “Bridge of Dreams” project on the Imjingang River, which currently divides the two Koreas. 07

ACADEMIC HERITAGE

By Kwon Kangmi, Curator of the Children’s Museum Division, National Museum of Korea

Korea-Japan Study on the Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva Pensive bodhisattva statue depicts a figure deep in thought, with one leg perched up on the other knee and the fingers of one hand gently touching the cheek. This genre of Buddhist iconography originated from the image of Siddhārtha Gautama absorbed in meditation as he agonized over the human condition— life, old age, sickness, and death—prior to his leaving home in search of enlightenment. The first sculptures in the pensive pose appeared in what was the ancient state of Gandhara in present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, this iconography was most widely accepted in Korea and Japan, wherein pensive bodhisattva statues were intensively produced in ancient times.

Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva Three Kingdoms period H. 81.5 cm National Treasure No. 78 National Museum of Korea

I was involved in organizing Pensive Bodhisattvas: National Treasures of Korea and Japan, a special exhibition held at the National Museum of Korea in 2016. The Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva (Korean National Treasure No. 78) and the Wood Pensive Bodhisattva (Japanese National Treasure from Chuguji Temple) were displayed together for the first time, a truly significant event. This exhibition provided an opportunity to compare the similarities and differences of this singular religious icon, showing how it changed over time and location.

Pensive Bodhisattva from Nachi Mountain, Wakayama Prefecture Three Kingdoms period H. 30.7 cm Tokyo National Museum © Tokyo National Museum, Image: TNM Image Archives

In December 2017, the NMK published the Scientific Study of the Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva Statues from Korea and Japan, providing the results of a collaborative project conducted by the National Museum of Korea and Osaka University between 2009 and 2012. The project covered forty-three statues (twelve in Korea and thirty-one in Japan). Pensive posture figures were the most prevalent form of Buddhist statuary in ancient Korea and Japan, and they have long been intensively studied. However, this was the first study that covered all extant examples. Moreover, the effort went beyond the traditional approaches that include the most fundamental analysis of style and iconography performed in research on Buddhist sculpture. The latest equipment was employed to put greater weight on scientific method in the conduct of the study.

Pensive Bodhisattva

Three Kingdoms period H. 27.6 cm National Museum of Korea

Three Kingdoms period H. 28.6 cm Treasure No. 331 National Museum of Korea

Three Kingdoms period H. 20.8 cm National Museum of Korea

Pensive Bodhisattva Three Kingdoms period H. 90.8 cm National Treasure No. 83 National Museum of Korea

The comparison of material properties between the Korean and Japanese pensive bodhisattva statues produced some of the most interesting results. The main elements of the base metal most often used in Korean pensive bodhisattva statues are copper and tin, and the same elements can be found in some Japanese elements. However, the tin content in the Korean statues ranges from at least 5 percent to over 10 percent, while the amount of tin in the Japanese statues with the element is around 3 percent. In addition, lead is found in many of the Korean-made statues, while pure copper is most often the base metal for those made in Japan. None of the Korean pensive bodhisattvas from the Three Kingdoms period used unalloyed copper as the base metal. In addition, the pensive bodhisattva statue housed in Kanshoin, a Buddhist monastery in Nagano, Japan, as well as the one discovered in a vault for Buddhist scripture on Nachi Mountain and now part of the Tokyo National Museum collection have long been believed to be of Korean origin in terms of style. This research has shown that they also have the physical properties of the Korean-made gilt-bronze statues. Meanwhile, the Osaka University team suggested the possibility that the pensive bodhisattva statue at Myodenji, a temple in Kyoto, as well as the one at Keiunji, a temple in Hyogo, were produced on the Korean Peninsula during the Three Kingdoms period.

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Another interesting finding beyond the scientific analysis involves the differences in form between the Korean and Japanese statues. In the Korean case, the seated figure’s upper body is long and slender, whereas the Japanese pieces have short torsos and are seated on a relatively large pedestal. Few pieces of Korean Buddhist statuary are extant from the Three Kingdoms period, making it difficult to extrapolate reliable statistical values with respect to form and style. Some related records exist, but clear excavation details on the Buddhist statues are rare. Therefore, subjective criteria must inevitably be applied when trying to determine the actual year and region of production for individual pieces. The conclusions vary among different researchers.

Pensive Bodhisattva Hakuho period dated 666 H. 38.8 cm Tokyo National Museum, N-156 Important Cultural Properties © Tokyo National Museum, Image: TNM Image Archives

Pensive Bodhisattva of Kanshoin, Nagano Three Kingdoms period H. 30.2 cm Important Cultural Properties © Kanshoin Temple

Pensive Bodhisattva of Yachuji Temple, Osaka Hakuho period dated 666 H. 30.7 cm Important Cultural Properties © Yachuji Temple

Recognizing this problem, the researchers who participated in the present study paid close attention to the scientific analysis of the statues. The statues’ material properties, which cannot be determined with the naked eye, were subjected to fluorescent X-ray analysis, radiography, computed tomography, and 3D scan. In addition, diverse data were provided with respect to technical aspects. Backed by these data, the conclusions of the findings are more persuasive and objective than what other research efforts have been able to offer. Going forward, researchers should continue to collect and analyze more data on ancient gilt-bronze Buddhist statuary from East Asia, to include the pensive bodhisattva genre. This work will provide better clues for resolving various questions surrounding the issue.

Scientific Study of the Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva Statues from Korea and Japan ISBN : 978-89-93518-46-7 Language : Korean and Japanese

ISSUE

By the Editorial Team / With C hang Eunjeong, Curator of the Planning and General Management Division, National Museum of Korea

A Smart Museum in the Age of Fourth Industrial Revolution NEW WAYS OF COMMUNICATING

With the development of digital technology, the hyper-connected society is approaching. Smart devices are increasingly making their way into our everyday lives and changing our way of life. The use of chatbot services to communicate with all sorts of devices embedded with the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing, and the emergence of smart-phone savvy generation is giving rise to a new culture. When we talk about big data, artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, and robots, it all seems far into the future, but many people have already used and experienced the high technologies. These technologies are now influencing the evolution of cultural content. In 2010, the famed Chinese painting Along the River during the

Qingming Festival, Treasure No. 1 of China, became subject to an international sensation when it was digitally rendered in 3D animation. In the U.S., Artlens Gallery at the Cleveland Museum of Art uses digital technologies that allow visitors to engage with works of art before going to see the actual objects in the exhibition hall. Museums are taking various moves to fuse technology with culture and maximize synergy. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA’S EVOLUTION INTO A SMART MUSEUM

