Artwork by the late painter Lee In-sung sold for cigarette prices... Family loses return lawsuit

Seoul Central District Court. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The family of the late genius painter Lee Inseong (1912?1950), known as the "Korean Gauguin," filed a lawsuit against Chairman A of a domestic company demanding the return of dozens of his artworks, but lost in the first trial.

According to the court on the 4th, the Civil Division 23 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Dongbin) ruled against the plaintiff in the first trial of the lawsuit filed by Lee's family seeking the return of the artworks from Chairman A.

Previously, dozens of Lee's artworks owned by the family were transferred to Chairman A's father in 1961. However, the Lee Inseong Posthumous Works Recovery Committee and the family argued in 2018 that "the artworks were entrusted to the defendant with the promise to build a museum to exhibit and properly preserve and manage the works," and demanded, "Since the promise was not fulfilled, the paintings must be returned."

The family stated in court, "Our intention is not primarily to recover ownership but to have the works publicly displayed for the people." They also claimed, "At the time, each painting was sold at the price of a pack of cigarettes," and argued, "Since the conditions were not met, the defendant should return the artworks after paying 2,400 won (current price of a pack of cigarettes 4,500 won × 32 pieces ÷ 60 pieces)." On the other hand, Chairman A's side countered, "We lawfully acquired ownership of the artworks."

The first trial did not accept the family's claims. The court stated, "When Chairman A's father received the paintings, he was promoting the establishment of a museum, and in the 1960s, these paintings were exhibited and displayed. It is also acknowledged that his wife contributed an article to a women's magazine in 1964 expressing hope for the creation of a museum to exhibit Lee's paintings."

However, the court added, "This alone is insufficient to conclude that an agreement on the conditions claimed by the plaintiff was established or that the contract would not have been made if the conditions were not fulfilled," and pointed out, "There is no evidence that any disposal documents containing the plaintiff's claims were created."

Born in Daegu in 1912, Lee was a representative painter of modern Korean art, leaving behind iconic works boasting unique colors and compositions such as 'At Sanggok, Gyeongju,' 'One Autumn Day,' and 'Hawthorn.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.