The National Museum of Korea welcomes some three million visitors every year. As the country’s major cultural organization, it is in the process of transforming into a smart museum to provide a more comfortable and convenient viewing

environment while giving visitors a more meaningful cultural experience and finding ways to help enjoy Korean culture on a broad scope. The museum is a place of learning and at the same time a place to rest and relax. It needs to evolve in tune with the new generation and as the first step, a digital strategy team was created within the NMK organization this year. In the future, rather than communicating with all visitors in the same way, the museum aims to provide tailored service according to each visitor’s preferences. Toward this end, high technologies such as artificial intelligence using big data, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and robots will be used in wide-ranging ways. The greatest advantage of digital technology is the ability to transcend space and time. This will give visitors a virtual experience of objects as if they were in their original time and place or allow them to engage with objects in real time in a realistic way. The NMK is actively working with curators as well as experts in the fields of production, sound, equipment, and onsite hosting to create innovative experience spaces featuring new digital media infused with warm sensibilities. QI, THE CURATING ROBOT

Curator Chang in front of an interactive media on the theme of Silla’s golden regalia

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QI first appeared in the Permanent Exhibition Hall in December last year. An AI robot serving as exhibition guide with mastery of four languages—Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese—has grabbed the attention of domestic and foreign visitors alike. Currently it can be

Visitor and curator asking QI the robot some questions

found on the Path to History on the first floor. When visitors ask the robot some questions, it not only guides visitors to exhibits and convenience facilities but also gives information on viewing the museum and things to see in the area using voice and screen. For now, it operates on uploaded information, so visitors may not be completely satisfied with the answers they get. But the robot will be reinforced with updated functions and information to provide tailored exhibition information. As a curating robot, it is currently programed with docent function but as it is still unable to deal with unexpected situations in the exhibition galleries, trial operation is limited for now to exhibits on the Path to History. UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE OF IMMERSIVE DIGITAL CONTENTS

The greatest change in the NMK this year will be the creation of immersive digital studios, where visitors can enjoy tailored experiences. By the end of this year, two studios will be opened on the first floor of

the museum, one in the Goguryeo Gallery of the Prehistoric and Ancient History section, and one in the Medieval and Early Modern History section. Immersive digital exhibitions are being prepared to cover such themes as the Goguryeo tomb murals, Geumgangsan Mountain, and the rites of the Joseon royal court. The moment visitors step into these studios they will be able to enjoy highresolution images combining sound effects and the latest lighting technology that will plunge them right into the subject. Three immersive media art works are currently in production and will function as digital exhibitions that can be widely used in Korean galleries at overseas museums, at special exhibitions on Korea in other countries, and at other institutions inside the country. From winter this year, the rest area on the second floor of the museum will also be transformed into a digital experience space. Visitors will be led into the world of imagination with VR experiences using head gear, and new visual experiences

provided by super high-resolution images. The thirteen affiliated national museums in Korea are also preparing similar digital content spaces. Moreover, the NMK has signed an MOU with the Korea Culture Technology Institute at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) to develop exhibition viewing methods using augmented reality. The AR docent program, scheduled for trial operation in the Silla Gallery in the second half of the year, will provide a richer experience of the exhibits by showing the back side of a relic, which is usually not visible, the movement of figures inside decorative designs, and real landscapes that are the motifs for designs on various works. The planned digital experience spaces at the NMK will double the fun of visiting the museum and enhance the role and value of the museum. Through this new project, the NMK hopes to stimulate new sensibilities and make sure that the museum is a place people want to come back to.

CURRENT

By Kim Seung-ik, Associate Curator of the Exhibition Division, National Museum of Korea

Modern Transitions in Korean Calligraphy and Painting APRIL 16 – JUNE 2, 2019 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA A special exhibition has opened to examine the advent of modern calligraphy and painting in Korea, a movement led by the great master of modern Korean painting An Jungsik.

Works by the master An Jungsik and his pupils

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Modern Transitions in Korean Calligraphy and Painting is the first special exhibition being held at the National Museum of Korea in 2019. This exhibition examines the development of modern calligraphic and painting styles in Korea around the beginning of the twentieth century. The transitional period between Joseon’s opening of ports in 1876 through the March First Independence Movement in 1919 was one of the most turbulent

times in all of Korean history. This was also a significant time in Korean art history, as the stirrings of modern art appeared. The great painter An Jungsik 1861–1919, pen name Simjeon, stood at the heart of this change. This special exhibition is being held in 2019 to commemorate the centennial of his passing, and one hundred paintings and calligraphic works by contemporaries of An’s are also on display. The aim is to illuminate the way sought by modern

calligraphers and painters and extant works from a period characterized by a mixture of both Eastern and Western styles, old and new. NEW GENERATION OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTING

Once the Joseon Dynasty opened her ports in 1876, regular exchanges, both commercial and diplomatic, were conducted with China, Japan, and the

Birds and Flowers 1890s By An Jungsik Ink and light color on silk 194.5 × 38.8 cm (part of twelve folding screens) National Museum of Korea

Rising Sun and Pine Tree Joseon Dynasty, 1888 By Kang Jinhui Ink and light color on paper 91.0 × 60.5 cm National Museum of Korea

Works produced through the joint efforts of calligraphers and painters from the Japanese colonial period

Western imperialist powers. New ideas, products, and technologies were embraced from outside the country. Enlightened intellectuals who had studied in the US, Japan, or China were among the best artists of the period. An Jungsik and his life-long colleague Jo Seokjin 1853–1920 were sent at government expenses to Qing China as part of a fact-finding mission in 1881. They were tasked with learning about modern weapons manufacturing methods before returning home. At the time, enlightened intellectuals armed with Western-inspired progressivism were at the forefront of the effort to reform the customs and government systems of the Joseon Dynasty, but the calligraphy and paintings that An and Jo left behind strongly reflect Chinese or Joseon traditions. An Jungsik maintained a very close relationship with Jang Seungeop 1843–1897, a renowned painter at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. However, An’s early works were not in Jang’s unrestrained style but instead were often depictions of flowers and birds, birds and/or animals, or Taoist immortals and Buddhist saints and arhats executed

in elaborate, detailed brushstrokes. The paintings by An Jungsik show an even mix of influences from Joseon traditional styles as well as from contemporary Chinese and Japanese works. This was a chaotic time for Joseon society, as imperialist powers stepped up their interference in Joseon affairs, and Western technologies and goods flowed increasingly into the country. Calligraphy and painting represented the unchangeable identities of the enlightenment intellectuals armed with new information about the world. THE BRUSH OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Artists used to the medium of the brush and ink came to see photography as a new method for reproducing images. Hwang Cheol 1864–1930 and Ji Unyeong 1852–1935 were pioneer photographers from the end of the Joseon Dynasty who also were active calligraphers and painters. Kim Gyujin 1868–1933, a leader in Korean modernist art circles, ran a photography shop, sold calligraphic works and paintings, and trained the next generation of artists.

The print medium was another new tool that caught the attention of modern calligraphers and painters. Oh Sechang 1864–1953 was a calligrapher, art historian, and independence activist who founded the Daehan Jaganghoe (Daehan Self-strengthening Society) in 1906. An Jungsik took part in this organization for enlightening the minds of the masses, drawing illustrations for the magazine published by the Daehan Self-strengthening Society. Subsequently, An accepted Ko Huidong 1886–1965 and Yi Doyeong 1884–1933 as his disciples. Ko, influenced by his teacher, went to study in Japan and became the first Korean artist to work in Western-style painting. Yi Doyeong and Ko Huidong both drew cartoons for newspapers and did cover illustrations for novels, pioneering new areas within the print media industry. The new creative methods applied by Oh Sechang and An Jungsik as well as by the two younger artists under their influence demonstrate the role that modern calligraphers and painters played in raising public awareness of the changing world.

Visitors in front of a collaborative painting by An Jungsik and nine other artists

Cartoon of Daehan Minbo (Korea Newspaper) 1910 By Yi Doyeong Print on paper 34.0 × 49.8 cm National Museum of Korea

Aideul Boy February 1914 Cover illustrated by An Jungsik Print on paper 22.0 × 15.0 cm National Hangeul Museum

Yeong-gwang Landscape 1915 By An Jungsik Ink and light color on silk 170.0 × 473.0 cm (ten folding screens) Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art

GATHERINGS OF ARTISTS IN A LOST NATION

The Joseon Royal Family was an important anchor for traditional calligraphers and artists, who were either literati or court painters. However, that foundation was badly shaken in 1910, when Korea became a colony of Japan, and they began to search individually or in groups for a new way ahead. Artists like Oh Sechang continued independence activities while engaging in calligraphy and painting. Some artists remained in seclusion during the Japanese colonial period and pursued their work outside the established art circles for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, organized artist activities flourished in the 1910s, centered on the society of painters. An Jungsik was right in the middle of this movement. He established the Seohwa 18

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Misulhoe (Association of Calligraphy and Painting) in 1911, and this, Korea’s first art education institution, turned out the next generation of calligraphers and painters who would lead Korea’s painting circles from the 1920s on. Then, the Giseong Seohwa Misulhoe (Giseong Association of Calligraphy and Painting) was formed in Pyeongyang in 1913, helping to advance the art scene outside the capital. In 1918, the Seohwa Hyeophoe (Society of Calligraphers and Painters) was organized as the first modernist art group representing all Korean painters, and An Jungsik served as the founding president. Artists of this period enjoyed working on collaborative paintings. Such projects demonstrated their desire to strengthen solidarity among Korean artists as well as the belief that traditional creative methods were to be followed.

THE LEGACY OF THE MASTERS AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA

An Jungsik stood at the heart of the Korean art scene in the 1910s, while he was in his prime. Importantly, his school passed on to the next generation with the techniques employed in decorative paintings for the court; landscapes in the style of contemporaneous professional Shanghai painters; still-life paintings; and bird, flower, and animal paintings. While perpetuating traditional genres, An also began experimenting with new ways to produce the true-view landscapes of Joseon in his latter years. His trueto-life Spring Dawn at Mount Baegak based on perspective drawing features the desolate Joseon palace buildings after Korea lost her sovereignty, while his Yeong-gwang Landscape realistically portrays a rural scene. Both can be

considered monumental works that show the modernist view of An Jungsik. An Jungsik led the modernist painters during Korea’s transitional period into the twentieth century. The country’s artist community faced new changes after he died, for his passing signified more than the death of a single painter. This was the clearest turning point toward the modern in Korean art history, signaling the start of a generational change of artists as well as the advent of true art exhibitions in the modern sense. Compared to his place in the history of modern Korean painting, insufficient attention has been paid to the world of his works and to the period in which he lived. This special exhibition to mark the 100th anniversary of his passing guides the public to the worlds of art of An Jungsik and his contemporary artists. Visitors should come away with a deeper understanding of their creative world.

Paintings by the new generation artists in the exhibition era

ESSAY

By Kwon Hyeeun, Associate Curator of the Exhibition Division, National Museum of Korea

Artists on the Turning Point of the Modern Era The rapid changes in the state of world affairs from the mid-nineteenth century also affected the Joseon Dynasty, which was thrust into a new age with the sudden opening of ports that came with the Treaty of Ganghwado Island signed with Japan in 1876. The traditional era drew to a rapid close and as in all other areas, changes began to take place in the calligraphy and painting circle. COURT PAINTERS TO MODERN ARTISTS

The first signs came with the closure of the Dohwaseo, the royal bureau of painting, following the 1894 Gabo Reforms that swept through the government. With the disappearance of the Dohwaseo, which had been operated by the royal court, court painters such as An Jungsik 1861–1919 lost their positions and their work and hence became real modern artists who made painting their profession. As the last of the court painters, their experience had built them a solid reputation but by the same token they anguished over their place and identity in dark times when the nation had lost its sovereignty. Spring Dawn at Mount Baegak, which depicts a dawn on a spring day at Gyeongbokgung Palace with Baegaksan Mountain in the background, were painted by An in the summer and autumn of 1915. This was after the Japanese Governmentgeneral of Korea had destroyed many of the buildings inside the royal palace and was planning to hold an exposition to mark its fifth year of rule. This spring landscape was painted by An right after the destruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace 20

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by the Japanese colonial government, and holds many implications as a work by one of the last court painters featuring one of the last remaining palace halls. SUCCESSION AND CONCENTRATION OF TRADITION

When the Dohwaseo was closed down, An Jungsik and Jo Seokjin 1853–1920 continued to stand at the center of the art circle and teach students. It could be said that most of the artists active from the days of the Korean Empire 1897–1910 and the modern era were students of these two masters; they thus had an immense influence on the Korean art scene, and their students were acknowledged as the artists who laid the foundations for Korean modern art. In 1901, An Jungsik took on Yi Doyeong 1884–1933 as his first student and taught him at his atelier, Gyeongmukdang, in the same way as he had been taught at the Dohwaseo. In 1911, Seohwa Misulhoe (Association of Calligraphy and Painting) opened Korea’s first modern art school with the support of the Joseon royal family and the Japanese Governmentgeneral of Korea. The teaching staff centered around the two senior masters, An Jungsik and Jo Seokjin, and their disciples: Kang Jinhui 1851–1919, Jeong Daeyu 1852–1927, Kim Eungwon 1855–1921, Kang Pilju, and Yi Doyeong. Some of the major artists to come out of the school were O Ilyeong 1890–1960, Yi Yongu 1902–1952, Yi Hanbok 1897–1944, Kim Eunho 1892–1979, Park Seungmu 1893–1980, Yi Sangbeom 1897–1972, No Suhyeon 1899–1978, and Choe Useok 1899–1965. The school closed after producing its

fourth class of graduates in 1918, but proved to be the cradle of Korea modern art, giving rise to the major artists of the modern era. In 1918, calligraphers and painters armed with a modern selfawareness formed Seohwa Hyeophoe (Society of Calligraphers and Painters), the country’s first modern art association. Composed of graduates of Seohwa Misulhoe, its objectives were to seek balanced development of old and new in the calligraphy and painting world, research Asian and Western art, and teach students of the next generation. In 1919 the group planned the first Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition, a competitive art salon, but it was delayed due to the March First Independence Movement. The event was finally held in 1921 as Korea’s first modern art exhibition covering all genres. Seohwa Hyeophoe was disbanded in 1936 after holding its 15th annual exhibition and is significant for the contribution it made to Korean modern art and the way it stimulated the domestic art scene. THE AGE OF EXHIBITIONS AND SEPARATION OF CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTING

The modern calligraphy and painting circle was divided among different groups such as Seohwa Hyeophoe, Seohwa Misulhoe, and Seohwa Yeonguhoe (Research Association of Calligraphy and Painting) but they all worked under the traditional idea of calligraphy and painting as one genre. The death of An Jungsik in 1919 proved to be a major turning point, and when Jo Seokjin also

died the following year the traditional era centered on the two great artists ended. The transition from traditional to modern grew in pace. Then in 1921, the Joseon Misul Jeollamhoe (Joseon Art Exhibition) with a public nature was launched by the Japanese Government-general. The first edition of what amounted to a national art event was divided into three sections: Section 1 for Asian painting, Section 2 for Western painting and sculpture, and Section 3 for calligraphy. But from the fourth edition in 1924 changes in thinking were reflected in the removal of paintings of the four gracious plants (plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo) from the Asian painting section to include in the calligraphy section. Then in the eleventh edition of the exhibition in 1932, the four gracious plants were once again made part of the Asian painting section. The calligraphy section was abolished and replaced with the new handcraft section, indicating recognition of handcraft as a genre of fine art. Changes in the calligraphy and painting world thus saw rapid change with the start of the modern era as the old and familiar clashed with the new and unfamiliar. The complete separation of traditional calligraphy and painting as genres that occurred then is a situation that continues to this day.

Spring Dawn at Mount Baegak Summer in 1915 By An Jungsik Ink and light color on silk 197.5 × 63.7 cm Registered Cultural Heritage No. 485

CURRENT

By Park Kyungeun, Associate Curator of the Research and Planning Division, National Museum of Korea

Modern installation in collaboration with artist Kim Seungyoung

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Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site, Yeongwol: Reflection of Our Hearts APRIL 29 – JUNE 13, 2019 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

The special exhibition Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site, Yeongwol, originally organized by the Chuncheon National Museum, was chosen as the exhibition of 2018 and has now been reorganized with around ninety of the arhat statues for a new presentation at the National Museum of Korea.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

One passes through a dark, narrow tunnel, which is like the entrance to another world. The destination: a quiet place like the chasm of the universe extending in all directions with entities floating around like planets. The shining faces, like beams of light here and there, slowly come into sight. As you draw closer the faces seem to come alive on the rough, tough granite surface, each the definite face of a certain person, calm and steadfast and emanating a strong aura. Your spine shivers at the incredible feeling of seeing for yourself a living being that has become one with the rock. Moreover, the faces suffused with joy that cannot be hidden, faces with a scarf over the head looking deep at peace, faces with heavy heads dropped forward

Simple, friendly faces of arhats striking a chord in hearts

concentrating on something—each and every one knocks on our hearts and fills our minds leaving nothing to be desired. The stone figures of arhats that we encounter in the special exhibition Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site, Yeongwol: Reflection of Our Hearts live “inside the peace of a solid interior that is as shiny and hard as a mirror.” They are “filled with a smooth and glowing happiness like the rising moon,” inhabiting “a tranquil peace like warm sunshine,” and are “caught in serious absorption as heavy as a rock.” WHY ARHATS HERE AND NOW?

These arhats came to be known to the world when a number of them were discovered by a local resident in

Changwon-ri, Nam-myeon, Yeongwol in Gangwon-do in 2001. Through the official excavation carried out between 2001 and 2002, a total of 317 stone arhat figures, including fragments, were discovered. It is presumed that they come from a set of five hundred arhats enshrined at Changnyeongsa Temple, which would have existed from the twelfth century in the Goryeo Dynasty to the mid-Joseon Dynasty. The Sanskrit word arhat, or arhan, was phonetically transcribed in Chinese characters as luohan, which is pronounced “nahan” in Korean. The name means “one who is worthy of respect.” In Buddhism, the arhats are those who are completely free of the bonds of desire and have reached nirvana, the disciples of Buddha

Arhats showing all kinds of facial expressions sitting on top of waist-high pedestals

who lead the masses to enlightenment. The subjects of this special exhibition are the five hundred arhats from the Changnyeongsa Temple site. But why are we dealing with arhats of all things at this point in time? In the complex social structure and relations of contemporary times and the mountain of available information, we discover our natural selves pressed down by greed and bound up in all sorts of emotions. Are we indeed 24

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free and happy? These five hundred arhats from the Changnyeongsa Temple site made by our ancestors with deep faith and the spirit of the artisan present a wise answer to the foolish question. As we look at the arhat smiling subtly and full of happiness, the meditating arhat arousing an inner sense of fulfillment, and the arhat as pure and innocent as a child, we naturally look over the countless emotions inside and at ourselves caught in those emotions. Just as the mountains rise and trees stand upon the land, a pedestal rises on a pile of bricks in the exhibition hall. And as we see the arhats sitting on top of the pedestal we come to mull over the words inscribed on the bricks indicating emotions such as joy, happiness, hate, fear, anger, and sadness. Amidst the sounds of everyday life coming from the speakers piled high like a forest of buildings, we come to meet the laughing faces of arhats, crying and rejoicing, freed from emotion. This space that links past and present is a place for thinking, where one can quietly concentrate on oneself and listen to the sounds within, even if for a moment. It is our gift to the visitors. Originally held at the Chuncheon National Museum from late 2018 through early 2019, this special exhibition was chosen as exhibition of the year at the recommendation of museum visitors and experts. It has now been reorganized to be newly presented at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. It is a collaborative exhibition that brings together past and present Buddhist art, reinterpreted by contemporary artists such as Kim Seungyoung, so that we in the present can intuitively interact with the artworks of the past on a personal level. The exhibition also shows the steps the NMK is taking as it strives to produce creative and futureoriented cultural content.

FROM THE COLLECTION

“Manmulcho Rocks” from Album of Famous Mountains in Eastern Korea

In 1997, the National Museum of Korea purchased Album of Famous Mountains in Eastern Korea, known as Haedongmyeongsan-docheop 海東名山圖帖, a collection of sketches by Kim Hongdo 1745–c.1806 of beautiful scenes in the Gwandong (Gangwon-do) area, focusing particularly on Geumgangsan Mountain. The sketchbook is in the true-view landscape style and contains works of inked brush on paper, executed in simple texture strokes that were rapidly applied. The sketch featured here is found on the number 36 of the album and titled “Manmulcho” (meaning “sketch of the myriad things”). The scene is described as sheer cliffs of stratified rock and oddly-shaped rock formations in the Obongsan Mountain area. The inclusion of such diverse forms is like sketches that depict the Creation at the great beginning of time, hence the name “Manmulcho.” This masterpiece saliently depicts Onjeongnyeong Pass, Obongsan Mountain, and its layered cliffs.

Joseon Dynasty, after 1788 By Kim Hongdo Ink on paper 30.5 × 4 3.0 cm (painting) 30.6 × 4 3.8 cm (album)

CURRENT

By the Editorial Team / With Lee Dongkwan, Associate Curator, Gyeongju National Museum

The Reopening of Exhibition Hall II in the Silla History Gallery FROM DECEMBER 15, 2018 GYEONGJU NATIONAL MUSEUM The newly opened Exhibition Hall II in the Silla History Gallery at the Gyeongju National Museum highlights the royal tombs and gold culture of Silla within a streamlined setting that is easy to navigate and understand.

The Gold Crown and Gold Waist Belt from Cheonmachong Tomb displayed in a separate space

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Gold Cap Silla Kingdom, 5th century H. 17.6 cm Excavated from Geumgwanchong Tomb, Gyeongju

Sword with Gold Inlay from King Michu’s Tumulus Silla Kingdom, 6th century L. 36.0 cm Excavated from Tomb No. 14 in Gyerim-ro, Gyeongju Treasure No. 635

Upon entering Exhibition Hall II in the Silla History Gallery, visitors encounter two media boxes mounted at eye level. These displays feature photographs from the excavation of the royal tombs as well as a slideshow of gold artifacts in order to introduce the contents of the exhibition through explanatory images. This reflects the Gyeongju National Museum’s ongoing efforts to reorganize the permanent exhibition areas not simply to present the original artifacts in a new way but in order to create a more visitor-friendly environment that prioritizes the museum visitor. Exhibition Hall II in the Silla History Gallery features 2,119 artifacts excavated from the royal tombs of Silla. The exhibition is organized around three tombs from the Maripgan period of the Silla Kingdom: Geumgwanchong Tomb, Hwangnamdaechong Tomb, and Cheonmachong Tomb. The exhibition is organized so that the visitor can immediately discern which artifacts were excavated from which tomb. It is a simple arrangement but results in a clearly defined space that facilitates a visitorfriendly experience. In addition, the gallery features various digital contents to enhance the visitor’s experience such as maps showing the location of the royal tombs of Silla, digital magnifying glasses for examining the fine details

Bird-shaped Gold Ornament for Diadem Silla Kingdom H. 45.0 cm Excavated from Cheonmachong Tomb, Gyeongju Treasure No. 618

Glass Drinking Vessel Silla Kingdom, 5th Century H. 8.8 cm Excavated from Seobongchong Tomb, Gyeongju

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of the gold artifacts, as well as a digital chart picturing cultural relics that were exchanged along the Silk Road. In the three-part exhibition, the “Geumgwanchong Tomb” section addresses the interesting question of the identity of a noble character known as “Isajiwang” through displays of excavated artifacts. The part featuring the “Hwangnamdaechong Tomb,” the largest tomb on the Korean Peninsula, includes many displays of excavated artifacts that convey the extravagance of Silla culture and the political might of the king and royal family who were able to install so many valuable objects in their burials. Two of the most well-known items in the Gyeongju National Museum, the Gold Crown from Cheonmachong Tomb (National Treasure No. 188) and the Gold Waist Belt from Cheonmachong Tomb (National Treasure No. 190), are displayed in a separate space to allow visitors time for careful observation. This section of the exhibition featuring the “Cheonmachong Tomb” speaks to the essence of gold metalwork from the Silla Kingdom. Among many changes brought to Exhibition Hall II after renovation, the

most remarkable one is a much more lively viewing experience in which visitors can closely observe and interact with the artifacts. The lighting and timeworn display cases have been replaced with state-of-the-art fixtures and the wall design and flooring have been refurbished for a more engaging viewing experience. The anti-reflective glass selected for the display cases transmits 99 percent of visible light, all but eliminating shimmering and reflective effects. The latest LED fixtures also help to create the optimal viewing environment for the cultural treasures on display. In addition, the display cases are formatted with a new vibration detection system that serves to better protect the artifacts and visitors in cases of earthquakes. Following the successful reorganization of Exhibition Hall II in the Silla History Gallery, the Gyeongju National Museum plans to refurbish Exhibition Hall I later this year. Through these renovations, the Gyeongju National Museum hopes to create a comfortable space that highlights the beauty of the cultural artifacts and provides welcoming experience for visitors.

Accessories crafted from gold, silver, bronze, or jade as well as some containers

Docent explaining to visitors the practice of placing burial objects in the tomb during the Silla period

REVIEW

By the Editorial Team / With Lee Wonjin, Associate Curator, Daegu National Museum

Twentieth Century Hanbok of Korean Women DECEMBER 8, 2018 – MARCH 10, 2019 DAEGU NATIONAL MUSEUM

The Daegu National Museum has continued to conduct in-depth research on Korean traditional costume as well as to uncover related stories and anecdotes. Twentieth Century Hanbok of Korean Women was the first in a series of the museum’s special exhibitions on Korean clothing and adornment scheduled to be held this year. The museum is also preparing a permanent exhibition on the theme, thereby strengthening its identity and branding as Korea’s leading museum specialized in Korean traditional clothing and adornment. The Newtro (from “new” and “retro”) look, reminiscent of the 1970s, is one of the trends sweeping Korean women’s fashion 30

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this spring. Any well-dressed lady would be interested in vintage denim or lacy items matched with oversized jackets. The Daegu National Museum looked back in time by opening the Twentieth Century Hanbok of Korean Women, a special exhibition that covered Korean traditional dresses known as hanbok that were popular among Korean women during the 1900s. The actual garments worn by someone’s older sisters, mothers, or grandmothers along with their associated stories impressed visitors and carved images of modern Korean women in times past. Korean society more than a century ago adhered to tradition while being confronted with an influx of Western ideas and products. These signs of the times are clearly reflected in modern

women’s hanbok. This special exhibition focuses on the various innovations and changes that appear in hanbok during the modern period, when Korean women still preferred the Korean traditional dress to Western-style wear. Yet various changes were sought to accommodate active women who still wanted to project an aesthetic style. As a result, the jeogori (jacket) became longer; the length of the chima (skirt) was altered, and shoulder straps were added to allow the wearer to lift her arms easily. The goreum (bow-tied ribbon across the front) was replaced by a brooch and premium imported material such as lace or velvet were used to make the dresses. The use of the jangot (long hood) was discontinued, and women began to carry a parasol, instead. Thus,

Hanbok that shows changes in the material and shape of the jackets as well as a range of accessories

Korean women in the early twentieth century naturally expressed their status amid social change through the clothing they wore. In the history of Korean clothing, traditional and modern hanbok are distinct categories. However, this special exhibition did not simply arrayed the dresses in chronological order. Rather, it tried to reflect the voices of the women who actually wore the garments in days gone by to promote visitors’ emotional engagement with the exhibition. Visitors enjoyed the exhibition in various ways. For example, the elderly reminisced about the historical periods in question, while young people longed for unfamiliar times in the last century. The exhibition was organized into

six different narratives. The prologue of the exhibition was “Encounter between Tradition and Modernity,” and quilted hanbok and lace jeogori were among the featured items on display. Next was “Encounter of Painting and Hanbok,” with works showing women in traditional dress from Kim Hongdo’s 1745–c.1806 Genre Painting Album by Danwon and from Shin Yunbok’s 1758–1813 Album of Women’s Customs. Section One was themed “Trends of Women’s Modern Hanbok,” and the evolution of the dress was subdivided into three historical periods—the 1900s through 1920s, the 1930s through 1940s, and the 1950s through 1970s. A highlight here was “Mother’s Workroom,” a recreation of a room in which hanbok were

Brooch 1959 Jade and metal W. 3.0 cm, L. 6.5 cm National Folk Museum of Korea

Women who donned their hanbok and took action at the five moments in Daegu’s history

Jacket 1960–1970s Lace L. 32.5–36.0 cm Daegu National Museum

sewn by hand and tried on. The diorama evoked fond memories and feelings of nostalgia in many visitors. Section Two, “Women’s Hanbok in Daegu,” focused on little-known stories by five different people about the activism and hanbok of Daegu women during the twentieth century. A housewife recounts the story of Jeong Gyeong-ju 1866–1945 from the Women’s Association for the Abolition of Jewelry, the members of which donated their jewelry and accessories to help pay back the state’s huge external debt and thereby protect national sovereignty in 32

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1907. A female student remembers the Independence Movement in Daegu on March 8, 1919. A contemporary woman tells how she sympathized with the 1928 speech by Jeong Chilseong 1897–1958, an independence activist. Another woman talks about speeches by Helen Keller 1880– 1968 she heard in 1937, and a grandmother recalls the velvet hanbok she wore in 1954, a style in vogue immediately after the Korean War ended. The special exhibition was further enriched by a display of photographs of women in hanbok captured by leading

photographers in the Daegu area during the twentieth century. Section Three, “Women of Daegu in their Hanbok,” presents photographs of women wearing hanbok as well as actual hanbok worn by Kwon Bun Soon, Lee Sueok, and Kim Kijun. In addition, visitors were either reminded of days gone by or given a chance to experience those days indirectly through faded photographs of women in hanbok from the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do regions. The epilogue of the exhibition introduced by the young Korean artist Kim Hyun Jung. Korea’s modern era is close to the contemporary era in which we now live, but it is often considered to be less well known than earlier periods are. Interest in the modern era has been increasing these days, and the Twentieth Century Hanbok of Korean Women effectively brought to light women’s stories from the last century that were in danger of being forgotten. Extant stories of women who lived through turbulent times have been handed down to posterity.

MUSEUM SCENE

The space for “The Master and His Pupils,” in the special exhibition gallery is characterized by the modern atmosphere created by a series of arches, a feature of modern Korean architecture. The display consists of works by An Jungsik from the height of his career, such as the resplendent Small Boat Entering Peach Blossom Spring and Still Life with Bronze Vessels, Flowers, and Fruits, as well as works by artists who studied under him.

NEWS

Teachings as Conveyed through a Flower: Buddhist Hanging Scroll at Magoksa Temple Joseon Dynasty, 1687 Color on hemp 1169.0 × 752.2 cm Treasure No. 1260

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EXHIBITION 1

Located in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, Magoksa Temple has long been a famous scenic spot set in a beautiful mountain landscape. In recognition of its cultural and historical value, Magoksa Temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2018 as one of the temples comprising the property titled “Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea.” The Buddhist Hanging Scroll at Magoksa Temple was produced by six Buddhist monk painters. Measuring 11m in height, 7m in width, and weighing 174kg, the painting is so arresting that it is hard to believe it is over three hundred years old. The main icon in the painting is Shakyamuni Buddha wearing a crown and brilliant ornaments. The giant picture plane is filled with the image of Shakyamuni holding a lotus blossom and the crowd that has gathered to hear the teachings of the Buddha. This scene has its roots in the story of the silent sermon delivered by Shakyamuni by holding up a flower to the congregation, which is understood only by the disciple Kashyapa. Giant Buddhist hanging scrolls that feature the Buddha wearing a resplendent crown and holding a lotus blossom were mainly produced during the 17th and 18th centuries in the Chungcheong-do and Gyeongsang-do regions. The identity of the principal icon of Buddhist Hanging Scroll at Magoksa Temple is revealed by the red strip (bangje) inside the halo behind the Buddha’s head that contains the inscription “The myriad transformation body of Shakyamuni.” Moreover, the other 35 figures in the painting are also identified by the inscriptions on the bangje inside each personal halo. The National Museum of Korea holds a special Buddhist hanging scroll exhibition to celebrate Buddha’s Birthday each year. The Buddhist Hanging Scroll at Magoksa Temple is the subject of the fourteenth installment of the exhibition series and is on display through October 20 this year.

EXHIBITION 2

Oath Written by Yi Bongchang

Thematic Exhibition, From Empire to Republic

December 13, 1931 32.3 × 20.1 cm Ink on cotton Registered Cultural Heritage No. 745-1

In honor of the centennial of the March First Independence Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in 1919, the National Museum of Korea presents the thematic exhibition From Empire to Republic. Documents and materials related to the Songs of the March First Movement, Songs of the Korean Independence Army, and Announcement Commemorating the Return of the Korean Provisional Government and other related works will be on display until September 15. Illustrations by the cartoonist Park Sibaek help to visually convey the tense political climate in Korea one hundred years ago and visitors are transported into the physical space of the freedom fighters through partial reconstructions.

EXHIBITION 3

Thematic Exhibition, Treasures from the SOHN Collection of Calligraphy and Painting II A total of twenty-eight examples of Joseon painting and calligraphy are on display in the Sohn Seki and Sohn Changkun Gallery on the second floor of the Permanent Exhibition Hall. The artworks are drawn from the collection of Sohn Changkun and his father Sohn Seki, donated to the National Museum of Korea in November 2018. On display until July 7, this exhibition provides an opportunity to view famous works such as Banquet for Elderly at the Bugwon Garden and Birobong Peak by Jeong Seon as well as masterpieces by Sim Sajeong, Kim Deukshin, Yi Inmun, Kim Sucheol, and other painters and calligraphers from the late Joseon Dynasty. Dog Barking at the Moon Joseon Dynasty, 18th–19th century By Kim Deukshin Ink on paper Gift of Sohn Changkun, 2018

NEWS

Music concert celebrating the new spring season

Incense Burner Nguyen Dynasty, 19th–20th century Vietnam National Museum of History

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A music concert celebrating the new spring season was arranged for the “Korean Culture Day” on the last Wednesday of March in the Great Hall. In coordination with the theme “Spring, and Also a Meeting with Vietnamese Culture,” the concert featured the guitarist Ham Chunho, Vietnamese artist Le Ahn Ton as well as the NMK Ukulele band “Bananas” performing to the suitable backdrop of a clear spring day. On the same day, the curtain went up on the exhibition of artworks from the Vietnam National Museum of History, on display in the India and Southeast Asian Gallery on the third floor of the Permanent Exhibitions Hall. Following arrangements made between the National Museum of Korea and the Vietnam National Museum of History, the Asian Arts section have been reorganized in order to accommodate Vietnamese materials ranging from archaeological artifacts from the Paleolithic period to bronze ware, ceramics, and Buddhist sculpture from the nineteenth century. The NMK arranged the musical performance in order to promote the opening of the Vietnamese exhibition and to provide museum visitors with an up close experience with Vietnamese culture.

Conservation Treatment Completed for the Buddhist Painting from the Museum Rietberg, Switzerland The NMK has completed conservation treatment of Portrait of Buddhist Monk Chupa and returned it to the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, Switzerland. This work from the late Joseon Dynasty is the only Korean Buddhist painting housed in the Museum Rietberg, but it has yet to be properly utilized for exhibitions as it had been severely damaged and lacked mounting. The Conservation Science Division at the NMK investigated the painting applying x-ray inspection, infrared analysis, and other methods and conducted conservation treatment from May 2017 to April 2019. During the conservation processes, molds and stains were removed and damaged parts were reinforced using silk with texture similar to that of the base material of the painting. Besides, stiffened adhesive and paper attached to the back of the work were removed. The painting was mounted as a hanging scroll, and the upper and lower parts of the scroll were dyed using green pigment to comply with the form of the Korean traditional Buddhist painting. This conservation project by the NMK is significant in that a Korean Buddhist painting in an overseas collection recovered the traditional form of the genre through conservation treatment.

PUBLICATION

Joseon: The Movable Type Dynasty

Journal of Korean Art & Archaeology vol.12 and 13

ISBN 978-1-63519-012-0 Language English

2577-9842 ISSN Language English

The tenth volume of the “English-language exhibition catalog series” started in 2009 has been released. Every year, the NMK publishes an English-language catalog that introduces many diverse aspects of Korean history and culture to readers at home and abroad. This catalog, based on the 2016 special exhibition Joseon: The Movable Type Dynasty, analyzes the way in which movable type was utilized by the royal family and members of the ruling class throughout the Joseon Dynasty and Korean Empire periods. This English-language book will allow readers to learn that movable type was not only an integral tool in the printing process but represented the quintessence of art and technology of the time.

The NMK has released volumes 12 and 13 of the Journal of Korean Art & Archaeology. Volume 12 focuses on the subject of “Joseon Court Painting,” featuring abridged articles addressing the system of court painters in the Dohwaseo, the royal bureau of painting, and the production and significance of artworks including Ten Symbols of Longevity Screen at the Oregon University Museum, Folding Screen Sea, Cranes, and Peaches at the Honolulu Art Museum, and the eighteenthcentury work Painting of the Tribute Missions to the Son of Heaven. The most recent volume features in-depth articles about the ancient Silla capital of Gyeongju that provide the reader with a great breadth of knowledge about this important historical region.

EDUCATION

By the Editorial Team / With M un Jeonghun, Museum Educator, National Museum of Korea and Yi Youngcin, Museum Educator, Gwangju National Museum

Hangeul and Painting, Heading to Saudi

The special exhibition Enchanting Journey to Korean Civilization, hosted by the National Museum in Riyadh, was the first exhibition to introduce Korean history and culture in Saudi Arabia. In addition, it also represented the first opportunity for the National Museum of Korea to try its educational program outside of Korea. This program, specially designed for local visitors, was titled “Hangeul and Painting, Heading to Saudi.” For the duration of the exhibition, the program seized on this great opportunity to effectively promote knowledge of Korean culture in an Arab cultural region with a growing interest in Korean culture. While the exhibition Enchanting Journey to Korean Civilization was still in the planning phases, the National Museum in Riyadh requested that the 38

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Education Division at the NMK develop a program that could help local visitors familiarize themselves with Korean culture. The NMK drew on many years of experience in developing programs for a great variety of visitors including casual Korean and foreign visitors, individuals and groups, as well as visitors from different age groups in order to formulate a program specially tailored to visitors in Saudi Arabia. All of the visitors to the special exhibition had the opportunity to participate in the program “Hangeul and Painting, Heading to Saudi,” by writing in Hangeul and Arabic, stamping a seal with hangeul characters, or simply drawing a picture on paper, paper fans, or scrolls. Through the process of drawing animals and plants derived from Korean cultural

artifacts or attempting to copy hangeul characters and calligraphy, participants were able to briefly experience many of the attractive qualities of Korean culture firsthand. The experience programs are somewhat of a rarity at the National Museum in Riyadh and the table set up with various materials for the purposes of the program at the front of the exhibition hall attracted considerable interest from local visitors. At the opening ceremony, educators Mun Jeonghun and Yi Youngcin captivated the attention of the assembled honored guests with a lively demonstration of the immersive program. In addition, students from the Korean Cultural Center in Saudi Arabia along with local teenagers were invited to directly experience aspects of Korean culture that they had

1 Visitors from Saudi Arabia taking part in the program after applying on the spot 2 People of the local Korean Cultural Center who love Korean culture 3 Young participants applied to take part in the program beforehand 4 An explanation of the hands-on program involving hangeul and drawing

learned about through books and videos. Regular museum visitors interested in the exhibition also contributed to the constant flow of participants. It was extremely rewarding to find that participants who were unfamiliar with the educational materials such as the paper fans and scrolls at first were soon able to enjoy writing Korean script and painting following a brief period of instruction. In the case of the paper fans and scrolls, participants readily understood the directions to draw pictures in the blank spaces on the paper but encountered difficulty in the writing portion of the program. Unlike Arabic that is written laterally from right to left, Hangeul is generally written in the opposite direction and can also be written vertically in the traditional manner that

was practiced when the script was first developed. In the end, the writing portion of the program was modified to alleviate these difficulties and participants were encouraged to turn the writing paper so that they could practice writing vertically. In order to help local visitors unfamiliar with hangeul, the Education Division at the NMK prepared as many Korean and English translations of useful Arabic terms and phrases as possible for the participants to use during the program. Participants who completed the program were encouraged to document their experience with photographs and video and were able to leave the museum with the paper fans and scrolls that they decorated with painting or writing as well as postcards supplied by the NMK. Even though many participants experienced

an initial awkwardness in dealing with foreign materials and concepts, the majority found the program on Korean culture valuable and interesting and came away with a newfound appreciation for the unfamiliar hangeul script. Thanks to this special opportunity to develop an educational program in coordination with an exhibition held overseas, the NMK could pioneer an experience program similar to many programs held at exhibitions sites in Korea and saw the potential to introduce Korean culture and heritage to a great number of overseas museum visitors in an easily digestible and interesting way.

PLACE AND EVENT

By the Editorial Team

The Museum Library

Book collection as of 2018

14,323

Korean books

68,817 The National Museum of Korea library is situated on the fourth floor opposite the Permanent Exhibition Hall. Even though the library has been open to the public for forty-six years, relatively few visitors seem to be aware of its existence. However, for the past few months there has been a notable change in atmosphere. At around ten in the morning when the library opens the reading room fills up with visitors and there has been a perceptible increase in the number of people perusing materials on the bookshelves. The space looks quite 40

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1,951

Western books

Other Asian books

Japanese books

Chinese books

45,202 different compared to when it was only used by researchers looking up materials on subjects of cultural history such as archaeology and art history. Last year, the NMK reorganized the library reading room that included around 150,000 books on specialist subjects such as archaeology, traditional art, and history within a 14,000 square foot space. The newly organized library features a specially curated bookcase. Currently, the bookshelf displays materials related to the Korean Provisional Government

15,586

and the March First Independence Movement in order to provide context for the thematic exhibition From Empire to Republic on show in the gallery. In the future, the contents of the curated bookcase will be replaced about four times a year in coordination with the changing exhibitions in the galleries in an effort to maintain public interest. A new multipurpose room has also been unveiled. Moving bookshelves from the center of the room to the walls created the space for this new room. The

151,091

Special materials Total number of books

343

4,441

Multimedia materials

Separate volumes

104,056 bookshelves in the multipurpose room are packed to the ceiling with books contributed by donors such as Kim Jaewon, the first director of the NMK, Choi Sunu, the fourth director of the NMK, Yoshiyuki Kuraku, and Jina Kaori. Every Thursday afternoon, the room plays host to a “Book Talk” program in which participants read through historical works that relate to artifacts in the museum. The program, designed for adults, is already booked up for the first half of the year and the museum will receive application

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Old books

for the second term in the second half of the year. Plans are also in place to launch a summer program for teenagers titled “Journey through Library Materials” in order to further raise awareness about the library. The main reading space, populated by bookshelves containing museum catalogs as well as rare books such as Photography Album of the Collection of the Yi Royalfamily Museum, Illustrated Records of Historic Sites in Korea (Joseon Gojeokdobo) and Collection of Korean Documents

41,823

Series

(Joseon Saryojipjin), is now the focal point of the new layout. The dense arrangement of serial publications has been moved up against the wall, making room for a comfortable lounge space featuring a wide hardwood table. Large windows provide natural lighting and a view onto the Namsan Seoul Tower in the distance. Ever changing with the passing weather, the outside scenery makes for an inspiring setting for the leisurely reader and a welcoming refuge for visitors seeking a short break outside the galleries. 41

Treasures from the SOHN Collection of Calligraphy and Painting II March 26 – July 7, 2019 Sohn Seki and Sohn Changkun Gallery offers an opportunity to see masterpieces from the Joseon Dynasty calligraphy and painting. Among the works, Lillies by Kim Sucheol is a highly sophisticated work where the subject is depicted very simply and with bold omissions, and overlaid with fresh, light coloring. Also two of the most arresting pieces in the exhibition room are Jeong Seon’s paintings Banquet for the Elderly at Bugwon Garden and Birobong Peak, which visitors will find especially interesting for their differences in technique.